© 2012 Pink Productions. All rights reserved.
We love the simplicity of this video, shot in one room, yet it's compelling in combination with your lyrics and the special effects of the words falling onto the ground. How did this concept come about?
Thank you! The video stems from the idea that some things are better left unsaid, particularly when you might say those things to an ex … when you’re drunk, and in a relationship with someone else.
Erin Martinez, the fabulous director, and I had a few meetings to discuss how this video might come to life. One early concept was for me to be writing the letter, only to have the words disappear, like invisible ink. Erin came up with the idea to have a type-written letter to Emmi, with the individual letters cascading from the page during the bridge. She worked her movie magic, and I think it came together perfectly.
Was Emmi a real person in your life? Can you tell us more about her?
Yes. Emmi is real. I wrote “Dear Emmi” with my girlfriend one night—Shannon is a brilliant lyricist and we have written quite a few songs together. It was July, and we had spent the day cleaning. In the midst of dealing with a particularly unruly closet, Shannon came across a stack of her old marble composition notebooks, and started reading entry after entry about this girl, “Emmi,” the person she was dating before we got together—theirs was, as the lyrics suggest, something of a stormy affair. After our cleaning spree, we decided to celebrate by writing a pop tune, and Shannon asked if she could write about someone who wasn’t me. I agreed, with one condition, that we change her name.
Such an interesting and eclectic room, was it a set or a spot in your home?
Yes! This was shot in our dining room. We do have a bit of a quirky décor (and a bit of a clutter problem). =)
The song stays with the listener long after it's played, such a good thing! What kind of reaction are you getting on it and are you pitching it to mainstream radio as well?
Thank you! “Dear Emmi” quickly became a fan fave at shows—it’s got catchy hook, and I’d see people singing along by the last chorus. The band (Bear Erickson and Nate Keezer, the fab guys rocking out during the video) gave it even more life, and drive. I’m really psyched about the studio version that’s on the record. It has been getting some mainstream radio play around the California Central Coast, and I hope the momentum continues, bringing it to other markets.
What's coming up next for you and your promotion of this video and music?
For the video, I’m in the process of submitting to some networks, and would love to get some more play that way. For music in general, I’m just gigging and writing up a storm. I’ve been releasing an acoustic song every month of 2012 as part my “Twelve Squares” album, and I’m writing new tunes for the band—Kat Devlin and the White Whale—to record this summer or fall.
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Kat Devlin
LGBTI Out Music Artists Community
