‘Legends’ was born from a global collaboration, blending distinct styles across continents. In this interview, Emily and Andy share their creative process, remote challenges, and the chemistry that made the song come alive.”
1. “Legends” was written across 10,000 miles. What was the very first spark—musical or emotional—that convinced you both this collaboration needed to happen?
Andy : As soon as we started speaking. We had a few emails going back and forth and then agreed for a video call. It was then that I knew we were on the same page and that we needed to create this song. I had already heard Emily’s voice and I also knew I wanted to work with her then.
Emily :The spark for me happened when Andy sent me the first demo of the song played on the acoustic guitar. In the beginning of collaborations, I try to keep an open mind – creatively speaking – so as to be objective in the process and open to the other person’s vision. While I knew it was possible to blend our styles, I was unsure exactly what that would look (or sound) like and how far we could take the project. Up until this point, we seemed to be in accord on the lyrics and general style, but when I first heard Andy’s instrumentation, I knew we were in complete synchronization and on our way to creating something incredibly special.
2. Working remotely across three continents must have brought unique challenges. What part of the long-distance process surprised you the most—either creatively or technically?
Andy: It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. All the ideas and our vision were shared either by email or discussed in a video/phone call. We both produced the song, but it was engineered by myself. But any prominent changes were disucssed first and also when I did anything during recording or production, I would send a copy of where we were at. I think the final mix was version 16!
Emily: I had never created such a big project almost entirely remotely, and the biggest surprise to me in the process was how simple it really was. It had challenges that are different to in-person collaborations such as dealing with a 13.5 hour time difference, but I was amazed at how much we were able to accomplish remotely. Perhaps that just speaks to how well we worked together with patience, clear communication, and a shared vision.
3. You mentioned blending two very distinct musical styles. Can you describe a moment in the songwriting or production when you felt those styles finally “clicked” into something new?
Andy: There wasn’t really a moment like that. We were on the same page the whole way through and very open and hinest with eachother, which made the whole process very seamless and less complicated.
Emily: I didn’t really have a moment like that, a feeling of something “finally clicking,” but perhaps that is because I don’t tend to stick to one style in general. I think, as I mentioned before, our constant communication through every step of the process helped to create a clear vision that slowly built and morphed into what became the sound of “Legends.”
4. Your vocals were recorded together in Atlanta during the ISSA Awards. How did meeting in person influence the song after months of remote creation?
Andy: It was amazing! The song sounded good with the vocals done remotely but there was something missing and it’s hard as a producer also to convey your vision by email. Being together for the vocals meant we could talk about it, try it out and discuss. But again, we were so n’sync with each other that the vocals that made it on to the record were the second take. We warmed up and then went for it and that is what you hear. Best decision we made as it really comes across in the song, the togtherness and chemistry.
Emily: Recording the vocals together took the song from being a well-made piece of art to becoming a living, breathing creation. As much as the song could have been made 100% remotely and been a great song, nothing could replace the experience, emotion, and creative harmony that we captured in the room together when we recorded the vocals in person.
5. The lyrics explore time, myth, and distance. How much of that theme reflects your own experiences as artists navigating global collaboration and personal storytelling?
Emily: These different lyrical ideas of distance, time, myths, storytelling, etc. were like puzzle pieces waiting to be put together. The story of our meeting and creation process across a vast space was a prominent idea from the first conversation we had about the project. I had not intended that meaning in the lyrics when I first penned portions of them before meeting Andy, but he interpreted that meaning in them, and it ended up being the glue that brought all the pieces together to create a cohesive picture.
6. Now that “Legends” is out and receiving praise, do you see this partnership continuing? Are there future songs or creative ideas already brewing between you?
Andy: 100% will collaborate with Emily again! I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process and we have become good friends. When are schedules allign, we will do something together again. She is uber talented and it will definitely be my pleasure.
Emily: It would be an incredible honor to create more music with Andy. There is so much more that we feel we could explore between our different musical interests and styles. We are both busy with solo projects at the moment, but we have already thrown out some ideas for future projects, so I know it will happen at some point soon.
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