Emma, tell us some more about how you first got into music.
My interest in music began at a young age, but not in the way you’d expect.
I had some hearing difficulties as a child, and I blame this for my tone-deafness up until I was about 10 years old.
For some reason, despite my parents’ encouragement to take piano or guitar lessons in school, I decided I wanted to play the flute.
I loved it for a few weeks. However, I haven’t touched it in a decade.
Despite failing at my brief desire to be a flautist, somehow during the graded exams I took I learned how to sing, or at least carry a tune.
It wasn’t until I was about fourteen years old that I decided I enjoyed the music classes we took at school, and I joined a singing club for a bit of a laugh.
Needless to say, I was just as shocked as my teachers when I realized I was a half decent singer.
From there, I was encouraged to pursue it and I did and this is how I ended up where I am today; with two singles out on Spotify/iTunes etc.
And a recently released EP, all made possible because I'm doing a music degree.
What would you say is one of the most difficult aspects of pursuing a career in music?
Despite the obvious pandemic situation and the fact the majority of music venues are still closed in the U.K where I am based, I would say that getting people to notice you is one of the more difficult aspects of the industry.
It’s hard to be unique enough to interest people whilst also remaining true to yourself.
I aspire to be transparent, and myself.
I’m a songwriter; I write sad songs about boys and booze, and I want people to follow my journey and my music because I'm not somebody I pretend to be.
It is difficult not to get lost in the vastness of social media so getting noticed and getting out there enough so that opportunities can present themselves is hard.
Your style is so unique! How would you describe your style/sound when it comes to your music?
I have dabbled in so many styles I’ve lost count, but the EP I just released, called, ‘What It’s Come To’ is the most accurate depiction of the style I enjoy writing in the most.
It has been described most frequently as ‘Indie Pop’ but I wrote it with 80s music and some Lo-fi as inspiration.
My debut single, ‘Fuckboy’ has been described as a similar style, with the terms ‘soul’ and ‘R&B’ thrown in there too.
And my other single, ‘Make Me Fall’ is also indie pop with more of a soft-rock, summer anthem kind of vibe to it.
Ironically, up until very recently, my repertoire was solely sad acoustic ballads about heartbreak and love and stuff, but luckily I branched out.
Since beginning of my university studies (at the University of South Wales, Cardiff, UK), I have been in several different kinds of bands, playing styles including pop-punk (I was a Hayley Williams wannabe for a little while), rock, and funk.
I'm also currently working with a variety of different artists spanning from Indie music to Hip-Hop.
Do you have anything new or upcoming we can expect to see from you?
I have been writing a lot of new stuff, there could be a couple of new singles on the horizon.
I'm also excited as I recently booked my first gig post-lockdown in London in October, hopefully some sense of normalcy will have returned by then.
Also, I have a few collaboration projects launching in the near future.
From the side-project band I started with my friend, Mia Duckworth, where we make slow and vibing covers of hit songs, called Strawberry Sun (find us on Instagram @strawberrysunband) to featuring on some other artists’ upcoming albums.
Exciting things are happening.
Follow Emma Mae:
Instagram: @EmmaMaeMusic_
Facebook: @EmmaMaeMusic
Apple Music: Emma Mae
Spotify: Emma Mae
Photo Cred:
Instagram: @7omlee
