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Denali

by Emma Hill

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1.
Bright Eyes 04:04
It was a cozy afternoon under the Sacramento sun when I first saw you And your eyes shone like sunlit swells out on the Pacific And I knew that you were someone that I needed to know Oh bright eyes, I'll tell ya, it was nothing like I imagined You were there in your room and I was so consumed by you I knew it, you knew it, and the things we said were true But I couldn't help but love the vulnerability in you Bright eyes, I'm waiting on a call from you And I'll come on running Oh, bright eyes it was perfect, but you thought that I might forget What you told me when you told me what you told me in your bed When we met the moon was up When we slept the moon was up above our heads, but not for long ‘cause the sun was on its tail And I was dreaming for an instant you thought that you were just another man like all the men that I have been with But what you don't know is that I've been seeing your eyes in mine When they are closed at night Bright eyes, I'm waiting on a call from you And I'll come on running Oh bright eyes, you're beautiful, and I can't help loving you for all the wrong reasons And maybe the right ones too There was nothing in the whole wide world that could have changed it For just one night, you were mine You are the one, the one who could be the game changer I’ll come running back to you Bright eyes
2.
Denali 03:34
I was meant to roam over land and sea I was meant to climb high on mountain peaks I was meant to search for the word I know is true Finding all that's right, finding all that’s good Oh I have seen a many thing The lights they shine in Paris like a dream The bus in Costa Rica buzzes noisily And it still takes my breath away to see Denali I was meant to love with fire in my heart I was meant to find a light out in the dark I was meant to hope the world would somehow see A path to better days, a path to finding peace Oh I have seen a many thing The northern lights in Fairbanks an emerald green The bell tower in Brussels rings gloriously And it still takes my breath away to see Denali Yeah, it still takes my breath away to see
3.
Hard Love 03:27
You were a black cat and I was your ninth death, staring down a barrel at everything you'd known I was a hotshot, hoping you would see it, then maybe you'd believe it and come running home Oh you were a hard love, you were a hard love You're still that hard love that I can't let go of Now we're asking maybes in a bar, you were working night shifts driving cars I knew that you'd be someone else's baby I flew on the red-eye, stopped in for a short while A black and blue and a cigarette light, a smile from you I'm wearing lipstick with a hope that you'll remember that you liked it then I'm wearing lipstick with a hope that you'll remember me Oh the lights are out, you are so close that I can feel it, you are so close that I can smell it Oh you were a hard love, you'll always be that hard love that I can't let go of You were a black cat and I was your ninth death
4.
Lioness 03:13
She's Medea, crazy and wild eyed Armed with a killer's knife Quick to tell a lie She is hunting deep in the dead of night Scheming up alibis Crossing t's and dotting i's She's a lioness, waiting to kill To please her man, or just for a thrill She's been tested by black suited men She is wanted on four continents And you've heard her name spoken in whispers at after hour parties She's a slut, but only by choice She is dangerous down to the bone She is fragile if you knew her well But she's never gonna let you get to that point She is lonely but not on the outside She's a scent you're dying to recall You'll say you knew her once, But only to those who can't prove you wrong
5.
An Epic 04:35
I walked the sand in the morning sun, the wind dying down, the tide sweeping out, when I saw you You were a sparkling silhouette, your hair all alight, fire in your eyes, I was shaken And I hope, I hope I'm right when I say This is love forevermore Now we're tongue tied and caught up in a lover's trap, a mystery romance, you've won me So if the gods sent lightning to strike us down, we'd lie hand in hand in tragedy's grasp, an epic
6.
49er 02:55
I am my father's daughter, whole lot of sweet and a side of spitfire And I am my mother's daughter, whole lot of love and a side of desire I'm really just a 49er, I come from a family of soapstone miners I am a rambling tramp with a song in my heart and the wind at my back I am a captain at sea and I'll ride these swells till the good lord takes me
7.
Just when you think you've got all the answers, when you think you've got it all figured out Life rolls in and hits you like a cannon, knocks you on your ass with a head full of doubt You want to end all the war, gather up the children and keep them fed and warm Call out on high to help you win, to cover up the cost of your own deadly sins Just when you think you've written off the angels, you find yourself on your knees in a prayer Can't play your cards on both sides of the table, but when life gets tough you're sure hoping he's there So I'll say it loud and I'll say it clear - most religion is rooted in fear For what we want most we surely don't know, but we all share a fear of leaving alone We want to end all the war, gather up the children and keep them fed and warm We call out on high to help us win, to cover up the cost of our own deadly sins
8.
If the gods 03:34
If the gods think me weak, they've forgotten what I have seen Forgotten where I have been, haven't they If you count up all the bodies that I've watched laid to rest then you'll understand why I fear death Those there are now gone, cold when once warm, old when once young Oh a heart it did stop or a knife cut too deep, crashed out of the sky or a fire it did creep But if the gods think me weak, they've forgotten what I have seen Forgotten where I have been, haven't they So sound the horns, strike up the fires, and I'll mount my steed and you'll hear my battle cry And you will never forget that this is what I was meant to do always I'll plant the seed and make it rain, and I’ll tell the gods that I intend to stay We'll chase the sun out of the sky and all will heed my voice without ever knowing why And they will never forget that this is what I was meant to do always
9.
Sad Again 03:22
Nights are long and the dark lingers on I feel the blues comin' on by Ground is caught under a blanket of cold Can't seem to find a bit of light Will you take me as I am So strung out and blue Don't know why it hurts so bad To admit I'm sad to you I fought the bottle And it seems I may have won But with that whiskey sippin' daze all gone All my feelings come undone Will you take me as I am So strung out and blue Don't know why it hurts so bad To admit I'm sad to you Will you take me as I am So strung out and blue Will you take me as I am ‘Cause I'm so sad again
10.
I don't know how I got here but I've got a long long way to go Yeah I've got a long long way to go before I'm done I get pretty tired 'cause it's been a long long way to run yes it's been a long long way to run from myself It's so hard to admit to something dark holding on to you And the world’s got its eye on you thinking they know what you've been through They don't know you, they don't know you, they don't know you like you do Thank God I've found you and we've got a long long way to go Yeah we've got a long long way to go till forever is done I used to get so lonely 'cause it's been long long way to run Yeah it was a long long way to run without your love It's so hard to admit to the bottle's calling all your shots for you Living life in a half-lit truth, counting the deeds that you can’t undo They don't own you, they don’t own you, they don't own you like you do It's hard to admit to something dark holding on to you Living life in a half-lit truth, counting the deeds that you can’t undo They don't know you, they don't know you, they don't know you like you do They don't own you, they don’t own you, they don't own you

