New York City native and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, Emily King, releases “Special Occasion,” the fourth single from her highly anticipated album out this Friday, May 5, via ATO Records. King also performs the title track for the first time on COLORS x STUDIOS, which she recorded earlier this year in Berlin. You can watch the stripped-back, vibrant performance HERE.
“When I was right in the thick of the heartbreak that inspired this album, I took a solo trip to Los Angeles as a way to try to get my independence back. I hit up my friend Abe Rounds (who has toured with the likes of Mark Ronson, Meshell Ndegeocello, Andrew Bird, and more), who’s an amazing musician and songwriter, and he let me come to his studio for a couple days to improvise. I played him this chord progression and started mumbling some lyrics, and he told me I sounded like I was saying the words ‘special occasion.’” Emily King shares. “As I started writing the lyrics, I focused on all the little things that make life fun. The song represents a lot of things for me, but mostly it’s about celebrating being alive and finding some joy in your pain.”
King’s first album in four years, Special Occasion, features eleven dynamic tracks, including previously released singles “This Year,” “Medal,” and “False Start” (watch the live video HERE), all produced by longtime collaborator and Grammy-nominee, Jeremy Most. Across the album, King shares a real-time exploration of the endless dimensions of heartbreak. Using music as a means of meditation and healing, King works through the most overwhelming emotions with ineffable grace and resilience.
This Friday, King kicks off her month-long North American headlining tour in South Orange, NJ. The tour will see King, supported by Joseph Solomon, visit esteemed venues including Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Los Angeles’ Wiltern, Atlanta’s Buckhead Theater, and more. The tour concludes on May 31 with a hometown show at New York’s Terminal 5. For more information and tickets, please visit: https://www.emilykingmusic.com.
Special Occasion Tracklist
1. This Year
2. Special Occasion
3. Medal
4. False Start
5. The Way That You Love Me
6. Home Now
7. Bad Memory (Feat. Lukas Nelson)
8. Waterfalls
9. Who Wants My Love
10. Easy
11. Closer To The Morning