Emland connects with us to discuss the powerful release of "You and I" and the vision behind his music
- STAFF
- Aug 12
- 13 min read
By: Staff
“You and I” is a mesmerizing, genre-defying anthem that showcases Emland's undeniable artistry and emotional depth.
Emland’s latest track, "You and I," is more than just a song, it’s a sonic journey that will leave you breathless. This emotionally-charged anthem starts with a spark as small as a text message and builds into an unforgettable musical experience. With its seamless mix of deep, reflective lyrics and an irresistibly smooth groove, "You and I" captures the delicate balance between profound emotion and light-hearted bliss.
We recently spoke with the Mallorca-based artist behind the magic, and what we learned goes far beyond the creation of just one song. From the inspiration behind the track to the creative process that made it all possible, Emland shares insights into a world where tiny moments spark monumental change. How does a simple message turn into an emotional earthquake? How does he manage to combine personal vulnerability with a vibe that feels effortlessly cool? These are just a few of the questions we dive into.
As we explore the journey of crafting his debut album, EVOLVE, the artist reveals more about his unique approach to music and what fans can expect from the album’s highly anticipated release. It’s not just a track, but a glimpse into the evolving sound of an artist whose story is only beginning.
Begin Interview:
Hello Emland, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview! We've had an amazing time exploring your music and diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more intrigued to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.
Q. We loved “You and I.” Your powerful commanding and rhythmic vocals were beautiful and exhilarating. The soft breathy to soaring vocals were an incredible display.
When did you first discover your voice, and what moment in your life shifted it from being something personal and intimate to recording with the intention of sharing it with a worldwide audience?
After discovering your voice, what was the turning point when you transitioned from music being more of a hobby or side project to sharing it with a worldwide audience, setting the stage for the powerful and viable career we’re witnessing now?
A. I’ve always been a very musical person and since I was a child I’ve been doing music in all different kind of ways. Singing was and is just one aspect of it; I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember. To me it’s all about the songs, it’s always been like that. The piece itself, that’s it for me. I’ve been playing the piano since I was a kid and I started to write my own songs after my mom’s passing, in my teenage years. From the very first song on, my voice was just one more tool that I was using to write and to tell stories. And that hasn’t changed. It’s still exactly what it was back then. Nothing more, nothing less. There was no real turning point, all came very natural to me. I started writing and producing just out of pure necessity in a moment when I was going through a very difficult time and I really think that making music saved me in the most literal sense and way. It really did and still does. And I just fell in love with doing it. Writing a song is still one of the most magical things that I’ve ever experienced - it feels like that every single time. Magic. Each song that I work on is like a perfume that captures something that’s special and important to me and each one is unique in it’s own way. And it might sound a little crazy, but every song asks for a different treatment, each one has it’s own nature and it’s own demands. And as the one in charge of that song, you just try to give it the life that the song wants and deserves. So in my case, releasing music out to the world, that was just a natural next step on the journey that I’ve been on since I was a little kid. I came to a point where some of my music just did not want to stay inside of my computer anymore. I really felt that. And here we are :)
Q. "You and I" has been described as both an emotional earthquake and a summer daydream. How do you balance emotional depth with creating a vibe that feels effortless and breezy?
A. I think contrasts are absolutely crucial when it comes to songwriting and production, at least if we’re talking songs from a functional point of view; I look at a song very much from that perspective, specially when I’m producing. Does it work or does it not work? Does it function? That’s the question that I’m constantly trying to answer with a yes in every part of the song. Now there’s obviously a lot of different ways to end up with a final song, but to me, there’s light and darkness in everything and I like to hear that in a song. We’re probably talking a very fundamental and philosophical thing here: myself, as an individual - the way I see the world, that’s the way I write and produce. And as I’m saying, I think there’s everything, everywhere. So if I’m telling a story that’s dark, then I will probably try to make the music sound bright in whatever way; on the other hand, if I’m writing a feel good song, then I’ll probably try to spice it up with darker elements that can make you feel those contrasts. “You and I” is a tough song. I’ve lived that story and I know how it felt. It’s a song that almost wrote itself from the very beginning. And that contrast you mention between an emotional earthquake and a summer daydream - I love that contrast, because it puts the story into perspective. That contrast is a statement in itself. It makes the story be deeper from a human point of view.
Q. Your inspiration for "You and I" came from a simple text message. Can you walk us through that moment when you realized that such a small trigger could lead to something so profound musically?