about

Emma Hill and longtime band mate Bryan Daste are at it again. The Alaskan duo, who have been compared to Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, are set to release their fifth full length album this fall. Entitled “Denali”, the album was co-produced with Evan Phillips (Whipsaws, Easton Stagger Phillips) of Alaska and features many of the state’s finest players. These players will join Hill and Daste for a special album release show on August 16th at The Taproot in Anchorage. Through August the duo will tour extensively in Alaska followed by a nationwide tour in support of the new album.

Emma Hill grew up in Alaska, coming from the small village of Sleetmute and later moving into Palmer for high school. In 2006 Hill decided to move to Portland, a thriving music scene, to continue her education and pursue her musical aspirations. In 2007 Hill met Daste and they began their collaboration. Seven busy years, four widely well-reviewed albums, and thousands of tour miles later, the duo are going strong, bringing remarkably intimate lyrics to life with their poignant harmonies, lonesome pedal steel, and Hill’s honeyed voice and confident delivery. Critics have described their sound as ranging from folksy Americana to catchy alt-country.

Hill moved back to Alaska in the fall of 2011, combining performing for her fan base in the state with travel south for regional and national tours. She stays busy year round performing solo as well as with Daste both in Alaska and the states. The pair plays various venues but their signature performance experience is the house concert. The intimate setting of a house show lends itself perfectly to their style and will continue to be a staple of their tours this year as they promote “Denali”, the newest addition to an impressive body of work.

Press Quotes:
“(…[M]uch warmth and sincerity to appreciate in this melodic, heartfelt, low-key record. “ – Pop Matters

“Emma Hill is not afraid to sing. In fact, her voice’s countrified richness, delicate inflections and fear-no-range transitions make it easy to imagine that’s all she ever does.” – Willamette Week

“…[I]ntimate, heartfelt, sincere…” -The Long Journey, Italy “Delightful vocals allied to some strong songs makes this girl from the far North worth a listen.” – Maverick Magazine
“Homey vocals with heart.” – Jukebox Heroines

“Emma Hill is a young woman with plenty of creative power.” – Hooked on Music Germany

“Rooted in Americana and spouting a folk pop sensibility.” – No Depression

“The kind of voice that one can easily fall in love with.” – The Philadelphia Examiner

“Following in the footsteps of Sarah Harmar, Kathleen Edwards, and Caitlin Cary.” – Ctrl Alt Country, Belgium

“She shoots from the heart.” – Rambles.net

credits

released November 11, 2014

Emma Hill - lead vocals, acoustic guitar
Bryan Daste - vocals, pedal steel guitar, banjo, upright bass, 12-string and baritone guitars, harmonium, glockenspiel, Omnichord, saxophone
Evan Phillips - vocals, electric guitar, percussion
James Dommek, Jr. - drums, percussion
Tim Easton - resonator guitar
Megan Palmer - fiddle, vocals
Corwyn Wilkey - trumpet
Kat Moore - keys
Kate McVey - viola
Kevin Charlestream - cello


Co-produced by Evan Phillips, Emma Hill and Bryan Daste
Recorded by Evan Phillips at The Wolverine Den, Anchorage, AK
Additional engineering by Bryan Daste at The Magic Closet, Portland, OR
Mixed by James Glaves
Mastered by Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering, Boston, MA
Assistant mastering engineer: Maria Rice
Cover art by Laura Lauterbach

Graphic design by Alan Wasem

Thank you to all of our friends, family and fans for your continued support. We love you.

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Emma Hill Anchorage, Alaska

Growing up in the small Alaskan village of Sleetmute to her worldwide travels, Emma has worked hard to position herself as a force in the music world. Her albums have received national recognition and she has toured them nationally and internationally. Splitting her time between touring and home, she has shown her dedication to keeping music alive wherever she goes. ... more

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