You may know Emi McSwain for her vibrant slice-of-life dispatches or Boston community roundups on social media, but she’s also a musician starting to find her way in our tight-knit local scene. Pairing evocative, cutting, and yet wonderfully plainspoken lyricism with a hook-y sound that feels uniquely suited for the coffeehouse, rock hall, or a rowdy Allston basement, we here at AP feel that now is a very good time to get onboard the bandwagon.

Fresh off a much-buzzed appearance at our own The Big Gig Festival, she’s back with a new single out today entitled “I Hope When I Die”. Maudlin in title alone, it’s actually largely about living life authentically and leaving behind something to be proud of whenever it is we depart.

Emi McSwain had this to say about the track:

“I think one of the biggest tragedies of losing a loved one is the deterioration of love into fear. Fear they didn’t do enough, didn’t show up enough, didn’t tell them they loved them enough. And when I go, (although hopefully not for a while), I don’t want anyone in my life to feel fear. They shouldn’t look back on our time together and have any regrets.”

“I Hope When I Die” is out now.