“A breathtaking indie folk song…Emily Keener’s ‘Do You Love Me Lately?’ is heart-wrenchingly beautiful in its grace and overwhelming honesty.” — Mitch Mosk, Atwood Magazine
In advance of Valentine’s Day, Cleveland indie-folk artist, Emily Keener, announces the February 10 single release of “Do You Love Me Lately?” The single depicts the fragility of romantic love as Keener’s smoldering vocals float around a slowly pulsing, retro groove. It’s off the album, I Do Not Have to Be Good, due out May 22.
“Do You Love Me Lately?” emerged at an intersection where Keener felt creatively lost while also reflecting on owning her desires as she navigated her early twenties. One day while staring off into space she had a fantasy about what it would be like to date a woman. She says, “I let myself get distracted, and watched the storyline play out. ‘Fantasy’ might imply sexiness, and there was that aspect, but really quickly I found myself painting this woman as an unavailable dream-girl way out of my league. I saw the relationship as one that would shine a light on my deepest insecurities.”
In a breathy undercurrent interlaced in sweet and rich tones, Keener sings, ‘we danced in her kitchen to all of Blue.’ A reference to the Joni Mitchell album, one of Keener’s favorite coming-of-age companions, it’s what she imagined her dream-girl would be listening to as well. Chorus and verse tenderly sway between hushed restraint and gentle reaching, as lyrical and instrumental tension expose the moment in the relationship. “Do You Love Me Lately?” dreamily touches on fear and vulnerability, unveiling what needs healing with a pensive slumber.
On her upcoming album, I Do Not Have to Be Good, Keener colors her plaintive and introspective lyricism with a frailty that longs for connection and understanding. When Keener began working on the new album with Dalton Brand at WaveBurner Recording, she consciously broke away from the belief in perfection and purity as being necessary, or even possible. She says, “Despite a loving family, my personal experience with a Christian upbringing led me to develop deep self-censoring, self-doubt, and the belief that I must always present as kind and good regardless of how I feel.” The album is a call to free censored desires and doubted truths.
I Do Not Have to Be Good Track Listing
- Nap
- Do You Love Me Lately?
- I Know (feat. Cathalyn)
- I Don’t Know Anything
- Boats
- Static
- Mary, I Love Her
- Elbow
- Comfort
About Emily Keener
By age 12 Keener was writing and performing music professionally, often playing at wineries and bars under her mother’s guidance. It’s been nine years since Keener got her start as a professional musician. Through those years she opened for numerous established artists including Jessica Lea Mayfield and Leigh Nash. In 2013, she released her debut album. This followed with the 2015 EP, East of the Sun, recorded with the regional Ohio band, The Womacks. Her latest album, Breakfast, earned her No Depression’s 2017 Singer/Songwriter Award. On the upcoming album, I Do Not Have to Be Good, due out in May 2020, she subtly sheds her Americana roots and embraces atmospheric moody indie folk, equally tender and powerful as it unfolds.
Praise for “Do You Love Me Lately?”
“A breathtaking indie folk song…“Do You Love Me Lately?” is heart-wrenchingly beautiful in its grace and overwhelming honesty.” — Atwood Magazine
“Emily Keener, who started out making music at the age of 12 sings with grace, dedicated honesty and maturity beyond her years.” — Nothing But Hope and Passion
“Do You Love Me Lately,’ a relatable story song that epitomizes her new space-y folk sound and will make you wistfully stare out a window and think of an old lover.” — Cleveland Magazine
“Keener’s voice is magnetic and keeps you drawn to every note.” The Revue
“To the fore throughout is Emily’s subtly jaw-dropping vocal.” – For the Rabbits
“…a powerful and haunting indie folk tune filled with vulnerability, delicacy and fantasy.” – Floated Magazine
“Her vocals are raw and compelling…Her lyrics are relatable and beguiling.” – Ear to the Ground
“…the passion that’s present in ‘Do You Love Me Lately?’ is electrifying.” – High Clouds
“It’s Emily’s sweet and rich tones that got me hooked to this song.” – Caesar Live N Loud
“absolutely incredible” – Lefuturewave
“the vocals are beautiful and shine above a restrained musical backdrop” – Beehive Candy
“The new sound is incredibly lush and beautiful, and along the lines of artists like Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers.” – If It’s Too Loud
“Fans of authentic folk vocalists like Courtney Marie Andrews will love this track.” – Independent Clauses
