Local 913, Episode 87: Emerson Jay

For the last few weeks of 2016, we’re revisiting WYEP’s Top 5 local releases of the year. This week we focus on #5 from Emerson Jay, who released their EP Louie in 2016.
The indie-electronic group, Emerson Jay, just released their latest EP Louie, which stands for Love Offers Understanding In Everything. Emerson Jay started as a moniker for Jared Gulden, who is originally from Pittsburgh. Growing up in Dormont, Gulden came from a musical family:
“I have two brothers that play and my dad plays all different instruments. We jam together sometimes. I actually performed at my church with my dad, that was my first real [live] experience. I was playing guitar and he was playing piano and organ at the church. I like playing with my family, there’s always that chemistry between us. It’s that family bond, I guess.”
Gulden first got interested in making electronic music when he went to school in Chicago. He got his degree for audio engineering, which comes in handy for recording his own music:
“It’s nice to be able to record myself and to work on my own time. I guess it [also] has its drawbacks because if you’re at your own house recording, you can get distracted easily. It saves a lot of money, that’s for sure.”
Gulden moved back to Pittsburgh after school and began playing with a live band as Emerson Jay. For more on Emerson Jay, check out their website.