Artist Spotlight: Gem &Tauri

You may know Emma Montalvo via her husband, Jeff Montalvo of Seven Lions, who she is regularly in attendance with if not a supporting act herself. She’s also half of the house duo Gem & Tauri alongside Courtney Simmons. If you’re not already familiar, then you need to be, so let me introduce you to Gem & Tauri!

Courtney and Emma have been involved in the electronic scene for over 10 years in some capacity, either working events, supporting Seven Lions’ endeavors, or opening for acts at Echostage, Avant Gardner, Mezzanine SF, and Miami Music Week. They made their official emergence as Gem & Tauri in 2020 with a weekly live stream on Twitch, and with the support of Seven Lions and his Ophelia imprint, they released their first EP, All You Need, in September 2020.

Featuring familiar vocalists like HALIENE and Fiora, the six-track EP seamlessly combines melodic vocals with groovy bass lines, bringing a new perspective to frequent Ophelia collaborators via this new house project. This EP was an impeccable debut, as these two have officially claimed their space among peers.

In 2021, the duo teamed up with Trivecta and another Ophelia favorite, Tyler Graves, for “Hear My Call,” a melodic house track featuring atmospheric elements over a driving beat.

Later in 2021, they remixed MitiS’ “Back To Me,” which appeared on the producer’s Deluxe version of his Lost Album. Gem & Tauri managed to take what was a quintessential future bass anthem and give it a groovy house spin, as something of a pattern forms from these two.