As we move into September, it’s time to say goodbye to summer. Emily James isn’t letting it go quietly, though. With her EP Summer Nostalgia, she confronts everything on her mind. Summer has a way of heightening every emotion, especially when you’re young. So it’s easy to reflect on what you said, what you did, and what you would’ve done differently. And that’s exactly what Emily does as she looks back on adolescence and young love.
‘Suburbia’
The opening track, ‘Suburbia,’ reflects on a euphoric first love. Coming after years of distance from the feelings, the nostalgia takes over. The track feels both bittersweet and carefree. It’s as if we’re remembering a time we felt on top of the world while also recognizing that it’s safely tucked away in our past. It’s these moments that shape us, after all. Even better, the ‘Suburbia’ music video feels like watching a coming-of-age film. Emily zooms in on the exhilarating sensation of young love while still capturing the feeling of nostalgia.
Looking In The Rearview Mirror
Summer Nostalgia was born as Emily moved back to her hometown in New York. After living in Los Angeles for seven years and then writing and recording in London, she was able to reconnect with her roots. As she looks back on growing up in her hometown, as well as how much she’s changed in her years away, the result is a 6-track run of flawless, cinematic nostalgia, with a lingering hope for whatever happens next. She’s changed, she’s grown up, but she still has a lot of questions. What if things had happened differently? ‘Underdog’ ruminates on holding onto something that she shouldn’t. ‘Blueprint’ yearns for something she thought had been perfect. But they all wonder: What could have been?
‘Picture It’ confronts this question head-on. She reconnects with a past love and realizes she might have a chance to do things differently: to find out what they missed the first time. The music video finds Emily with the same person from ‘Suburbia.’ Even after all the time away, she feels like the joy of young love when they’re together again. And it might just work out this time.
It felt like I was watching a movie. You zoom into these little vignettes, and then you’ll zoom out a little bit to the present day, and then zoom back in. It felt like something I’d never done before in terms of having this interweaving timeline and flickering between present and the past, with memories coming in and out.
Emily James
Summer Nostalgia comes after exploring themes like adventure and healing in past songs like ‘Brooklyn,’ ‘Cannonball,’ and ‘London.’ One thing is for sure: Emily James is an expert at writing about whatever crosses her mind. With storytelling like hers, we feel like we’re a part of her journey with her. And you don’t want to miss where she goes next.
Check out Summer Nostalgia here and let us know your thoughts! We’re ready to talk favorite songs, or anything else on your mind, at @thehoneypop on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
The biggest production in Alberta’s history debuts this weekend and many in the local film industry hope the highly anticipated show, as well as other prominent productions, spur more Hollywood interest in the province.
The post-apocalyptic HBO series The Last of Us premieres on Jan. 15, and shooting took place at several locations across Alberta over the last two years.
“This is monumental,” International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) 212 president Damian Petti said.
“I think everyone takes a certain pride in this particular project.”
IATSE 212 represents southern Albertan stage, motion picture and scenic artists and technicians across 23 departments that include grips, and special effects.
According to Petti, more than 900 crew members worked on the enormous production over 17 months, not including crew from the Teamsters, the Directors Guild of Canada, or the performers.
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“Those 900 people worked very close to one million hours on this project,” Petti said. “So the size of it and the growth of the industry that just comes from this one project is huge.”
From left, Lamar Johnson, Jeffrey Pierce, Storm Reid, Nico Parker, Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Merle Dandridge and Gabriel Luna, cast members in “The Last of Us,” pose together at the premiere of the HBO series, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles.
Chris Pizzello, AP Photo
The show stars Game of Thrones actors Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.
Last week, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek and Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi attended the show’s premiere in Los Angeles, where they were joined by other representatives from Alberta.
🧵 While on a personal trip to help our daughter settle into her new home in LA, I was able to represent Edmonton at the premiere of @HBO’s “The Last of Us”, (the series that was partially shot in Edmonton last year). pic.twitter.com/3ddtFjBOTc
Gondek said she was “blown away” by the production, and said producers of the show expressed gratitude to the province for “being so welcoming.”
“We’ve all been pulling together to make sure people understand how film and TV friendly we are, and it’s paying off,” Gondek told reporters Thursday.
“‘The Last of Us” HBO television production set on Rice Howard Way in downtown Edmonton, Alta. on Wednesday, October 6, 2021.
