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EMA – “Blood and Chalk”

Post-digital songwriter EMA has shared a sorrowful new song, “Blood and Chalk.” It’s the fourth taste of her upcoming album Exile in the Outer Ring; we’ve already heard “Aryan Nation,” “Breathalyzer,” and “Down and Out.”

In a statement, EMA explained that “Blood and Chalk” originated with her soundtrack for the 2015 indie film #Horror. “I wrote the lyrics very quickly, with the idea that it was about the experience of being a 12 year-old girl, kind of right on the cusp between childhood and starting to grow up,” she said. But the song took on a very different meaning when she played it for album co-producer Jacob Portrait (of Unknown Mortal Orchestra): “When I played it for Jake he said he thought it was about a police shooting. I was kind of shocked, but it also makes complete sense from that point of view. Makes me wonder if my subconscious mind was working on a different level, creating a double meaning.”

Exile in the Outer Ring arrives August 25 from City Slang. Listen to “Blood and Chalk” below.