Embleton, an americana roots rock group from Canton, Ohio, recently released their new album It Did Me Well. After getting to preview the record, I decided to interview the band so we could talk about the release as well as music in Canton, Ohio.
Having performed at Buzzbin in Canton in 2013, it was cool to get an inside look at the local scene from a talented band that resides there. Make sure to support the band by sharing, streaming and purchasing music and merchandise.
The new record has dropped. How do you feel?
So relieved. It took about 10 months to rehearse, record, mix, and master the record. You’d think after that it would be easy to relax, but all the pre-release promo really took it out of me. There’s obviously still promo going on now that it’s out, but it feels a little less hectic. So yea, I feel good.
What should music fans expect to hear when they press play?
A live album. We tracked this record live in our engineer’s living room. Because of our hectic work schedules, we were often limited. So we committed to making decisions during the recording process. We would get together in the evening, set up some mics, and just go for it. By the end of the evening, whichever take we liked best is the take we used for the album. So when you hit play, you’ll hear a pretty raw, americana, roots rock record.
Who or what inspired the arrangements on this record? Is there a sense of evolution or progression from the band’s last project?
There were definitely a few bands that sparked the inspiration to track it live: Dawes and Ryan Adams. But I was listening to a lot of music while we recorded, from Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, and Willie Nelson to The War On Drugs, Blake Mills, and Sun Kil Moon. This may seem weird, but whoever I was listening to the day of a recording session is probably who inspired that track the most. As far as the evolution/progression part, this is Embleton’s debut record. So it’s pretty fresh. Before I started Embleton I was in a band called A Minor Bird, which was a lot more like spacey, indie rock or something. So this new record is almost a complete departure from that.
What’s the music scene like in Canton, OH? How does Embleton stand out?
There aren’t tons of venues to play at, but there are a lot of really talented songwriters here who are consistently honing their craft and working on making great records. These guys are great, and they’re meticulous. But things move really slowly around here. Sometimes life just gets in the way. So there are a few records that are about to come out of Canton that I know will be my favorites for a long time. That being said, Embleton sticks out because we pumped our record out in just over a year. So I think the thing that separates us is simply: movement… But the underground music scene here in Canton is going to bust out in a big way some day. Hopefully soon.
What was the last song you listened to?
“Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” by Brandon Flowers
Any upcoming tours? Gigs? Where can people see you perform?
We have a CD release show coming up with Saturday, March 21 at a venue called Musica in Akron, OH. In the upcoming months we’ll be playing Canton, Cleveland, Columbus, South Bend, and Grand Rapids, so just keep an eye on the upcoming tour dates on our website.
Where can we connect with you online? Stream your music?
Our website is the best hub for finding out more about us. But we are also on facebook. You can stream/buy the record on our bandcamp.
You can also stream it on Spotify if you so desire. As for purchasing purposes, the record is on just about all digital platforms (itunes, amazon, google play, etc)
Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?
Just want to say thanks for the interview! And thanks to everyone who has picked up our record so far. We’re looking forward to making many more. Shout out to JJ Golden at Golden Mastering. He did a phenomenal job mastering the record.
No words of wisdom from me. I don’t know what I’m doing 😉
