In Conversation with Yellowhouse

‘Psalms of Yellow House’ is the latest musical project from Cape Town-based artist Emile van Dango, known as ‘Yellow House.’ This album is more than just a collection of songs; it’s a deeply personal journey.

The album began to take shape while Emile lived in a secluded farm cottage in the mountains of South Africa’s Western Cape. Inspired by Van Gogh’s painting of the Yellow House, which contrasts shades of yellow and blue, Emile’s music captures similar moods of light and dark. Through this project, he invites listeners to explore these emotional landscapes with him.

Below we got to speak with Emile about Yellow House as well as the process of making his latest body of work.

Read below…

On Yellow House – what is Yellow House and how can it’s association with yourself be defined?

Yellow House was always designed to be mystifying in the sense that you could not attach it to one individual or to a band. Through the mystery of its identity I hoped it would allow people to make it whatever they wanted it to be. I felt that attaching it too strongly to one individual might saturate that individual’s identity all over the project, whereas I wanted to leave room for it to motif into whatever it needs to be over the next few decades without it being linked to a specific individual or idea. That was paired with the EP covers as well, which were paintings and they too were not directly related to me, and this allowed Yellow House to be whatever the listener wants it to be based on their experience of this House.

In one of the more interesting references I’ve read thus far in relation to Yellow House it was termed as a musical project – not tied to any genre or time...

… Exactly, because I don’t know who I’m going to be tomorrow let alone next week or in ten years from now. So, having this ‘house of creation’ that can house many different visions and variations of itself allows me to create music that is true to me at that point in time. This current project is an invitation to people to step into the Yellow House and immerse themselves in it.

These layers of conceptualization could have easily led you to a variety of names but you chose “Yellow House”, why?

The original Yellow House that inspired the name was a painting by Vincent van Gogh. Being a big fan growing up, and having his prints all over the studio, I was fascinated by this yellow house because it was where he lived in the south of France during this very tumultuous time in his life where maybe his personal life was at rock-bottom and in turmoil but he also produced some of his best work during that time. And I’ve always loved how the yellow house represented how the turmoil and the beauty co-existed. I feel that the way I write and the music I make uses those same contrasting elements; where the songs are quite pretty, quite sweet, but they deal with real tumultuous sinister themes of our day to day lives that are somewhat masked by all this prettiness and beauty.

When working on this album, did you look back on your previous works to draw inspiration?

I did take a look at the previous EPs and I consciously tried to tie them in because Psalms of Yellow House is an embodiment of everything I have tried to do in the years leading up to this moment. It was the final destination of all those years of writing, living, and trying to find who I am exactly as an artist, what do I sound like, and what do I speak about. This time around I thought why not curate a one-in-a-kind painting that represents only this album and tie it in stylistically.

Your EP Sermon on Desire from a couple of years back played on a religious reference in the title, is there a link in terms of gospel references with the latest release Psalms of Yellow House?

There is a thematic link there and it’s one that has been carried throughout my catalogue this far as well. It’s something I have always grappled with. I think I have always been in and out of spiritual connection. It is something I have always looked for it and at times I have gotten closer and other times I have gotten further. And that grappling for connection, purpose, meaning and where I stand in the midst of that is a constant theme, and this comes out in each record I make. I think when you listen to my records you can tell when I have been closer to finding the answers and when I’ve been further away. Psalms of Yellow House comes as close to resolving these issues as possible and I think that has to do with all the time I’ve spent on the journey and coming to accept what I know and what I do not know.

Does this then inform the genre of the music?

Not really, musically I would say I am more inspired mostly by the things I grew up listening to, which is a diverse range of style. One of the things I’m proudest of is my ability to write in many different styles and the ability to call from different sonic pallets to create a dynamic body of work that sounds familiar but is undeniably new.

It is said that in creation of the album came about when you were living in a secluded cottage…

Yes, the isolation and the farm cabin played a vital role in the making of this record. I find my life moving in cycles where after spending time in the hustle and bustle of the city driving my life forward, I feel like I need that escape and isolation to make sense of where I am, of everything that has happened, and where I want to get to. Being in those spaces of complete isolation, you don’t hear other opinions, you don’t get distracted by the way the world is moving on a day to day, you are faced only with your self, your thoughts and your creation. But then once you’re there for a while you realize that you also can’t hide it forever because it doesn’t mean anything unless it’s shared and it doesn’t mean anything until something comes from it. So, that always prompts me to come back to the city, take all of those thoughts, all of those ideas, all of those discoveries, and turn them into something that will last beyond me, like this record, and share it with the world.

And I guess the surge of productivity that comes post it, “justifies” the seclusion?

I think that seclusion is something that artist do need – making art is different to other kinds of jobs in that the end result is not just the physical output. Life needs to happen in between in order to inspire things, anyone who has created arts will tell you that there are days were the outmost best you try just isn’t good enough and often one needs to go away for it to join forces. Arts is a collaborative thing with inspiration, blessing, and the physical manifestation and creation. You need to develop and grow as a human so that what you have to offer has also aged and matured well.