When it comes to crafting melodic house with emotional depth and cinematic flair, Jack Emery is carving out his own lane. Fresh off the release of his Halo EP on Purified Records, the San Diego-based producer continues to prove he’s one to watch. Across three stunning tracks, Jack merges his classical training with a forward-thinking electronic sound, creating music that feels both intimate and expansive. Building on the momentum of his previous releases, Jack’s latest release showcases his evolving artistry and knack for storytelling through sound. With support from industry heavyweights like Sultan + Shepard and festival stages like ULTRA Europe and ADE, Jack’s music bridges introspection and euphoria, offering listeners an experience that’s as uplifting as it is profound. In this Q&A, we dive into the inspiration behind Halo, Jack’s creative process, and what’s next for the rising artist. Let’s get into it!

Can you tell us where you are in the world? What does your daily life look like over there?

My home base is San Diego, California and I moved down here a few years ago after growing up in Northern California. Can't beat the weather down here and as a scuba diver and ocean enthusiast it's a perfect spot for me to make music as well as hit the beach!

A day in my life here is usually working my day job, then hitting the studio for music production, some pickleball or gym, and hopefully catching a sunset at the beach with some fish tacos!

Your new EP, Halo, beautifully blends introspection and energy. Can you tell us about the creative journey behind this project? Was there a specific moment or idea that sparked its creation?

Thank you! That's a great description of it, exactly. I wrote the EP back in the summer when I was surrounded by nature in the mountains of Lake Tahoe in California and I was really struck by the uplifting, peaceful feeling nature brought me.

The EP for me was about capture these feelings of serenity in a way that was still upbeat and energetic. The vocal in the title track, Halo, was very important to me because I've always enjoyed indie music and wanted to blend an indie style ethereal vocal with melodic house music to truly capture the vibe. The vocal reminded me of Bon Iver/Ben Howard/Panama and I wanted to lean into the beauty of the vocal while creating atmospheres and synths around it to support the track.

When you’re working on new music, what’s your favorite aspect of the process?

I love the feeling at the very beginning of the creative process of making music when you are so inspired by an idea in your head and just want to get that idea fleshed out as soon as possible.

When everything is flowing naturally, things just come together from my ideas into complete songs and I love the initial creative spark that drives me to work through songs sometimes in only 1 night.

The Halo EP blends orchestral influences with electronic beats. How did your classical training shape the sound of this release?

My background as a cellist in the orchestra has played a huge part in the way I think about chord progressions or scales or the way each layer in a track fits with the other layers. The EP features lead arpeggios, warm basses, and big atmospheres that each needed to gel together like an orchestra to tell a complete story throughout the tracks. I think the balancing of different layers in electronic music is similar to an orchestra, where you have the cellos supporting the lead violins and the violas fitting in between perfectly.

What would be your desert island plugins and/or digital tools?

I really love Ozone because there's so much you can do with just that one plugin. I use it for stereo imaging all the time, and also as a saturator, limiter, and dynamic compressor.

For synths, it would be tough to live without Diva or Serum. Really like Diva for analog style synths and basses and Serum is nice because it's user-friendly and the patches are easily modified.

What was the last track by another artist you were obsessed with?

Anyma's "Angel In The Dark". I initially heard it during Anyma's mind-blowing performances at The Sphere in Vegas and the combination of audio and visual for this track was very emotional.

I really appreciate how the track is both beautiful and also still driving like you'd expect from Anyma. This track for me is one of the best representations of melodic techno, which has exploded in popularity in the last few years.

What advice would you give yourself if you were starting today? Or what advice would you give to a young musician or DJ just starting out?

I'd say trust the process and stay patient. It's easy to try and rush things but if you are consistently learning and putting yourself in positions to grow as a producer/dj you will see success. It may not be overnight, but as long as you're consistent with putting in the work you'll get there!

Thanks for talking with us. What do you have coming up in the next few months?

I have a big show coming up this Spring I'm super excited about - should be details coming out very soon about this one.

I also have a remix coming early Spring, and at least two singles for the coming months I'm really looking forward to as well!

Halo EP is out now via Purified Records

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