PBG 3 Question Interview with The Amanda Emblem Experiment’s latest release: “Lazy Sunday."
- Produced by a Girl™
- Jul 8
- 3 min read
Amanda Emblem is back with The Amanda Emblem Experiment’s latest release, “Lazy Sunday,” and it’s pure sunshine for your playlist. This three-track collection sees Amanda breathing new life into favorites from The Wood, giving them a fresh studio polish and a vibe that feels ready for endless replay. With remixed gems like “Lazy Sunday Afternoon” and “Calm Seas” sitting alongside the brand-new “Old Romantic,” the EP radiates that unmistakable rural Queensland energy; think acoustic warmth, soulful melodies, and a gentle twang that instantly transports you to a sunlit porch. Amanda’s vocals glide effortlessly, wrapping each track in a laid-back charm that calls to mind the easy cool of JJ Cale. “Lazy Sunday” is more than just a set of songs; it’s a heartfelt invitation to slow down, soak up the moment, and let love and simplicity take center stage.
1.“Lazy Sunday” instantly wraps you in that golden, easygoing vibe, twangy guitar, sunbeams pouring through the window, beautiful flute accompaniment, and the kind of laid-back spirit that makes you want to slow down and savor the moment. Can you share what first inspired this track, and what kind of atmosphere or emotion you hope listeners experience when they press play?
My partner Jimmy and I like to head to our beach house to get away every few weeks or so. Our friends, Tim and Rach live there too, so we get to catch up, have a few cocktails and inevitably we end having a jam. These “jams” are where many of my tunes originate. So what listeners are hearing with Lazy Sunday is the final result of one of our jams.
This one is especially gorgeous because it has only 1 chord and there’s a reason for that. Jimmy (who is learning to play the harmonica) can use his one “G”Harmonica to join in which is advantageous to the jam, especially after he has had a bottle of red wine. Through working with just one chord I have been able to learn a lot, and really it’s not such limitation. I’ve discovered endless possibilities and also the joy of creating space through repetition and dynamics. The result is a super sweet laid back vibe. Its enjoyable and comfortable.
2. With this release, you’ve breathed new energy into songs from The Wood, transforming them into tighter, more vibrant versions that feel tailor-made for today’s playlists. What did you discover about the creative journey of a song as you revisited and remixed these tracks after the album’s initial release?
It was great fun to relook at these tracks. My producer Andy wasn’t as happy as we started slicing major parts out, as we had both worked really hard to make the album into a sonic journey, and admittedly it first felt like we were undoing all our hard work. But, soon enough it became evident that the new versions were hitting in ways the album versions didn’t. With lazy Sunday we also stripped back the instrumentation, so it was only the most necessary tracks. We simplified the drum parts too. It’s subtle but it makes for a very focused version. Undeniable accessible to all formats.
3. “Old Romantic” radiates a heartfelt warmth, especially with its touching dedication to Jimmy and that beautiful image of music coming to life around a kitchen table. How does living in rural South East Queensland shape your songwriting, recording process, and the way you revisit your music?
Living here is a creative gift I will never be complacent about. The beauty of the landscape, the freedom of this lifestyle and the ability to immerse in nature is both healing and inspiring. When I think about my life previously, all the touring, the cities, the crap cheap accomodation after the gigs, the uncertainty of how I was going to survive financially, I now wonder how I did it for so long. I wouldn’t change those experiences because it makes who I am, it was exciting, don’t get me wrong, but a musicians life is brutal. Ambition is a blessing when you are succeeding and a curse when you are flailing. This rise and fall is exhaustion. It’s not for everyone.
This comfort and artistic freedom I have, that my life with Jimmy provides a big buffer and rather than limit it has expanded my options. Revisiting songs after they are released isn’t something I would normally do, however now the rules have changed for me. I have freedom because I’m independent, I have an amazing producer, willing to try new pathways, and I have love and support to follow my own ideas whatever the outcome.
Connect with The Amanda Emblem Experiment
Written by: PBG Press Chief Editor, Mary Knoblock
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