Track of the Day: Emma Edel - 'Why We Try'

Rising Irish singer-songwriter Emma Edel has released her fourth single, chilled out pop track 'Why We Try'.

The Kerry native is showcasing a different avenue of her sound with the playful, infectious tune. Her latest single was written at the beginning of 2020, and discusses craving someone’s presence over anything materialistic or superficial.

'Why We Try' explores the disagreements that can arise between two people that have different love languages, delving into the reasons why you make an effort to continue without forcing it.

Opening with a nostalgic sound bed - quickly greeted by Edel’s upfront dream-like vocals - the laid-back track blends lavish guitar progressions, modern synths, thick basslines with a retro drum beat.

The new offering is balanced by Edel’s conversational layered vocals - distinctively more personal than previous singles 'If I Can't Have You', 'Good Time' and 'Meant To Be'.

Produced remotely with Alex O'Keeffe over Zoom at the beginning of this year, Emma later recorded her vocals in studio with Adam Shanahan once lockdown lifted.

"The guys brought my song to life, from the basic demo I sent Alex, to this full production," Emma remarks. "The final sound really highlights the story behind the song and it has become a lot more personal."

The charismatic artist released debut single 'If I Can’t Have You' in November 2020, peaking at No.4 on the Irish Radio Breakers chart and surpassing 3.9 million impacts to date on Irish radio. In June, she released her follow up single 'Meant To Be', which premiered on Hot Press.

'Good Time' dropped on July 30th, which was chosen as Spin South West's Track of the Week. Her music has been played on national radio stations (Today FM, RTÉ 2FM, Spin 1038, Spin SW, Beat 102 103, Radio Kerry & iRadio, to name a few).

Learning piano from a young age and growing up in a musical household, it was at 15 that Emma began writing songs. It became a useful creative outlet during her teens. In 2014 Emma made the move to Dublin, where she explored her songwriting and sound, attending BIMM, and connected with different songwriters and bands.

The singer-songwriter has been spending a lot of her time since Covid hit at home in Kerry, focusing on writing and releasing. She is currently making music inspired by genres such as pop, R&B and hip-hop.

2022 will see a string of releases for Edel, along with exciting live performances. Catch her supporting LYRA on October 25th at the INEC Club in what should prove an impressive, pop-fuelled gig.

Listen to 'Why We Try' below:

Photo credit: Paula Trojner