Your name:
Emma.
Where are you from?
Derby, UK.
Name of band:
emzae
How would you describe yourself?
I describe myself across social media as a "20-year-old eccentric British lady who uses music to make sense of things" and I would say this is an accurate way to describe me. I write from the heart and I sing from the heart. I spill my thoughts into my lyrics and my emotions into my vocals.
Who are your main influences musically?
I adore music, and it has always been the only thing that has never let me down. It has saved my life on many occasions. I like a wide range of music, my favourite song of all time is probably Unchained Melody. I enjoy listening to 90s Britpop such as Blur, Pulp, Suede and Oasis as I grew up around it and it comforts me. I also adore r'n'b/hip hop and will generally listen to almost anything within that genre. I will always love pop music and will stick up for it forever. I feel as though it is actually the most interesting and diverse genre there is. It takes all the best bits from the most obscure genres and turns them into something awesome and beautiful. My big aim is always to create something that has soul and credibility, but at the same time a super catchy melody. At the moment I adore Lana Del Rey. I think she's by far the most interesting female popstar out there today, whatever people may say about her. Anyone who takes the time to listen to all of her unreleased tracks will change their minds about her. I also have huge admiration for RiRi. I love Nas and Kanye West too. I tend to like marmite characters in music. I admire people whose music and attitude has balls. I like people who are just themselves regardless, I think those people set the best exemples and are the best role models. People say that Rihanna isn't a very good role model for young people, but I think she is perfect because she shows young people that they should just be who they are and not care what anybody thinks. She shows people that you can have difficulties and make mistakes but you can still succeed and be a badass biaaaatch. I also have huge love for Queen Britney. As a sufferer of mental illness, I feel like her recovery has been inspiring and think it would be really cool if she opened up about her mental health more. That is something I feel passionately about.My current favourite albums are: 13 - Blur, This Is Hardcore - Pulp, Ultraviolence - Lana Del Rey, Annie - Anniemal, Solange - Sol Angel and the Hadley Street Dreams, Jay Z and Kanye West - Watch The Throne and Kanye West - Yeezus. One of my favourite songs at the moment is The Hollies - Air That You Breathe. For my new album I was inspired by a lot of classic British ballads like that. I love anything that has minor chords and anything with melancholy.
What do you hope to achieve in music?
I hope to keep writing, singing and creating for ever, no matter what happens. My dream would actually be to become amazing at music production and produce for others. I feel as though there is a lack of big female producers in the industry, and that women are often seen as the 'pretty voice' that can be added to a track that a group of men thought up, wrote, recorded and produced. I am nowhere near ready to produce for anyone yet as I would like to spend a good few years studying and gaining more experience. So until then, I shall continue to write songs as I have done throughout my life.For my next album I would love to combine my taste for 'alternative' music with r'n'b. I think it could be really cool. But I never really know how to explain music, I just know what I hear and what I envisage in my head.
What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
Without a doubt, the first sale I had of my album Breaking Circles. It's indescribable the feeling that you get when you know that someone has paid real money for something that you created. It means so much more to me because I wrote the album to help me cope during one of the worst times in my life, and to think that something good has come out of it and that it has some value means everything to me. It helps me to carry on and it gives me new life and courage.
And what’s the moment you want to forget?
When I was about ten I wrote a load of songs, printed the lyrics off and recorded me singing them onto a cassette tape. I got an old Hear'say sleeve and decorated it with my own album cover. It was called Silencing The Crowd and it featured a picture of me holding a camera, that I had cut out with scissors then stuck a microphone from clip art over the top of. It definitely silenced the crowd, and not in a good way.
If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
Wow, that's so difficult because I feel as though I'm still finding myself as an artist and I don't think I am the kind of person who would ever stick rigidly to one genre. If I could choose one song to represent me as of now though, how I feel about things, who I am, where I am right now both personally and musically it would have to be my song I Just Hope You Know. It's my favourite song off my new album and I only wrote it in about ten minutes! I love writing like that, it ensures that I get my true immediate thoughts out onto the page and the guitar.
Where can we find out more about your music?
You can read about and download my album "Breaking Circles" at https://emzae.bandcamp.comYou can listen to some audio where I describe the background story and concept behind "Breaking Circles" at https://soundcloud.com/
You can listen to me in general at https://soundcloud.com/
You can follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/emzaemusic
Anything else you’d like to say that I forgot to ask?
Thank you for the opportunity and good luck with everything. <3 (I hope you add the heart......)
