Mark Emsley‘s “Loving the Dead” started out as an acoustic song at around 110 BPM. He had already sent producer Karl Morey an acoustic guide and vocalist ahead of the final session for his debut album, but on the short walk from his canal boat to his car, a different idea arrived: make it faster, louder and more confrontational. By the time he got to the studio, that impulse had turned it into the punk-rock version arriving on November 20th. He says he thought he was about to record the last song of his first album and instead found the sound of his second. The song itself is about the point where longing gives way to defiance, and a relationship that has lost its life.
Musically, I found myself absolutely floored by the relentless energy on this track. The bass and the drums but oh especially the guitars just absolutely on fire. I really did not expect a song called loving the dead to have this wholesome energy to it, but it makes perfect sense in hindsight.
The single follows his 2026 releases “Wish I Could Hate You” and “Satellite Heart,” which the press materials say picked up independent radio support. “Loving the Dead” also shares its title with his completed debut album, so it closes one chapter while pointing toward the harder-edged sound he is exploring next. Emsley, who is from Bedford and has a long background working in the music industry, says he is two years clean and sober and making some of the most powerful music of his life. It is being pitched for reviews, radio airplay, interviews, and playlists, so the coming weeks should show how it lands. That is a good reason to keep an eye on whatever he puts out after this.
