Following the release of their emotionally rich and dancefloor-ready single “When I’m With You” on Purified Records, artists Harmonee and Jack Emery open up about the journey behind their collaboration. What started as a friendly exchange of ideas blossomed into a powerful partnership, culminating in a track that blends introspection with melodic intensity. In this conversation, the duo reflects on creative synergy, the evolving dance music landscape, and the emotional honesty that fuels their artistic process.
With “When I’m With You” marking your Purified Records debut, how did that opportunity land on your radar?
Harmonee – I owe this one entirely to Jack Emery. He and I have been friends for a few years now, and while we’ve always bounced ideas off of each other, we hadn’t ever actually explored a collaboration.
One day I came to him with a demo for “When I’m With You”, and he had so many ideas for the track that we decided it was time for us to take it a step further than just giving each other feedback. Once we’d built out the song to our satisfaction, it was time to find a label home for the track. With his previous releases on Purified Records, Jack was able to pitch the song directly to Nora En Pure. Just like that, we had the track signed and I learned I’d be joining the Purified family. (Thanks Jack!)
Your productions are known for emotional depth — how do you balance that with the energy required for club or festival sets?
Jack Emery – Yes, it’s a great question! Emotional atmospheres and lyrics are always very important in my music and in this track in particular I wanted to intentionally include some clubby elements that would work well live. As I have played more live sets like my sets in Aspen, Park City, and San Diego I’ve been searching for the right blend of emotional melodic house and driving melodic techno tracks and that is essentially what Harmonee and I were trying to create with this one.
Was there a specific turning point during the collaboration when you felt the track had fully come together?
Harmonee – Oh absolutely. I’d been messing with the arrangement for a while, and we’d built out the verses, builds, and melody of the drop in full. The idea was still missing that special piece though – the kind of element that would really elevate it to the fullest potential. Jack came to me with the idea of adding some big brass stabs in the drop; the second I heard it, I knew we had a song. There was still a lot of back and forth from there as he and I worked out the mix with Purified Records, but those were just details – the song was ready to go.
Jack Emery – For sure, the sounds we each brought to the table with this track just fit together so naturally. Once I had heard his catchy lead melody and signature sound design in the synths, I tried to drop in my usual bass stabs and some other driving sounds and it just mixed together perfectly. We knew we had something pretty awesome and worked tirelessly over the next few months to get it just right.
Having received support from Sirius XM Chill and artists like Sultan + Shepard, do you feel external validation influences your creative choices?
Jack Emery – I’m very fortunate to have had the support I have and am excited to see what support will come with When I’m With You. I think having support especially as a growing artist is so rewarding and helps build necessary credibility and relationships. But I do think it’s been important in terms of creative direction for me to try my best to keep the blinders on and just focus on making the music that makes me happy. I let the rest take care of itself. I think as artists it’s crucial for us to focus on what we love creating and just let the external validation happen.
The track carries a real sense of warmth and introspection. What emotions or experiences were you channeling during the writing process?
Harmonee – My entire project is all about human connection. With every song I write, I find myself reflecting not on specific moments, but on feelings I’ve shared with other people. Once I identify the feeling I want to write about, a series of flashes goes through my head – kind of like a montage of memories that all relate to the core idea.
While writing this particular song, I was going through a period of reconnecting with what really matters to me – not just in relationships, but in life and creativity. The answers didn’t come in the extremes or the “big moments” in life – it was more about those quiet, in-between moments: the calm spaces and everyday experiences where you really feel a connection with someone – and as a result with yourself. There’s a kind of vulnerability that comes with that, and I wanted the track to reflect that softness and honesty. Inspired by that feeling, I leaned into gentle textures, uplifting melodies, and a kind of open atmosphere that lets the listener breathe with the track – in a way that lets them be a part of the track. It’s a reflection of being grounded, but also emotionally open – and I think that’s what gives it its warmth.
If you had to describe “When I’m With You” using just three non-musical words, what would they be?
Harmonee – Tender, weightless, honest.
Jack Emery – Climactic, relatable, deep.
Do you ever think about how a song will play in a live set while producing it, or does that come later in the process?
