What can I say about Emily that hasn’t been said before!? She is one of the most amazing musicians making music in the Los Angeles scene. She has a show tonight at Largo, where she’ll no doubt play some of her new record. For that, Emily receives our coveted Artist of the Week!
Emily is straight outta Texas, where as a child she was raised on the greats of classical music. She is classically trained on many instruments. It wasn’t until she got to high school that she fell in love with Hip-Hop. This love affair caused her to blend the old with the new as she adopted a style that blends Hip-Hop and classical music. At first, one might think that is an odd pairing of musical genres, but Emily blends the genres seamlessly. On her last Ep Dirty, she pays tribute to one of her favorite rappers, Notorious B.I.G., with her rendition of his classic song “Juicy.”
Emily has been one of those artists who has stayed true to her love of music. Epic Records must have seen her genius from the start because the label signed Emily at an early age. But Emily told me that the vision she had for her music was different than the record labels’ vision so she left the big bucks behind to keep her artistic integrity.
Emily has released two full length albums and one Ep. Her first album has more of a folk vibe, but her second album, The Symphonies: Dreams Memories & Parties has the more contemporary style that we’ve gotten used to. Every track is titled “Symphony.” In talking with Emily, she told me that the order of the tracks on the album was the order in which she wrote every song on the album. You could see her writing progress too. She starts off with the more personal anthems like “Symphony 1 (Barrel of a Gun)” and ends with the very thought provoking “Symphony 9 and the Sunshine.” The Dirty Ep was released in 2009, and it features some of Emily’s best tracks off her Symphonies album and a few new tracks.
Speaking with Emily, she told me of her love of music. During her live shows, the love is center stage. She pours her heart out on every little sound being played. Emily is a true artist, telling me that her goal was not to be “Uber” famous, but to be able to support herself and see the world with her music.
Emily has recently been working on a new album and a collaborative effort with one time Gorillaz producer Dan the Automator. Emily has played some of her new tracks live like “Ride.” The new set of tracks have more of a laid back vibe to them and show that Emily is obviously growing as a musician and a songwriter. Emily is hoping to release an album in the very near future.
Emily will be at the world famous Largo this Friday night. She will also be in Portland and Seattle on the 24th and 25th of August. Check her MySpace for times and venues.
Top 5 Songs
02. Symphony 1- The Barrel of a Gun
03. Symphony 6
04. Take It Easy San Francisco
05. Whiskey & Rags
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