Emily Ricks On the Making Of “Call It Falling”
What was the initial spark or idea that led to the creation of "Call It Falling?”
A few months ago I was up super late and got out my “acoustic” guitar (so I wouldn’t wake up my whole building at 4am). I was feeling jaded about love, and just started playing around with some lyrics and stumbled onto the massive irony in the line “I guess that’s why they call it falling.” I wrote the chorus and first verse in about an hour and then brought it to my producer (once the sun came up) who helped me finish it and turn it into the slamming track that it is now :)
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for this song?
One standout moment was when we were recording the bridge. I have never just let myself uncontrollably scream in a song before. It was so fun to build such a rage-filled music section and just have fun with it.
How do you feel "Call It Falling" represents your artistic identity?
I think “Call it Falling” is an alternative pop anthem with rock undertones, and to me that is who I am as an artist. I grew up loving Paramore, The Killers and Young the Giant but also have always adored rock bands like The Rolling Stones and Linkin Park too. I feel it has some of the darkness rock songs tend to feature but also some of the levity alt pop likes to play with. I tend to feel caught between the light and dark in real life and to me this song is a sonic reflection of that.
What is your songwriting process like? How do you usually start crafting a new song?
I usually start a song by just sitting down with my guitar and playing through melodies. As I’m doing that, an initial idea for a concept will come to mind and I just go down the rabbit hole with it until I land on something that I connect with. Sometimes I will have a concept in my head for a song and will find melodies that pair well with it, but most of the time it is just a sit down and let the instrumentation guide me to a feeling type of process.
What challenges have you faced as a singer-songwriter, and how have you overcome them?
I think for me, being vulnerable has always been scary. It is scary to be honest with yourself and even scarier to think of others perceiving those raw parts of you. It has also been extremely rewarding. In the beginning, it was hard for me to feel comfortable writing the deepest, darkest parts of my life into song, but I gradually became more comfortable. Seeing people embrace those vulnerable lyrics as their own has definitely helped me feel safe opening up.