Sibling duo Esme Emerson reflect on changing seasons, new sounds, and embracing creative chaos with their upcoming EP, ‘Applesauce.’
Words: Stephen Ackroyd.
Photos: Jasper Cable-Alexander.
Autumn in Suffolk brings with it a particular kind of magic. As apples fall from trees and roll down hills to rot in gardens, siblings Esme Emerson are reflecting on the changing seasons – both meteorological and metaphorical. It’s a fitting backdrop for their current state of artistic flux. The duo aren’t just watching fruit fall; they’re harvesting a bumper crop of new ideas that’s about to be pressed, processed and served up as their latest EP, ‘Applesauce’ (due 7th March 2025, ‘FYI’).
It’s the kind of title that works on multiple levels – part literal homage to their mother’s waste-not-want-not approach to autumn’s bounty, part knowing nod to the beautiful nonsense of trying to make sense of life through song. If their last EP, ‘Big Leap, No Faith, Small Chancer’, was the sound of jumping off the metaphorical cliff, ‘Applesauce’ is them discovering they’ve grown both wings and a rocket pack on the way down.
“If I try to plan what I’m going to paint, it comes out shit”
“Some of the songs were written before we made ‘Big Leap’,” they explain, comfortable in the familiar surroundings of their childhood home – a place where creativity and familial bonds have always intertwined like ivy on old brick. The duo’s approach to selecting tracks feels refreshingly organic: following gut instincts rather than algorithms, choosing songs that resonate like perfectly pitched tuning forks in the here and now.
This new collection isn’t so much a sequel – it’s more like a fraternal twin to ‘Big Leap’, sharing DNA but developing its own distinct personality. “We wanted to explore and experiment and get weirder,” they admit, with the kind of sparkle that suggests they’ve found the sweet spot between innovation and authenticity. The evolution extends to their technical approach too, stripping back to single vocal takes that feel less like studio polish and more like a confession whispered directly into your ear.
Growing up British-Chinese in the decidedly monochrome landscape of rural Suffolk might sound like the setup for an indie coming-of-age film, but for Esme Emerson, it was just life – one where music became both shelter and spotlight. “Often ‘belonging’ is a recurring theme,” they reflect, and there’s something beautifully poetic about finding your place in the world by creating spaces in sound where you can truly exist.
Their creative partnership runs deeper than the usual band dynamics – it’s first thought in the morning, last dream at night, the kind of all-consuming passion that’s easier to bear when shared. “Working together, we’re able to push and hold space for each other,” they explain, making the pursuit of this “weird dream” sound less like a career choice and more like a calling.
The visual side of their world is equally personal, with Esme handling artwork duties with a delightfully chaotic approach. “If I try to plan what I’m going to paint, it comes out shit,” she explains, embodying the kind of creative honesty that makes their whole project feel refreshingly BS-free. “But, then again, I usually have to paint a couple of shit ones before I get anything good.”
Their recent adventures supporting The Japanese House (who they’ve long admired from afar) reads like a crash course in tour life’s beautiful chaos. “Es and I decided to arrive in Glasgow a day early to settle in and calm the nerves before the first show,” Emerson recalls, “but I think I just spent the whole day having a long panic attack.” Add in some impromptu flying between cities due to train strikes, and it’s maybe easy to imagine why.
“Working together, we’re able to push and hold space for each other”
Looking ahead to 2025, their ambitions are a perfect mix of the practical and the playful. Beyond the usual hopes for more music and bigger stages (including a potential European adventure), there are personal goals, too. “I also need to learn how to drive,” admits Emerson, while Esme’s literary ambitions sit alongside a cheerfully noncommittal “errr – we’ll see” about getting behind the wheel.
And because every good story needs a suitably offbeat ending, they’re already planning a list of next year’s Halloween costumes. “It’s not a list,” Esme corrects her sibling. “It’s a note that says Basil Brush and Hacker the Dog.” It’s exactly this kind of detail that makes Esme Emerson feel less like a band and more like finding your tribe. As autumn’s apples continue their journey from tree to ground to sauce, these siblings are cooking up something that tastes a whole lot like home.
Esme Emerson’s EP ‘Applesauce’ is out 7th March.
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