If we needed a patron saint for glamglare, Emika would be a great choice. We’ve had many interactions with the Germany-based, English singer, songwriter, producer, and composer over the years, and her approach to music, far beyond just performing and releasing songs, has been inspiring.

Our connection goes back to 2011, when I discovered the music video for “Pretend” on an English blog. The music was dark and intense, hovering between techno and pop, like the night to the day of Grimes’ sparkling, strange synth pop, emerging around the same time. Emika‘s self-titled debut album was released in October 2011. Shortly after, she toured the US with Amon Tobin (to our knowledge, the only tour she ever did), where we met her after the show.

Two years later, we attended the release event for her second album, DVA, at the High Line Standard Hotel. It was early afternoon, and we were hanging out in the hotel’s event space when Emika appeared, handed us the very first vinyl from the first box she opened, before heading off to DJ. It was a fantastic night, expensive—the prices at the rooftop bar of The Standard are no joke—but worth every penny.

In 2017, Emika released a classical album, Melanfonie, recorded with the Prague Symphony Orchestra. We hosted the U.S. release party at our place in Williamsburg, with an eclectic group of guests.

Last Friday, Emika released her sixth album, Fountain (depending on how you count), which is part of a Kickstarter campaign to build an immersive music studio in southwest Germany. Fountain is remarkable because it merges her electronic music, which hasn‘t lost any of its edge since 2011, with classical music-adjacent piano-based songs. It works especially well when listening to the entire record during a quiet moment. Her voice holds the diverse musical styles together, and the intimacy of the songs reveals a deeper purpose beyond just showcasing artistic versatility.

Next Tuesday, we’re heading to Lisbon for a week, where we’ll meet an old friend’s daughter. The next two newsletters will be a little lighter, as we’ve decided to travel without laptops. Enjoy spring, and we’ll be back with a full newsletter on April 23.

Discovery of the Week: Main Drag Music in Williamsburg

Williamsburg was at its peak when we moved there 16 years ago. Music was happening there in a wide range of venues, from the established Music Hall to DIY spaces like Death By Audio. Most of these have now been replaced by upscale stores and luxury apartments. The community has also shifted: from scene hipsters to young, affluent professionals.

We were utterly surprised when we visited Main Drag last Saturday to see Avery Friedman perform a hometown show. Hidden in the basement of a music store filled with vintage instruments, there’s a top-notch venue that blends DIY spirit with modern equipment. The vibe was similar to Glasslands or Cameo Gallery back in the day, and we instantly felt comfortable and at home.

Turns out we weren’t the only ones who didn’t know about Main Drag: Avery admitted in our chat after her fabulous show that she hadn’t heard of the place either.

Cover Song of the Week: Oscar and the Wolf - Losing My Religion

R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion” was a big hit in 1991. Although I have never been a fan of the band, I partly cherish the song because of the memory of meeting the aforementioned friend for the first time at a bar in Greece that year. The earworm that it is, I had the song in my mind for the entire flight home. While the Belgian musician Oscar and the Wolf stays close to Michael Stipe’s vocals, he replaces Peter Buck’s cheerful mandolin with a cinematic piano and string arrangement. Does it work? Judge for yourself, but I find the added drama fitting for how I remember the song.

Five Songs: Emika

Listen to glamglare five songs on Spotify, Apple Music, or below on YouTube

• Emika (2011): “Three Hours”
  During the run-up for the album, she released the stems for the song and asked fans to create a rework. I did one, too.
• Dva (2013): “She Beats”
• Drei (2015): “My Heart Bleeds Melody”
• Falling in Love With Sadness (2018): “Could This Be”
• Haze (2024): “Smoke”

This Week in glamglare history

1 Year ago: Jess Kerber - Next To You

“Next to You” is a song from Jess Kerber’s 2025 album From Way Down Here.

5 years ago: Dafna - Sweeter

Dafna wrote “Sweeter” in high school and has released many new songs since 2021. Her latest album, CONTROLLEDCHAOS, was released in 2025, with all song titles in capital letters and without spaces.

10 Years ago: Hudson Scott - Whale

Hudson Scott is a multi-instrumentalist and producer who released several songs under his own name in 2016. We featured two of his tracks, “Whale” and “Get Down.”

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to all seven songs on YouTube, or follow our daily updated Song Pick playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify.

• EDDY - Stay Forever
• Heidi Curtis - What Am I Missing
• Amalia - Rain
• Susie Mills - Green Light
• Miki Berenyi Trio - Island of One
• Claire Martine - Better safe than sorry
• Shaina Hayes - Flourish

We publish one Song Pick of the Day every day. You can subscribe to receive them by email.

Emika — Over the Years

Moments with Emika — from early shows to album releases, from New York to Berlin, a connection that has grown alongside the music.

(1+2) October 27, 2011 at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple, Brooklyn, NY
(3) May 24, 2013 at The Standard High Line, New York, NY
(4–6) May 27, 2016 at Funkhaus Berlin, Germany
(7+8) February 2, 2017 at Rough Trade, Brooklyn, NY
(9) July 10, 2013 at Frankfurt Airport, Germany