A. It was one of those moments when you just feel speechless - not because you’re out of words, but because of the opposite. There were a million things that I wanted to say in that moment and just couldn’t. So what I did was this song. I knew that I wanted that feeling of confusion and vibration to be in the music and if you listen to the Pre-Chorus, that’s the section where I really, literally, see an earthquake happening every time I close my eyes. I don’t know why, but as I was reading that text message I knew that there was no way for me to answer that message correctly in a common way - so a song, this song, looked like the thing to do.
Q. Can you tell us more about the origin of the song’s title?
A. Well, it’s a direct call - I love the fact that you immediately know who we’re speaking about, but not in what sense or context. I wanted it to be simple, stripped down. It’s a raw, essential, answer to a message. No metaphors, just 100% true thoughts and feelings.
Q. Given that you’ve self-written and self-produced your music, how would you say this process helps you maintain creative control? Are there any surprises that arise when you wear both hats as artist and producer?
A. Creative control is crucial to me - just because it’s the way to tell the story in the most authentic and truthful way and version. I do have my controversial moments with myself though - the artist sometimes wants to go in one direction or say one particular thing, the producer has to steer that and shape it into the best possible compromise. It’s tough sometimes, but I think I’m getting better at knowing when to listen to one or the other. Also, I do have people around me that give me their point of views and that’s something that I deeply appreciate and value.
Q. Emland, your approach to music is often described as sharp and detail-driven. What are some specific details, whether in lyrics, production, or melody, that you feel are non-negotiable when creating a song?
A. Hmmm, let’s see - there are a lot of things I could list here… speaking about details, to me, melody and rhythm have to be working in a perfect way. What I mean by that is that I pay a lot of attention to the cadence of the words and to how they feel and work with the beat and the rhythm. Vocal production is probably the production stage that I spend most of my time at. And it’s because of that. Also, melody is non-negotiable. Everything has to serve the melody. But as I’m also very careful about lyrics, I do have my struggles sometimes to keep the best out of both worlds. There’s always a sweet spot. It just sometimes takes time to get there and to find it.
Q. As someone who is deeply involved in every stage of your work, from writing to production, do you find that you grow more as an artist with each track, or do you ever surprise yourself with new ways of approaching your craft?
A. I think every song is a step forward - I do learn new things with every song. And I’m not only talking technical things, I’m also speaking about deeper aspects. A key element to my music is just truth. I do not write about things that I haven’t experienced. So with every song, what I’m actually doing is opening up about something, thinking about this particular story or topic in a profound way. And I always end up with new point of views or perspectives, even ideas about whatever thing I’m speaking about. I think that songwriting just helps me grow as a person. In every aspect of my life.
Q. "You and I" is described as a visceral summer tune. What role does seasonality play in your music, and how do you decide which emotions or themes to tie to specific seasons or moments in time?
A. I don’t think about that at all when I’m writing. But I do think that seasonality has an influence, just like any other thing around the writer. We are all sensitive beings and I think that the smallest details do have an effect on us. So it’s not something that I’m consciously thinking about when I’m writing, but I’m quite sure that it has a certain effect. And that’s good. When you’re writing you’re like an antenna. You’re channeling something that’s around you. And everything that you’re thinking and feeling is going into that channel. There’s no conscious decision about those things. But still, those things are there. So no, I don’t decide which emotions to write about in which moments, I leave that to my gut.
Q. You’ve spoken about the butterfly effect in relation to how "You and I" came together. Can you share an instance where a seemingly small or insignificant idea in your music has ended up shaping a larger project or theme?
A. Oh, yes. You can, basically, pull from every single thing that has an emotional effect on you. From anything. Whatever you can imagine. If I had to share an example, I can tell you that I once wrote eight songs after watching one single sunrise with a person that I’ve never seen again after that moment. I remember exactly the date. More than ten years ago. Will never forget that. :)
Q. Looking back on the journey of crafting your debut album "EVOLVE," what moment stands out as particularly transformative for you as both a creator and an individual?
A. There’s one particular moment that I will never forget. See, I have been doing music most of my life just for myself. I’ve never really opened up about it until now. So I’ve always been following my instinct. And that brings a lot of doubts with it. When I decided to produce this album on a professional level, I had to step outside of my comfort zone, because in order to finish up with an end product I needed external help, specially talking mixing and mastering. So I went to the biggest and most amazing Studio in Palma de Mallorca and showed them my idea, my project. And I remember one thing that they told me there as if it was yesterday. They listened to my demos and said: “All good, there’s nothing broken here”. That’s a moment I will remember, because it blew away years of self-doubt in one instance. That was a game changer for me. For both, creator and individual.
Q. Having already had several successful singles, what does success look like for you beyond streaming numbers or chart positions? How do you measure fulfillment in your creative journey?
