Required Reading: Inside Emmalyn Estrada’s & G.R.L.’s Slow Healing Process

We’ve been following Emmalyn Estrada‘s career closely for the past few years, but it’s hard to imagine how long the past 6 months have been for her and the rest of her group, G.R.L. Labor day weekend brought the tragic end to the life of their bandmate, Simone Battle, as she took her own life one morning in early September.

They were quiet for quite sometime thereafter, reevaluating everything and trying to find a way to grieve and recover, but made a triumphant yet bittersweet comeback in January as a quartet with the tribute song, “Lighthouse“.

Billboard has an in-depth article that chronicles their experiences the past few months and where their hearts and minds are at as they continue to move on from their loss. It’s a great read for context, and an encouraging story of life after a death.

“At some point, we want to start to have fun again,” says Antin. “We want the girls to experience life in your early 20s! This has been such a heavy thing for everyone, we want to get to a place where we can celebrate Simone’s life and laugh about all of those unbelievable moments, and cry, of course, but maybe dig through that heaviness.”

Read the rest over at Billboard.