E. May, ‘Torchlight’ [Exclusive Premiere]

Folk-Americana singer E. May is sharing the song "Torchlight," from her upcoming acoustic EP, Miniatures, exclusively with readers of The Boot. Press play below to listen.

"Torchlight" is the second single from E. May's nine-track Miniatures EP; the lead single was "Get 'Em High, Get 'Em Low." In the song, she sings, "Cannot wait 'til morning comes / By then they'll have called off with us."

""Torchlight" came out of a vision, a kind of daydream," E. May tells The Boot. "I was picturing some people lost in a jungle, afraid to light a fire because they didn't want to be found. I kept picking at that image and started connecting it more deeply to that sense of fear that we have when we don't want to be seen.

"A lot of people, I think, hide behind who they think they're supposed to be. But I don't think that serves anybody -- not ourselves, not our fellows, not God or the universe or any of it. So, I wrote this song as a way through the fear," she adds. "We all stumble to be our full selves, to let our light shine, so to speak. It's a brave person who can really do it, really let go of the fear and be bright. This song is for those people: I commend you all."

E. May's lyrics are image-driven, and her music is directly inspired by the work of Jefferson Airplane co-founder Jorma Kaukonen, Tom Feldman and Alanis Morissette. She nods to her piano training as a baseline for her interest in finger picking.

"Growing up as a pianist, I was used to playing two parts: bass in the left hand, melody in the right," E. May explains. "I've tried to incorporate that into my guitar playing, getting really interested in finger picking and alternating bass lines."

Readers can go to E. May's official website for more information on her forthcoming record.

Listen to E. May, "Torchlight": 

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