Artist: Emily Ulman
Tell us about your new single Mountains Mountains Mountains?
I love the Japanese proverb ‘The reverse side has a reverse side.’ Nothing is ever just one thing. Beneath every surface there is something else waiting to be seen; it reminds us to look deeper, to question first impressions.
‘Mountains Mountains Mountains’ is about the beauty and the rot, about pleasure and grief, and how even the most pristine places carry traces of what came before. We live in the layers. In what is visible, what is hidden, and the quiet charge in between.
This song came out of a moment that felt both intimate and expansive. A parked car. A sweeping view. A private undoing. It’s about renewal, about sexuality, about finding awe in the aftermath. There’s tension in it. Between what’s pristine and what’s overgrown. The beauty lives not in the separation, but in the merging of the two to become something new.
What’s your favourite work at this point in time?
Right now, I’d say Mountains Mountains Mountains. It still feels fresh in my bones. I love how it balances introspection with scale, how it began with a Japanese proverb and ended up somewhere between a picnic, a philosophy, and a driving anthem. Plus, I’ve never said the same word three times in a title before and to me it’s got a rhythm all of its own.
How would you describe your sound in food form and why?
A lamington made by someone’s nan who doesn’t follow the recipe anymore. Firstly I’m lamington obsessed, but I picture it being tender, a bit messy, sweet, homemade, with a shadow of cocoa. A classic, but slightly cooked in the best way.
Tell us a quick, on the road or studio, anecdote.
I’m not quite sure how to capture this but during one of the Mountains Mountains Mountains recording sessions, I got stuck in a loop, singing the same line over and over. At some point I looked up and, without saying a word, everyone had slipped into sync. Bonnie was sipping tea in time, Alex was nodding like a dashboard bobblehead, and Gab was gently drumming on his knees like a patient woodpecker. No one broke the spell. We were literally loopy.
What inspires you?
It might almost be easier and quicker to tell you what doesn’t inspire me rather than what does. I find creativity everywhere. I’m endlessly moved by artists who are focused to make things with care, by people who build community quietly and consistently, and by anyone who can make me laugh when I least expect it. I’m inspired by landscapes that stretch out endlessly and by songs that say something true in just a few words. Also, people who bring snacks to group hangs. That’s real leadership.
Which song do you wish you wrote?
“Happy Birthday”, obviously. Just imagine collecting those royalties. Every single day. Across every timezone. In every language. Talk about passive income. You could fund your next five albums just off one suburban party.
What’s next for you?
First up is a show this Monday with Alec at the Merri Creek Tavern, a cosy little return to the stage that I’m really looking forward to. Then it’s more releases, more shows, and finally putting out the album later in 2025. After a decade away from releasing music, I’m enjoying easing back in slowly. Expect more songs, more stories, and probably more lamingtons.
What’s your scene?
If there’s heart, harmony, and half a chance someone might cry during the second verse, then that’s my kind of scene. Bonus points if it’s within walking distance of the Whitten Oval and there’s a replay of the 2016 Grand Final playing somewhere in the background.
