Premiere: Hemlock Pop: Spinning Blades with FM Collective

A transformative collaboration

L-R: Mike Lucero, Ira Merrill, Ken Stringfellow

FM Collective was born as a collaborative effort including members of Macklemore, Cloud Nothings, and Portugal. The Man. Ira Merrill, who helms Hemlock Pop, and Mike Lucero, of FM Collective have been involved in each other’s projects since they met over seven years ago, and the cut “Spinning Blades” is the combined creative efforts of these two musical creative forces.

For “Spinning Blades,” the duo tapped legendary producer and songwriter Ken Stringfellow (Posies, REM, Big Star) to produce and contribute. Originally a slow, melancholy piano ballad, the song communicates a heartfelt sketch of a couple struggling with the complexities of the modern world, and questioning if there’s a “cure” for any of it. Stringfellow added the “come back, baby” hook and transformed the song into an epic, shiny pop anthem, equal parts melancholy and hope.

Hemlock Pop/aka Ira Merrill; Photo: Steve Rydgren

Mike Lucero told Elmore, “We knew when we brought Ken Stringfellow in to produce “Spinning Blades,” he would add a clever twist to the song. Little did we expect him to up the tempo and add a pop riff that took it from sentimental ballad to catchy pop song. We went with his instinct and couldn’t have been more satisfied with the toe-tapping result.”