Jack Emery – Certainly, especially as I have started to play more of my own live sets. I’ve noticed what tracks I tend to gravitate towards when I download songs for my dj sets, and many of these are driving and club-focused melodic techno tracks in addition to the emotional, chill tracks. I think it can be important as a dj to take the crowd on a sonic journey through different emotions or energy levels, and When I’m With You has been a great energetic addition to my performances over the last several months.
As someone stepping into the professional scene, what’s surprised you most about the industry so far?
Harmonee – Honestly, how much of it comes down to relationships and timing. Even though the music is still at the heart of the journey, I’ve learned that connecting with the right people, being consistent, and showing up professionally matters a ton. That’s not to say you need to put on a fake show or suck up to people – in fact it’s been refreshing in working with Nora en Pure and the Purified team to see how authentic and genuine the leaders of the industry can be.
It’s crazy how quickly things can shift once the right people hear your music. One connection, one release – like this one on Purified – and doors started opening I didn’t even know existed. All of a sudden, I’m being booked for shows and collaborating with some of my favorite singers. It’s exciting, but I’m trying to stay grounded, patient, and authentic along the way. It’s getting me to think long-term about who I want to be as an artist, and I love it.
There’s a clear sense of vulnerability in the song — how important is emotional honesty in your creative process?
Harmonee – It’s not just important – authentic expression of emotion is the very core of what art is. Without that, there’s no connection – not for you, and not for anyone listening. Sure, you could create something with a rhythm and a catchy melody, but nobody listens to music because it’s “technically good-to-go”. We listen to music because it makes us feel something – and if we as artists aren’t feeling something when making the song, how on earth is anyone else supposed to find that connection?
Jack Emery – Emotional honesty is a great phrase to describe the creative process for our style of music and really all music. Emotion ties listeners into the lyrics and the overall track, and tapping into emotional honesty is what makes your track relatable to listeners. So it is a very crucial piece of music and songwriting to me.
Looking back at your earliest work, how would you say your sound has matured, and what role does this release play in that journey?
Jack Emery – Over the course of my releases since I launched my Jack Emery project in December 2023, I’ve tried to paint a canvas of what melodic house and techno means in my own representation of it. I’ve explored some chill and emotional sides of the genre with my releases, as well as dancier and slightly darker releases. I’ve made a conscious effort over the past few months in the studio to focus on what my unique sound is and what makes me feel fulfilled in the studio. The new ‘When I’m With You’ track is a wonderful representation of what my sound is today and I hope it actually reminds listeners of my first release ‘Believe’ in some ways. I’ve really been enjoying producing these moody but energetic tracks that work well in live performances and I’m looking forward to sharing more tracks in this style soon!
If you could branch out into any other genre, what would it be — and what would your first track in that style sound like?
Harmonee – My project started this year with chiller, progressive house – more vibey and loungey than energetic and dancey. While I won’t be leaving that in the past altogether, I pretty quickly realized that I really care about the live experience of music; I’m always losing my mind dancing like a fool at shows, and I want my fans to do the same.
This collaboration marked an exploration into more melodic house and techno, and I immediately fell in love with the genre. I’ve already got a few tracks lined up later this summer that are perfect for festival and late-night club vibes. In these, I’m wanting to maintain the natural and emotional depth that I’ve expressed in my earlier tracks – they’ll just be a whole lot more elevated and energetic moving forward.
Dream collaborations: who’s on your list right now — past or present — and what kind of track would you want to make together?
Harmonee – I mean, collaborating with Nora en Pure would be a dream! Lovlee and Skye Silansky are some of my favorite singer-songwriters right now, and I’m stoked to be releasing tracks with them later this year. Production-wise, I’m inspired by Miss Monique, Eli & Fur, Anyma, and KREAM. No matter who I work with though, I want my songs moving forward to match the emotional rawness and driving energy of “When I’m With You”.
Jack Emery – I always dream of working with legends like Nora En Pure, Camelphat, Rufus Du Sol, and Elderbrook. I love how they’ve each carved out their own lane in the scene and they have shown longevity in their careers in a very competitive space. As far as the kind of track I’d dream of making with them, definitely something deep and heavy-hitting that works in front of crowds!
Jack Emery & Harmonee – When I’m With You is out now on Purified Records: https://purified.lnk.to/whenimwithyou
