“We call it the Red Barn House,” Emory Hall waves towards the maroon painted farm-house that they moved into a little over 2 years ago. The home, with a music studio and detached out building, have given the Hall’s exactly what they’ve been looking for; the space to create their art, while nurturing their little family on a quiet cul-de-sac. The creativity is practically oozing out of their self-described “compound”, from the different nooks throughout that provide the perfect escape in a moment of inspiration, to the open aired living room that serves as the magnetic center of the home. Emory and Trevor Hall float through the house describing little pieces of Boulder that live in the foundation, while describing how the home has enabled them to tap into deeper levels of creativity than ever before.
“We moved here when I was 7 months pregnant,” Emory remembers. “This house has just been a creative beehive.” They never imagined finding a home in their ideal location that also gave them enough space to create. Recounting how it fell into place, there’s a certain synchronicity in the whole thing. Buzzing from room to room, following their 2 year old son Kai around as they try to put on his signature yellow rain boots, Trevor and Emory bounce off each other with ease. Simply being in their presence is creatively stimulating in itself.
Writer, photographer, and artist, Emory’s work aims to highlight the depth and beauty of the human experience, in all its forms and complexities. Her work draws inspiration from the natural, celebrates our world’s unique cultures, and connects the observer to something both approachable and mystical. When her work overseas halted in the pandemic, Emory’s artistic gaze turned inwards and she began slowly writing again. Not long after, following the birth of her son, it seemed as though the words were pouring out of her, which has resulted in her forthcoming collection of poetry, titled Made of Rivers. “I started writing again after a 10 year hiatus,” Emory explains. “With Kai, it felt as though my words came back to me, and were further nourished by this house and space.” An exploration of the feminine, motherhood, spirituality, love, and transformation, Made of Rivers comes out June 21st 2023, on the summer solstice.
“The album and the book are held together by this house. I’ve never felt so creative in a home.”
Simultaneous with Emory’s book coming to fruition, musician Trevor has been able to create for the first time in his home studio; an idea that never really felt possible. “It was a dream that I had for a long time to be able to have my own music studio. When we found this house and saw the red barn in the backyard, both Emory and I lit up. We felt like we had found something we had been dreaming of,” says Trevor.
When moving in, the Hall’s started on the first of many projects. They redid the kitchen, and repainted everything, but made sure to keep pieces of the home that make it what it is. Previously owned by a glass blower, the now music studio used to be a glass blowing studio that held classes. “That piece of glass”, Emory says as she points to a blue tinged glass piece fixed into one of the walls, “that’s one of his student’s pieces.” A clay wall in the living room was installed by a local claymaker. “ There’s so many unique pieces of Boulder and this house’s history throughout the space, ” Emory says with pride.
“Access to nature and a creative community are essential to our lives, and Boulder has both of those in abundance. Both our family and our art has thrived in these mountains and under these skies.”
The music studio, a garage now filled with carpets, couches, and music equipment, feels warm and energetic. Trevor’s music, a blend of roots and folk with touches of electronic elements, is more than a passion - it is his life’s art. His sold out shows at Red Rocks are just a small testament to his growing fanbase who deeply identify with his music.
Trevor’s experience with this upcoming album is different from his previous. “I’ve always had a really humble set up, and wasn’t able to create a full working studio space until now, he says. “That had greatly impacted my music and allowed me to expand creatively in so many new ways. To have a set space to explore musicially has just been amazing.”
The Halls both attribute so much of their creative flush to other artists that have lived in the house. “This space before us was used as a creative space, so that energy I can feel,” describes Trevor. “It’s intentional, and it's been so, so healing. It's just the beginning.” The space itself has become so deeply interwoven into this next record. “You can’t separate the songs from these four walls. So much of this studio and its surroundings inspired a lot of what I’ve been writing and creating.”
“Having the studio at home is perhaps the biggest blessing, as we’ve made so many cherished memories as a family in the space.”
To find their work/home life balance, Emory and Trevor are always adapting and pivoting. Living a lifestyle filled with flexibility and spontaneity, the dynamic is always changing. Some months they spend on the road living on a tour bus with their band and crew. Including Kai in their lives on the road and creative projects has been a profound and fun experience. “He’s the reason for everything we do so to have him along with us feels like the biggest blessing we could’ve ever received,” they both agree. Other months, they’re at home and diving into creative projects here at the house, which also has come to serve as a sanctuary. “We spend so much of our lives as extroverts, when we’re both actually introverts naturally,” Emory reveals. “When we can get here, we just recharge.”
As for what is next? A tour, a book, and a new record. For now, Trevor and Emory are just trying to keep those yellow rain boots on Kai’s feet. He is the real star of the Hall show, afterall.
