California duo Merlot Embargo have shared that they might be considered an unlikely pairing, describing themselves as a seat-of-the-pants, army brat singer-songwriter and a music school nerd and engineer by day. This dynamic makes their songwriting special, balancing their worst tendencies and bringing out their brightest traits. Merlot Embargo may have started with a near-fatal accident, but they’ve evolved to craft little pieces of heaven, with their debut album soon to be released.
Merlot Embargo recently released a new single in ‘All Wrong’, making sense of ineffable emotions with their mastery of emotional intelligence and storytelling. Soft folk soundscapes surround the listener in light, the optimism breaking through the trees despite the themes of feeling lost and vulnerable. The message of the track is to be yourself, but it takes this point deeper than the surface level, leading them to lyrics about self-acceptance. Delivered with soft vocals, rhythmic piano acoustic guitar duets and gentle drumming, the band’s signature sound oozes from the arrangement, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a complaint.
The duo speak about ‘All Wrong’, “All Wrong is about trying to fit in but feeling like you’re just not fooling anyone. It uses the acting analogy, with the idea of playing to an audience, poorly. But this feeling of masking is so universal; this is just one angle. There are ideas of ADHD/Autism/neurodivergence and trying to sort of fake your way to being “normal”; there are nights with jokes and sets that just don’t land for the comedian.
There’s also the idea that we don’t let people see who we really are. Fear of allowing our faults to be seen is something we all feel.”
