Published on August 1st, 2020 | by Guest Contributor

Introducing Singer, Songwriter, Producer & Director Emmanuelle June with Her Debut Single & Video “Snake Spit”

Swedish singer, songwriter, director & producer Emmanuelle June debuts her first single and video for “Snake Spit,” a DIY labor of love and celebration of friendship. June’s trademark mystique captivates with the spoken word vibes of Patti Smith with hints of Björk, Nico & The Velvet Underground, Fiona Apple and A$AP Rocky. The track, produced by the extraordinary Chris Kaz, blends June’s hypnotic melodies over distinct beats to transport the listener to dimensions unknown; a psychedelic acid trip through the dark side of the heart and mind to find oneself more powerful on the other side.

“’Snake Spit’ is about Kundalini rising. Awakening desire and slaying demons,” says June. “I wrote the lyrics in London in early 2019. Walking around Kensington Gardens I began pondering on the word serpentine since I was walking past the Serpentine Gallery every day. Also, a cobra happens to be one of my spirit guides ever since I was a child. I got into my creative concentration and the lyrics came out. At first, I thought it was as a poem. Another day, I heard Chris playing this track he had made some time before and I felt such a strong urge to sing on it. He recorded my vocals a day or two later. ‘Snake Spit’ fell into its place as a song. It’s been a magical creative process for me in so many ways and I am beyond thankful to have made this piece with two people [Chris and Seamus McGarvey, cinematographer & co-director] whom I cherish so much as creatives.”

The video for “Snake Spit,” directed by Academy Award™ nominated cinematographer, Seamus McGarvey and June herself, was shot entirely in Los Angeles at The Dream Hotel in the heart of Hollywood. June also edited the video and had this to say about the creative process and concept behind it:

“We wanted to make the video highly claustrophobic and fervent to reveal a character filled with desire and compulsion… Longing and desire as savage as Oscar Wilde’s Salomé and as crippling and morbid as the playwright, Sarah Kane’s work, Psychosis 4.48. We had a couple of other locations and details such as costume and make up set, however, after that one shoot on the balcony, looking through the footage we just looked at each other and said, ‘This is it.’ It’s fully shot within the doorframe of a balcony at The Dream Hotel in Hollywood – hence the massive orbs and pixels of colorful lights. It’s all the lights of Hollywood. I see these lights as separate entities that are inside the character’s head which is a full-on frenzy of lights and movement, whereas the reality is she is isolated and in confinement which could very well be an asylum. This being a direct reflection of how society has treated strong, confident women throughout history. I edited the video during quarantine in LA. It was a real challenge to edit since every single frame of hours and hours of footage was magically intriguing and perfectly shot… need I mention Seamus is one of the greatest cinematographers in the world.”

“Snake Spit” (c) Emmanuelle June, 2020

Emmanuelle finds musical and personal inspiration in fashion. “I have a special love for black lace dresses and over-sized shirts, and all things monochrome,” Jun says. “I love silk scarves, catsuits, velvet, and platform heels…I love wearing a suit…I tend
to fall into the Neo-Victorian, 70’s and Biba eras… [Fashion is] an art form. And it’s one of the big forces reflecting- as well as rebelling against society…it can unite people as well as create separation. It can be a major liberator. It’s so much more than just wearing an outfit. For me fashion is freedom and expression. It’s an equal part of the piece just as much as the music/words and lights. Fashion tells a story before the music starts playing… It’s all part of a composition.”

June goes on to describe her fashion and beauty choices in the music video:

“…I only wore one outfit, [the above mentioned] over-sized white shirt and black pants. An outfit both liberating, simplistic and powerful… in the video it almost becomes like a straight jacket. Make up wise, I wore I’d say a rather classical make up.”
Base – YSL “Le cushion encre de peau” Foundation, as well as the “Touche éclat”
Powder – Laura Mercier “Translucent Glow”
Eye shadows and blush – Palette by Linda Hallberg
Eyeliner and mascara – “Shocking” by YSL
Lipstick – Buxom in “Powerhouse”
A thick layer of the product Skinfood by Weleda over the whole face on top of the setting powder for a sweaty and frantic appearance.
Hair let be natural.