Emma Ruth Rundle’s latest single “Blooms of Oblivion” intimately reflects on an experience that was too big for her as a child - “Down at the methadone clinic we waited / hoping to take home your cure / The curdling cowards, the crackle of china / you say that it’s making you pure”, she sings. For anyone that’s endured trauma and grief, there’s a beautiful solace in hearing Rundle articulate and humanise that particular type of pain not only with her words, but with her unique mysterious language of melody and timbre. Her forthcoming album, “Engine of Hell” captures a moment where a masterful songwriter strips away all flourishes and embellishments in order to make every note and word hit with maximum impact, leaving little to hide behind.
Today’s soft spoken guitar ballad “Blooms of Oblivion” comes alongside a vivid and compelling new video which she co-directed with John Bradburn. She explains: “In the video I use an oversized coat to represent an oversized and burdening experience for the little girl. The feeling of being free falling in chaos. Having no control over your circumstances. The song and video describe the feelings I had as a little girl and how that’s shaped who I have become - negotiating with my past and waking to the woman I strive to become through self-love, self parenting and forgiveness and the transformation that it can bring”.
Watch the video for “Blooms of Oblivion” below.
Emma Ruth Rundle has also announced a full spring European tour in 2022 - full details below.
Emma Ruth Rundle has always been a multifaceted musician, equally capable of dreamy abstraction (as heard on her debut album “Electric Guitar: One”), maximalist textural explorations (see her work in Marriages, Red Sparowes, Nocturnes or collaborations with Chelsea Wolfe and Thou), and the classic acoustic guitar singer-songwriter tradition (exemplified by Some Heavy Ocean). But on “Engine of Hell”, Rundle focuses on an instrument that she left behind in her early twenties when she began playing in bands: the piano. In combination with her voice, the piano playing on “Engine of Hell” creates a kind of intimacy, as if we’re sitting beside Rundle on the bench, or perhaps even playing the songs ourselves.
Sonically she captures the imperfection and the vulnerability of humanity. “Here are some very personal songs; here are my memories; here is me teetering on the very edge of sanity dipping my toe into the outer reaches of space and I’m taking you with me and it’s very f****d up and imperfect”.
The instrument of Rundle’s childhood is the perfect vehicle for an album that is essentially a collection of memories from her youth, though one doesn’t need to dig too deep to realize “Engine of Hell” isn’t some saccharin nostalgia trip. As the album progresses, it becomes apparent that “Engine of Hell” is more memoir than pure poetry. On the soft-spoken acoustic guitar ballad, “Blooms of Oblivion” we’re given more explicit details. “Down at the methadone clinic we waited / hoping to take home your cure / The curdling cowards, the crackle of china / you say that it’s making you pure”. It gets even heavier on the album’s third song “Body”, where Rundle recounts a childhood memory of seeing a deceased family member wheeled away by strangers.
The memories and their accompanying songs aren’t always steeped in grief. “Dancing Man” is one of the most delicate and somber songs on the album, with its sleepy cadence and hushed delivery giving it a distinctly dream-like quality. Yet the song serves a positive purpose: it chronicles a cherished memory of Rundle dancing with a friend—an experience she returns to in dark moments when she needs the reminder of “perfect days with this perfect love that exists in a space which can never be taken away from me, can never be ruined, can never be changed”.
“For me this album is the end of an era to the end of a decade of making records. Things DO have to change and have changed for me since I finished recording it”. In essence, “Engine of Hell” signifies a major turning point for Rundle as both an artist and as a person. The catharsis of this type of songwriting has effectively served its purpose, and to continue ruminating on the past going forward is less of a healing process and more like picking at a scab and refusing to let it heal. This may help explain why Rundle is less than enthusiastic about divulging the details about her muses, but it doesn’t alter the fact that these songs served a purpose in their creation, and that they may continue to bring comfort to others.
“Engine of Hell” sees its release on November 5th, 2021, via Sargent House. Pre-order the album here.