A. It’s very personal. In some way, a song is never really finished - just because you could be changing and tweaking things every single day for the rest of your life. And I mean that literally. I’m convinced that you could spend a lifetime on just one project. But here’s the thing: when you decide that a song is finished, what you actually have there is just one version of that song. It’s one single iteration. Just one. However, it’s the one that you feel you want to share and want to be out in the world. Success to me is that - arriving at that point, at that version, at that iteration. After writing, recording, producing, editing, mixing, mastering trying out hundreds, sometimes thousands of different things and ending up with a version that you’re listening to and you’re absolutely in peace with - that’s success to me. And if that version ends up speaking to people - that’s obviously a big plus and always incredible to witness.
Q. You’ve been described as an artist with a sharp and detail-oriented approach. How do you decide when a song is "finished"? Is there ever a point where you feel like a song is truly complete, or do you find yourself constantly tweaking?
A. I think this might be difficult to explain, but I definitely do feel when a song is "finished". It’s not something that I feel in a precise moment, it’s a feeling that builds bit by bit towards the end of a project. I have a board on the wall of my studio where I write down everything that I consider important during my process - and when I start to wipe and clean things there, that’s the point where things usually start to come together. And at some stage there’s a moment when I listen to the song and I don’t find anything else that I would want to address or change. That’s the moment when I know I’m there. Once I get there, I usually give it one or two more days, just to listen back in a more relaxed way. If that feeling stays, if I don’t find anything that I want to touch, that’s my sign.
Q. As you move closer to releasing your first album, what is the one thing you want fans to walk away with after listening to "EVOLVE"? What lasting impact do you hope your music leaves on them?
A. To me, “EVOLVE” has been absolutely groundbreaking. This album has definitely changed me and I really, really do think that I’m a different version of myself after this journey. What I would love people to keep from this project is the truth that’s inside. Every single thing that I’ve said in these songs, each line, each word, everything is so true to me. It’s a personal reflection about what Love is and means to me. I’ve said that a lot of times now, I just think that it’s the engine. It’s what makes everything grow, get better, move forward. Evolve. Also, I embarked myself on this project after a really difficult moment in my life and to make something beautiful out of something dark and sad, that has helped me in a way I couldn’t really describe with words. I hope that’s something that listeners hear in “EVOLVE”. I think it’s probably the most human thing I’ve ever done.
Q. We’d love to dive deeper into the story behind your artist name, “Emland.” Now that we’ve had a chance to experience your music, it’s clear that your fans will be equally curious about the meaning behind the name that accompanies your sound. How does ‘Emland’ connect to the music you create, what significance does it hold for you personally, and what is the origin or backstory behind the name?
A. There’s indeed a long story behind that name. See, my real name is Marcos. I was born and raised as a single child in Germany to Spanish parents. When I was sixteen, my mom sadly passed away and my dad decided that we’d move back to Spain, ‘cause that was where all of my family was living. So I found myself in a very short period of time in a complete different environment - it was, literally, like starting to live a completely different life. That was so, so impactful that it took me years to process and understand what I was and had been going through. All of that shaped me in a very particular way. Coming back to the name, when I first came to Spain, I made a bunch of friends that helped me quite a lot at that time. My musical taste and influences were very different from the music that was most common in Spain at that stage, and here’s the fun thing about that: whenever we were hanging out and a song came on the radio that sounded a little bit more like the type of music that I was close to, my friends always said “That’s an “M” Style song”. I’ve always kept that memory with me, I’ve never forgotten that. So when I thought about an artist name for my project, I wanted something that could be reminiscent of that. I wanted my name to sound like a real name, but at the same time I wanted it to reflect my past and also what music means and is to me. Because it’s so much more than “just” music. It’s more like a space, a physical one. I see a soundscape as if it was a landscape, I always do and feel that when I’m caught by a song. And I’m sure that happens to lots of people. So all those things combined, that’s what “Emland” is and means. It’s a musical space for everyone of us.
Q. And finally, we can't thank you enough for sharing these intimate details! So, what's next? Can you give us the inside scoop on your upcoming projects and what fans should be excited about? We'd love to be the first to share the news!
A. Thank you so much for this interview and this opportunity, really enjoyed it! I’m about to produce now the last song for this album and will concentrate on finishing this project and making it as good as I can. This is and has been a huge thing for me and I want to finish it on a high :) After that, my next thing to do, looking at 2026, is to write and produce for other artists. That’s something that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time now. I think I need to step out of “Emland” at least for a little bit and be able to enjoy songwriting and production in a lighter way, from a different angle. I’m very excited about that.
Emland, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared Emland’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
