Avalon Emerson refuses to stay in one lane with new indie rock album

Avalon Emerson, a respected figure in electronic music, has expanded her creative horizons with her second indie pop album, "Written into Changes," under the moniker Avalon Emerson & The Charm. This new release showcases a bolder approach compared to her debut, reflecting her growing confidence in traditional songwriting.

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It's crazy. The touring DJ life is already a lot of travel, a lot of being dropped into constantly different contexts, and I do feel relatively comfortable doing that.

Emerson, who has built a reputation as a DJ and producer with her genre-spanning club music, found herself drawn to indie pop during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Her debut album with The Charm was well-received, and she notes that many fans embraced the shift in musical direction.

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Ratcheting that up by a factor of 10 … maybe it speaks to some weird part of me that [it makes me] want to do it even more, but it feels good.

She observes a decline in musical tribalism, where genres like rock and electronic music were once pitted against each other. "We all listen to all kinds of music, and it's easier to do that than ever," Emerson states. This eclectic approach, she believes, resonates with audiences who are increasingly "musically omnivorous."

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I wasn't really sure how it would shake out when I did the first album, but a lot more of them came along than I think I was expecting.

Her DJ sets have always been eclectic, and she feels this openness extends to her Charm project. "Written into Changes" aims for a more ambitious sound than its predecessor, with Emerson wanting it to be "bolder." The album explores songwriting in a more traditional sense, a departure from her dance music roots, and she found the experience rewarding despite the challenges of touring.

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We all listen to all kinds of music, and it's easier to do that than ever.