EMOT is Dan Choma (Junkyard Empire), Justin Hartke (Aviette), Matt Leavitt, and Robert Mulrennan (No Bird Sing, Chastity Brown). A desire for things that grow organically and without force, shoehorning, or calculation. These are guiding principles of the musicians in EMOT. Leavitt’s spare, hissed demos have sprouted to life reflecting new directions and refocused intent of the new lineup. Fresh off the release of the debut Two Drunks in the spring of 2010, the group recorded their new record Make You Electric in small bits over a 4 month period at Shock and Audio in Minneapolis. In breaks and free moments from other obligations and bands, bits of guitar, percussion, organs, Wurlitzer and looped elements were added and layered to the live-tracked skeletons. The congested atmosphere of Lyndale and Lake could not be a starker contrast to rural Southern Minnesota where Leavitt has moved to after 8 years in St. Paul. Utilizing 60 year-old tube microphones, half-inch tape and crackling amplifiers, engineers and studio owners Bill Stertz and Mike Ramirez steered the 10 tracks, gave them space, breadth, and warmth. The songs on Make You Electric arrived during periods of respite from transition, finishing school, marriages, fraying relationships, relocating to the country. The moments in that change can be shimmering, challenging, opportune, and thoughtful. All of those are thematic elements throughout the record. “Ancients” is the album’s lyrical center, embodying the slow process of stepping outside of yourself into a new role and new ways of being. EMOT continues forward in this enduring spirit of exploration and maturation. Press for EMOT Two Drunks, the debut album from Emot, is an atmospheric folk-rock platter that strikes a nice balance between the precise pop chops of its backing players and the wayward charm of its frontman (Matt Leavitt's voice is ragged but right)--Rob van Alstyne, Metromix Minneapolis While[Two Drunks] does seem to be comprised of abstract thoughts, these thoughts are so beautifully composed into music that they could only be planned that way. Emot has a lot of future potential and… has yet to reach its peak of creative work—Sam Wattrus, Duluth News Tribune There’s definitely something to be excited about. “Ancients” is a gradual, contemplative jam that slowly unfolds underneath a delicate melodic motif sung with convincing solemnity—Caleb Price, PeerValidated.com