Today British singer-songwriter Emily Burns shares powerfully intimate new single ‘Cheating On Her’, via So Recordings – stream here and watch here.
Unlike her previous release ‘Balcony Floor’, ‘Cheating On Her’ is a window into the paranoia and strain that weighs on a relationship which began through infidelity. Layered with atmospheric synths and distorted sound bites, the track is buoyant yet sombre with some of Emily’s most captivating storytelling yet.
The track comes alongside a profound music video, depicting the conflicting emotions of a breakdown of a relationship showcased through contemporary dancers. The movement expressed through the means of dance follows the beauty in romance whilst simultaneously exhibiting how one’s inner turmoil can manifest into an obsession that takes control of the whole body.
Speaking on the track, Emily comments: “I wrote Cheating On Her after two of my friends ended up in a relationship born out of infidelity. I remember conversations with both of them, telling me how paranoid and insecure they felt despite loving each other. The song is about that feeling of unease in a relationship that was built on lies and deception. The checking one another’s phones, the flashbacks to how it all began and the worry that it might come back to bite them one day. It’s the epitome of “once a cheater, always a cheater.””
Emily has a knack for writing honest and raw indie-pop gems. In her music, earworm choruses are coupled with diaristic lyrics, her distinct storytelling – inspired by the likes of Joni Mitchell, Elton John and Julia Michaels – front and centre. Born in West Lothian, Scotland, and raised in Rugby, Emily started writing songs from a young age. She decided to pursue music properly in her teens, writing her own tunes and playing gigs, eventually moving to London when she was 18 to follow those dreams. In the capital her musical network opened up, particularly when she bagged a job on the front desk of iconic recording studio Abbey Road. Inspired by the huge names that passed through the studio, post-shift Emily would head up to the studio and record tracks, uploading them to Soundcloud as soon as they were finished and starting to build her reputation and eager fanbase.