Over these last few months, LA-based duo Merlot Embargo have made a distinctive mark on the international new music scene. And with their presence continuing to build, they recently returned once again to deliver their colourful new single ‘Alone’.
So with the new track now out and about, we caught up with them to discuss their origins as well as where they plan to take their sound next.
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Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in music?
We’ve both been musicians to one degree or another all of our adult lives. Scarlet’s folks like to say she has been singing since before she was walking. She started writing songs when she was in college, and she’s been singing in choirs, churches, bands, and in the shower her whole life. Geoff took piano lessons as a kid, but music didn’t really stick with him until he picked up the guitar in high school, and got serious about it in college. He’s also been a musician his whole adult life, both freelancing and playing in the various bands he’s been connected with.
Who are your biggest musical influences and how have they shaped your sound?
Scarlet: When I was a kid, I always loved the classic country & western singers: Dolly, Patsy Cline, etc. That, and the girl pop stars of the day like Paula Abdul & Madonna. You know the classic movie tropes of a girl singing into her hairbrush to the latest pop hits? That was 100% me. Current influences are a little more modern, but kinda in that world, too. Brandi Carlile is a good one for me.
Geoff: Some guitarists have one or two players or styles that they really vibe with and emulate, but that’s never been me. I might learn a lick or solo here and there from someone, but I can’t say there’s one player I’ve done a super deep dive into. My earliest influences were rock/pop/jazz players like Angus/Malcom, Grant Green, etc. But honestly I feel most influenced by a teacher here in LA who I studied with right after college, Larry Giannecchini. He was far and away the best music instructor I’ve ever had; I can credit so many small and large things about my own guitar technique, and my musical outlook generally, to him. As far as production goes, I make conscious efforts to listen to what’s current, but not lose sight of the greats of the past. I’m a big fan of Jack Antanoff, but I don’t want to lose sight of George Martin, too.
As a band, I think we really do enjoy a wide variety of influences. If you only listened to Alone, you might thing we were shaped mainly by No Doubt or the Police or Magic!, but honestly our artistic influences are all over the map. From Amy Winehouse to Philip Glass to Charlie Puth. lol.
Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide to pursue music seriously?
Yeah, 100%. We got into an auto accident about eight years ago that started this whole Merlot Embargo ball rolling. THe short story is that we miraculously walked away from a wreck that proabably should have been much worse, judging from the pictures, and questioned the entire direction of our lives. Specifically, what would we have regretted if we’d died that day? Shameless plug, Geoff wrote a bit more about it here: https://www.merlotembargo.com/post/a-brush-with-death-merlot-embargo-s-origin-story
Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?
Geoff: a typical song goes through a process something like this. Scarlet writes a snippet of it in the car, or in the shower, or wherever, and sends a phone memo to Geoff. Maybe they get together with an acoustic guitar and play through it to get a feel; maybe she writes the rest on her own. Geoff takes it into the studio and messes around with it to mock up a demo. Then he takes it to Scarlet and she absolutely hates it, and says he’s destroyed her song. He disagrees, and they have a big fight about it because in the meantime he’s become rather attached to “his” version. She can’t see why he’s so stubborn about it, and he can’t see why she doesn’t hear what’s clearly better. Eventually they reconcile, one way or the other, and start actually recording the song. Ahem.
In all seriousness, except for the drama, this actually is pretty close to how we make music. We are two stubborn, opinionated musicians who have strong feelings about how a song should be.
How do you find inspiration for your music and lyrics?
Scarlet: Most of the time it’s just the stuff of life, or whatever I happen to be thinking about or obsessing over at the moment. My sister’s breakup, our daughter’s struggle at school, women being underestimated, the walking dead, etc. I would say that more often that not the themes tend to be somber, or serious, just because I’m emo. The songs are really a way of helping me process my own emotions.
What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from your music?
Scarlet: we hope most of all that they find something relatable; that’s a path to help them feel their emotions. That’s what the music is for us too.
What challenges have you faced as an emerging artist in the music industry?
Oh man, where do we start? For us specifically, balancing kids and family and day jobs is probably the biggest. So I guess that boils down mainly to TIME. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything an indie artist needs to do, from working on the music itself, to being present on social media, to looking for gig oppoptunites to nurturing your email list, to writing new songs, to working on the ones in various states of the production queue, to practicing your instrument, to networking, and gigs, and zooms, and calls….
We made the decision years ago that we would not forgo having children in order to (maybe) be “successful,” whatever that even means, as an indie artist. We’ve got two great kids (one just born on oct 1st!) and we have no regrets about that decision. They’re a That’s not to say that there aren’t struggles that accompany it though. Like the
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your musical journey so far?
If we said that we didn’t care about streams and likes and stuff, we’d be lying: there’s a certain kind of validation in that. But it’s kind of vapid. The real reward is connecting with people, whether that’s messages we get about our music or the energy at a show or someone telling us how our music made them feel.
How do you stay true to yourself and your artistry in a constantly evolving industry?
If you chase industry trends, you’ll always be behind the curve. If you do what you do, and keep doing it, hopefully, eventually, people will take notice. Maybe it’s cool, maybe it’s not; I think we’re old enough to not really care anymore. We do what we do, and we hope people like it.
What can fans expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or tours?
Alone is our eighth release in a series of songs that will ultimately culminate in our second album. We wrote most of these during the pandemic, and we’ve got a few more to drop before the album is complete, so keep ears out for those.
If you’re in the Los Angeles area, you can always catch a show, to but we don’t have immediate tour plans.
Where do you see yourself and your music career in the next five years?
Honestly, we’re just hoping to keep building on the momentum we have. We think that mostly looks like what we’ve been doing the last year or two: local shows, a few new songs a year, some fun videos, etc. We’ve got other irons in the fire too though.
As long as our music is meeting people emotionally, and we’re writing music that’s authentic and honest, and we’re connecting with people, and we’re enjoying the journey, that’s about all we can ask for.
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Watch the video for Merlot Embargo’s new single ‘Alone’ below.