Chris Chacon/Global News
The series is based upon the critically acclaimed video game about a smuggler named Joel, who is tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, out of an oppressive quarantine zone and across post-apocalyptic America.
“‘The Last of Us” HBO television production set at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton, Alta. on Wednesday, October 6, 2021.
Chris Chacon/Global News
During filming, streets in downtown Edmonton and Calgary were transformed into urban battlefields and even structures like the Alberta legislature were covered in vines and decay for the production.
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However, The Last of Us isn’t the only recent television show that will feature some local landmarks that some might recognize.
The FX miniseries Under the Banner of Heaven premiered last spring on Disney+ in Canada after shooting in and around Calgary and across southern Alberta.
The true-crime drama is based on Jon Krakauer’s non-fiction book Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith about the history of the Mormon religion, and has an ensemble cast that includes Andrew Garfield, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Gil Birmingham.
Local actor Emily James, who landed a part in the FX mini-series ‘Under the Banner of Heaven.’.
Global News
Emily James, born and raised in Calgary, successfully landed a role in the show as actor Sam Worthington’s daughter.
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“I was very excited, it was my first time on a big set,” James told Global News.
The TV series tells the story of the real-life 1984 brutal murders of Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter Erica, juxtaposed with the origin and evolution of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and extremist fundamentalist offshoots of the religion.
“Because it’s such a heart-wrenching story and it is a true story, I was excited to be a part of something so big and getting the chance to be a part of that story,” James said.
After splitting time between Calgary and Los Angeles, James will soon be making the move to California to continue pursuing her acting career.
“I was very excited to see that bigger productions are making their way to Alberta,” James said. “I definitely think there is a chance for more to come to Calgary.”
‘A perfect storm’
With a lot of the success in Alberta’s film industry being attributed to a change to the province’s film and television tax credit, industry experts also cite expanding production infrastructure like the Calgary Film Centre, and more trained workers.
“It’s the perfect storm,” Petti said.
“The community’s worked very hard to get to this stage and we think 2023 will be a strong year.”
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Petti said there are several productions eyeing shoots in Alberta this year.
Road closure on Calgary’s 4 Avenue flyover for filming continues for HBO’s “The Last of Us” on Oct. 23, 2021.
Global News
Keep Alberta Rolling Ltd. is a non-profit organization created to showcase the benefits and potential of the Alberta’s screen industry.
According to head of advocacy Brock Skretting, Alberta’s ability to pull off a production with the the size and scope of The Last of Us is expected to help attract more Hollywood blockbusters to the province.
“The crew are known for handling any logistical problems, never complaining about the difficulty of it — in fact, embracing the difficulty of of hard shows: we do the biggest and we do the best,” Skretting said.
One of the challenges that has faced the local film industry is always having a solid base of trained and experienced crew members.
But Petti said thanks to recent productions in the province, growth in IATSE 212 is up 35 per cent, and there are now 500 more Albertans trained in the industry and ready to get to work.
“To grow an industry, you do need a steady and stable supply of work,” Petti said. “We can grow the crew base no problem, if there’s a steady supply of work.”
The province has hosted several notable productions in the past: 2016’s The Revanant starring Leonardo Dicaprio, the 2005 American neo-Western romantic drama Brokeback Mountain, as well as the more recent Ghostbusters: Afterlife in 2019.
Brad Pitt spent time in Edmonton in 2005 while filming The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford at Fort Edmonton Park.
It isn’t just movies either: Fargo, inspired by the 1996 Coen Brothers film of the same name, returned to film a fifth season in Alberta after relocating to Chicaco to film the fourth season.
Alberta’s TV and film production booms following tax credits
Alberta is currently ranked fourth among Canadian production jurisdictions.
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Industry experts said it may take some time to catch up to other provinces like B.C. and Ontario, which have had a competitive advantage for longer, but the hope is growing interest from The Last of Us will help Alberta climb those standings.
“It’s just economic development through and through,” Skretting said.
“To have millions of dollars spent on the projects, putting hundreds of people to work and then on the back end, everybody gets to see the projects market the province around the world.
“So we’re really excited for the year coming up.”
The Last of Us series contains nine episodes and will air weekly on Sunday nights through the Crave streaming app.
