When it comes to making a heartfelt, soulful track, Arctic Lake are somewhat geniuses. With their new single, "Are You Okay", Emma Foster and Paul Holliman put their talented heads together to create a masterpiece about checking in on the ones you love...especially in a time where we are so connected to our phones and technology.
It comes as a gentle reminder to be a human when it's so easy to forget who you are behind a screen. It makes us less communicative as people, reverting to our phones and televisions instead of seeking human interaction. "Are You Okay" is an intimate song, a blend of sobering reality and beautiful melodies to uplift all listeners. You can listen to the track here:
This single is the catalyst for a busy year for Arctic Lake, who just performed their first show in three years on March 2 at St. Pancras Old Church in London. From this moment forward, there's only more to come from Arctic Lake. Their vulnerability in their lyrics and ability to create catchy beats together makes them a force to be reckoned with.
You don't want to miss Arctic Lake's big year...and we have an exclusive interview with the endlessly talented duo to talk about their new track and what comes next!
Congratulations on “Are You Okay?”! Can you tell me what the single means to you?
Emma: Well strap yourself because I’m going to be here for a moment! This single encompasses quite a lot for us! It was written on our first-ever trip to the US together and it was such an exciting time, I think you can tell that two Brits who are usually writing to the sound of rain and the view of grey skies were inspired by the Californian sun! The song itself is about disconnecting from those who matter and wondering if they are truly okay. It stemmed from us simply being across the pond with crazy time differences and being a little caught up in how remarkable it was that we were there. Then we began to expand on human interactions as that’s a fundamental part of our inspiration and I thought maybe it would be fun to touch on this weird juxtaposition that we have now. In an age where people are becoming more open with one another about how they feel but simultaneously becoming less present because of technology, technology which is both connecting and disconnecting us, it felt like the most relevant thing to discuss. Most of us have been experiencing this shift twofold since the pandemic. There’s a collective welcome to being more vulnerable but most people are accessing that via their phones which can be isolating and addictive. It’s a strange duality that’s hard to navigate, especially when so many of us use social media and our phones to work… or to make TikToks that live in our drafts because we haven’t caught up with the shift yet.
When the two of you collaborate to make new music, what’s the writing process like?
Paul: It usually starts with some sort of musical idea - some chords or maybe a more full idea that I’ll then send to Emma to work her vocal magic on. But it can happen any way really, sometimes Emma has a melody and lyrics before the music and we work around that, whatever we feel like really! Maybe in a few years we’ll just use AI to write all our songs and take a really long holiday or something.
How does “Are You Okay?” represent your next era of new music?
Emma: I think this single and the next few releases will demonstrate us finding real confidence in our work and I hope our fans and first time listeners will hear that and come along for the journey with us! Ironically it feels like the beginning again and we’re very, very, very excited to show you what we’ve been cooking up.
What was your favorite memory of creating this single?
Paul: It was our first time being in LA and this song came from one of the first sessions we had - to be honest just being over there in the sun, eating good food and working with great people was so much fun that I think it’s all blurred into one. The people we worked with on this one were really great though - Donny and Morgan - and we were just having a laugh in the studio while making it, so the whole process was really enjoyable. Donny had these amazing recliner chairs in his studio so I was mostly half asleep in those which I now think every studio should have (after doing loads of work obviously).
What can fans expect from you both in 2023?
Emma: Lots and LOTS of new music, visuals and of course my hysterical laughter at Paul being Paul via social media. If you make it to a show… I hope we make you cry with happiness and sadness and everything in-between.
