Interview: Arctic Lake
Delectably dreamy alt-pop duo Arctic Lake isn’t afraid to get up close and personal in their brand new single “Lonely”. Featuring sultry vocals atop layers of shimmery synths, Emma Foster and Paul Holliman are no strangers to creating music that feels good and sounds even better. I got to catch up with the English two-piece to hear all about their new single, how they stumbled into making music years ago, and their ability to dive deep and create music that makes you feel something otherworldly.
Photo by Scarlett Casciello
You may recognize Emma’s ethereal, echoing vocals from Arctic Lake’s debut single “Limits” in 2015. Swimming with low tones and breathy lyrics, this group floated into the music scene with polished production right from the start. After meeting at university in 2014, Emma and Paul began playing around with instruments and sounds that at first, didn’t have a specific sonic direction. As Paul explained, the Arctic Lake musicality we know and love today actually came together unexpectedly.
“The first song we made was ‘Limits’ and that was kind of a happy accident. When I started playing around trying to learn the keyboard at the time, since I was playing it so slowly, that was the first time we could all hear Emma over the music and let her voice control the song a lot more. The music became more chilled out and electronic so her voice could shine through. ”
After picking up speed with their debut single, Arctic Lake continued to release soul-soothing yet electric songs throughout the next 2 years. These ambient sounds paved the way for the pair’s release of their 2017 EP “Closer” and 2018 EP “What You May Find”. Following their respective tours with Freya Ridings and Vancouver Sleep Clinic, Arctic Lake put their heads down and continued their intensely creative flow during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Collaborating with sonic masterminds like producer Lane 8 and pianist Peter Sandberg, Arctic Lake has perfected the art of creating alt-pop daydream soundtracks for any occasion. This duo’s ability to channel tightly-wound emotions and turn them into breathtaking, electromagnetic anthems is simply unmatched.
Photo by Scarlett Casciello
This week, Arctic Lake released their brand new single “Lonely” alongside a sultry, moody visual that gives us all the serene royalty that this duo has to offer.
“Lonely” comes in strong with a pulsing backbeat guiding Emma’s elegant vocals that glide over the track. Prepare yourself for a building, breathy chorus that is unavoidably catchy. Bouncy, begging, and beautifully pieced together, “Lonely” gives listeners the transition from warm summer mornings into bristling autumn nights.
With the steamy, bare-all “Lonely” video so perfectly entwined with the song itself, I had to ask the pair how the video concept came to be.
“There is a constant sharing of aesthetics and ideas going on with all of us. We knew a foundation of what we wanted for the “Lonely” video but didn’t know how it would come full circle. Collaborating with the brilliant people at Astralwerks really helped it all come together in the end.”
Cover Art for “Lonely” - Arctic Lake
Arctic Lake’s new single “Lonely” is the song your dreamy, alt-pop playlist has been missing. You can check out this English duo’s new track on Spotify and Apple Music. Don’t forget to get the entire “Lonely” experience by watching the official video here. You can follow Arctic Lake on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for all their latest music and tour updates!
Interview by Kelly Carrazzone