US Live Dates 2021:
26/11/21: Los Angeles, CA - Substance Festival at The Belasco Theater (Tickets)
22/07/22 - 07/24/22: Moran, WY - Fire in the Mountains (Tickets)
European Tour Dates 2022:
05/02 Dampierre FR - Le Temple Dampierre Les Bois
06/02 Ghent BE - Minard Schouwburg
08/02 London UK - Clapham Grand
09/02 Manchester UK - Stoller Hall
10/02 Bath UK - Komedia
12/02 Bruxelles BE - Botanique Museum
13/02 Paris FR - Théatre L’Européen
14/02 Lille FR - Église Saint Étienne
15/02 Rennes FR - Antipode
18/02 Nijmegen NL - Stevenskerk
19/02 Bochum DE - Christuskirche
20/02 Hamburg DE - Nachtasyl
22/02 Berlin DE - Heimathafen
23/02 Leipzig DE - UT Connewitz
25/02 Porto PT Casa Da Música
26/02 Lisboa PT - Culturgest
Weblinks:
www.emmaruthrundle.com
www.facebook.com/emmaruthrundle
Today’s soft spoken guitar ballad “Blooms of Oblivion” comes alongside a vivid and compelling new video which she co-directed with John Bradburn. She explains: “In the video I use an oversized coat to represent an oversized and burdening experience for the little girl. The feeling of being free falling in chaos. Having no control over your circumstances. The song and video describe the feelings I had as a little girl and how that’s shaped who I have become - negotiating with my past and waking to the woman I strive to become through self-love, self parenting and forgiveness and the transformation that it can bring”.
Watch the video for “Blooms of Oblivion” below.
Emma Ruth Rundle has also announced a full spring European tour in 2022 - full details below.
Emma Ruth Rundle has always been a multifaceted musician, equally capable of dreamy abstraction (as heard on her debut album “Electric Guitar: One”), maximalist textural explorations (see her work in Marriages, Red Sparowes, Nocturnes or collaborations with Chelsea Wolfe and Thou), and the classic acoustic guitar singer-songwriter tradition (exemplified by Some Heavy Ocean). But on “Engine of Hell”, Rundle focuses on an instrument that she left behind in her early twenties when she began playing in bands: the piano. In combination with her voice, the piano playing on “Engine of Hell” creates a kind of intimacy, as if we’re sitting beside Rundle on the bench, or perhaps even playing the songs ourselves.
Sonically she captures the imperfection and the vulnerability of humanity. “Here are some very personal songs; here are my memories; here is me teetering on the very edge of sanity dipping my toe into the outer reaches of space and I’m taking you with me and it’s very f****d up and imperfect”.
The instrument of Rundle’s childhood is the perfect vehicle for an album that is essentially a collection of memories from her youth, though one doesn’t need to dig too deep to realize “Engine of Hell” isn’t some saccharin nostalgia trip. As the album progresses, it becomes apparent that “Engine of Hell” is more memoir than pure poetry. On the soft-spoken acoustic guitar ballad, “Blooms of Oblivion” we’re given more explicit details. “Down at the methadone clinic we waited / hoping to take home your cure / The curdling cowards, the crackle of china / you say that it’s making you pure”. It gets even heavier on the album’s third song “Body”, where Rundle recounts a childhood memory of seeing a deceased family member wheeled away by strangers.
The memories and their accompanying songs aren’t always steeped in grief. “Dancing Man” is one of the most delicate and somber songs on the album, with its sleepy cadence and hushed delivery giving it a distinctly dream-like quality. Yet the song serves a positive purpose: it chronicles a cherished memory of Rundle dancing with a friend—an experience she returns to in dark moments when she needs the reminder of “perfect days with this perfect love that exists in a space which can never be taken away from me, can never be ruined, can never be changed”.
“For me this album is the end of an era to the end of a decade of making records. Things DO have to change and have changed for me since I finished recording it”. In essence, “Engine of Hell” signifies a major turning point for Rundle as both an artist and as a person. The catharsis of this type of songwriting has effectively served its purpose, and to continue ruminating on the past going forward is less of a healing process and more like picking at a scab and refusing to let it heal. This may help explain why Rundle is less than enthusiastic about divulging the details about her muses, but it doesn’t alter the fact that these songs served a purpose in their creation, and that they may continue to bring comfort to others.
“Engine of Hell” sees its release on November 5th, 2021, via Sargent House. Pre-order the album here.
US Live Dates 2021:
26/11/21: Los Angeles, CA - Substance Festival at The Belasco Theater (Tickets)
22/07/22 - 07/24/22: Moran, WY - Fire in the Mountains (Tickets)
European Tour Dates 2022:
05/02 Dampierre FR - Le Temple Dampierre Les Bois
06/02 Ghent BE - Minard Schouwburg
08/02 London UK - Clapham Grand
09/02 Manchester UK - Stoller Hall
10/02 Bath UK - Komedia
12/02 Bruxelles BE - Botanique Museum
13/02 Paris FR - Théatre L’Européen
14/02 Lille FR - Église Saint Étienne
15/02 Rennes FR - Antipode
18/02 Nijmegen NL - Stevenskerk
19/02 Bochum DE - Christuskirche
20/02 Hamburg DE - Nachtasyl
22/02 Berlin DE - Heimathafen
23/02 Leipzig DE - UT Connewitz
25/02 Porto PT Casa Da Música
26/02 Lisboa PT - Culturgest
Weblinks:
www.emmaruthrundle.com
www.facebook.com/emmaruthrundle