Previously featured in a national ad campaign, Emily Anderson‘s single, “Gold,” now has a visual pairing that adds new color and depth to the track’s already inspiring message. Focusing on the transformative nature of grief, loss, and healing, Emily Anderson gives beauty to the idea of being broken. She reminds us that no matter how broken we may feel, we are simply human and that all these broken pieces of our lives ultimately make us who we are.
Originally hailing from Fairbanks, Alaska, Emily Anderson trained at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and now splits her time between Fairbanks and Los Angeles. She fills her songs with images of nature, hope, and the solar system, not to mention a few puns, as she transports listeners into a world so hauntingly familiar, and yet so enchantingly curious. Her upbringing in a tight-knit community has shared her musical perspective, noting her warm and emotive tracks that brustle against the expectations of what might come out of the long, dark winters of Alaska. In recent years, Emily has lent her skills to video games and game trailers, Calico and The Stars Between Us, and shares billed with Danielle Ate the Sandwich, Peter Mulvey, and Aurora Birch. She has toured across Alaska, the west coast, and Canada.
“Gold” was previously released in early 2021 alongside two other tracks, “Sarah” and “Hugs.” The three songs tackle subjects like grief, mental illness, friendship, and pandemic isolation. They are optimistic yet raw, reflecting Emily’s determination to find light in tough times. “Gold” was placed in a national ad campaign with Miller Lite and a finalist in both the American Songwriter and Songwriting University Song Contests.
In the single, Emily shares thoughts similar to the Japanese art of kintsugi, which is the art of repairing broken pottery pieces back together with gold, built on the idea that embracing flaws and imperfections is beautiful. A soaring piano ballad, “Gold” is a triumphant homage to that very idea and it’s reflected within the music video. Starting off with broken pieces of glass and reflective images of Emily in those shattered pieces then moving to clips of Emily covering herself in gold paint, there is an all-too-familiar relatability to her lyrics – “Just a little bit broken,“ “Just a little bit shattered,” “Just a little bit worn out.” Focusing more on the healing process that comes after grief and loss, soaring strings fill in the crescendo in both the piano and vocals as we’re treated to a piano performance by Emily clipped in between more images of broken pieces being picked up. By picking up those pieces, Emily reminds us that it’s important to acknowledge grief and loss, rather than bury them, because that is how we can begin to heal.
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