| EMMMA’s debut single ‘Playing It Safe’ positioned the newcomer as an authentic, vulnerable artist and one with the ability to connect with fans of big names such as Boygenius, Phoebe Bridgers, MUNA, Griff and Chappell Roan. Now EMMMA is set for a second wave of discovery as she shares the follow-up single ‘Plastic Swings’. Listen HERE. ‘Plastic Swings’ is saturated with nostalgia, both sonically and thematically. As grunge dynamics blur with alt-pop soundscapes, EMMMA looks back at her childhood in the coastal town of Westport, Connecticut. She takes us back to a moment where she learnt the hard way why people go out of their way to hurt others. It’s a realisation that inspires her own introspection: how differently her own life could have turned out had it been shaped by different circumstances. Is it fate or simply luck? EMMMA says, “I always wondered what made people the way they are as grown-ups and what experiences they must have been through in order to shape the people they are now. What actions happened throughout my life that shaped me into who I am today?” Like ‘Playing It Safe’, EMMMA wrote ‘Plastic Swings’ with its producer Doug Schadt (Maggie Rogers, ASHE) and Emily Haber (Joy Oladokun, Anna Clendening). Both songs feature on EMMMA’s upcoming debut EP ‘Secondary Character’, which follows on November 28th. While EMMMA is a new artist, she already has a wealth of experience to her name as the guitarist and keyboard player in Sasha Alex Sloan’s live band. Recent weeks have seen her touring with the ‘Dancing With Your Ghost’ / ‘Older’ artist across Asia. EMMMA’s solo adventures commenced when she realised that her life had stagnated and she had effectively become a supporting character in her own story. She faced up to the truths behind that dilemma, and found catharsis by channelling through those issues into soul-baring songs. Simple acceptance mixed with a creative streak was the spark that put her on the road to a brighter future. Perhaps coming from a family of high-achievers generated a little self-doubt: her mother studied at Julliard before becoming an opera singer, just like her grandmother, while her uncle plays percussion for the New York Philharmonic. But EMMMA’s talents more than match her family heritage. She started playing the violin and piano when she was a child and was already performing in local music theatre when she was just five. A love of storytelling inspired her songwriting, which evolved at a rapid pace when she studied and excelled at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. After graduating she committed to honing her craft in the classic way – by touring right across the country in all kinds of settings. While there were undoubtedly challenging moments, it was a time that revealed her inner resilience and unlocked her identity as an artist. There’s more to come from EMMMA soon – stay tuned for more. |
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