Local musicians Mark Wadlund and Emmelle Leyla comprise eMMELLEduo, a project they started over a year ago, with Emmelle performing vocals and Mark accompanying her on acoustic guitar.

The two met each other at a bar Emelle worked at—bonding over their interest in music, with Mark having made his name in the desert with the thrash metal band Instigator and other musical projects. Emmelle was performing with another guitarist at the time, but reached out to Mark on Instagram one day to let him know her former guitarist backed out and asked if he could play a show with her instead.

eMMELLEduo has performed at valley venues and events like Indio’s Second Saturdays, the Desert Fox, the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort, Jackalope Ranch, Rock the River in Rancho Mirage, as well as The District in Redlands.