Walking into the East Coast music scene armed with comfort and style, Emmet MacLellan is injecting some fresh, poppy energy into indie-folk with their single “Fine.” Coming off the release of their song “Constant,” MacLellan is introducing themselves to the world and showing they have the chops to craft songs that stick. Fitting right into the Canadian indie zeitgeist, “Fine” is a confident offering from a musician just beginning to show what they’re capable of.
Much of Emmet MacLellan’s debut comes thanks to Music PEI and Film PEI’s new collaborative program Diverse Voices- an endeavour to fund and uplift young 2SLGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists in the music and film industries. The program connected three artists in each field to resources and funding that resulted in the production of three singles and music videos. It’s a valuable and important move by the two organizations, and if MacLellan’s release is any indicator, it has certainly paid off.
“Fine” is a capsule of effective ingredients for an indie-folk hit: sonically bright and bouncing, lyrically straightforward, and simply catchy. MacLellan’s vocals sit safely understated throughout the verses before being joined by airy and light harmonies that rise the choruses up into the sun. The instrumentation is very simple but it serves MacLellan’s voice and phrasing well, the whole affair echoing the feel of earlier Mo Kenney work.
The accompanying video for the single follows MacLellan around a wintery highway and cottage. While there isn’t a tight connection between the visuals and the song, the cozy scenes and the singer’s playfulness pair well with the energy of “Fine”. The frigid Canadian scene and MacLellan’s own unique style are captured beautifully by filmmaker Jesse Duarte and the juxtaposition of the bouncing and warm tune with the snowy landscape serves as a nice emphasis of the song’s mood.
But the positive vibes that come from the general sound of “Fine” belie the lyrical meaning set forth by the singer.
“This song is about wanting to escape, codependency, and repressed anger fueling the ego/subconscious mind,” states MacLellan, and it’s no surprise given that few and far between mean it when they say they’re just fine. “It is emotionally chaotic lyrically and peppy at the same time.”
“Fine” is a solid single for Emmet MacLellan’s introduction to the East Coast music scene. It shows a musician who not only knows their sound but also knows how to create something memorable within it. The Diverse Voices program has helped to showcase a talented creator and give both MacLellan and Jesse Duarte a strong first step into the industry. Time will tell what else the young songwriter will have to offer us, but it’s clear that they will be more than fine as they continue their journey as an artist.