Jake Emissions has been a 20-year fixture on the Indiana punk scene thanks to his stint with Fort Wayne’s Flamingo Nosebleed. The trio is a loud-and-proud outfit that, even its beer-soaked haze, has never lost sight of a good hook. Emissions’ upcoming solo debut, Rocky Mountain Highs (Mom’s Basement), marks the first time he’s stepped outside the familiar confines of his longtime band and into something a bit more expansive.
“Lowdown, High Up” is the perfect introduction to this new chapter. Recorded in Englewood, Colo., with brothers Felipe and Ruben Patino (Bricheros, SACK) and former Parasites bassist Jason Duncan, the song embodies the sense of freedom that inspired the project. Rocky Mountain Highs grew out of an idea Emissions had been carrying around for years: heading west to write and record an album inspired by the people, landscapes and adventures that have left a lasting impression on him.
“I was staying in Colorado at my buddy Ruben’s house, and I was thinking about how to start this record off and how much I love the twists and turns and crazy sights out there,” says Emissions. “Ruben took me out to some local dives the night before (the ‘lowdown’), and I was also thinking about how winded I was playing there for the first time years before that (the ‘high up’). So … cruisin’ late at night and envisioning some of my favorite places in Colorado.”
We’re proud to premiere Jake Emissions’ “Lowdown, High Up.” Rocky Mountain Highs is out June 27.
—Hobart Rowland
