Honesty, Heart, and Talent with Emily White

March 23, 2009 · Print This Article

She’s an openly queer singer/songwriter who has received national praise for her disarmingly honest lyrics, introspective songs, and unique stage presence. Emily White, a Memphis, Tennessee native who got her first taste of live acoustic performance in Chicago, Illinois, is a rising talent in the music scene who is bringing her trademark mixture of personal-political subject matter to audiences across the country. Here, Cherry Grrl learns more about Emily, her latest album, “12 Ways to Live,” and how she creates the music that is garnering her positive attention in songwriting circles everywhere.

Cherry Grrl (CG): How do you describe your musical style?
Emily White (EW): I think of myself as indie folk. It took me a long time to come to that conclusion, but I feel like I embrace both the indie music scene (a grungy, DIY, experimental culture), and the folk music scene (a traditional, songwriting and performance-focused culture). I can’t seem to get enough of either one, so I suppose what comes out of me musically blends my love for the two.

CG: When did you first realize that you wanted to make a career out of your music?
EW: I played a friend’s guitar when I was twelve and was immediately hooked. Unlike the piano, which I had taken lessons on as a younger kid, the guitar came really naturally to me. It’s completely cliché, but I heard the Indigo Girls that same year and knew that making music was what I wanted to do. Something about the stripped-down songs felt so raw to me. I didn’t grow up on folk music, so hearing just vocals and guitar was really new and fresh to me, and to this day I just really love acoustic guitars.

CG: What inspires you, musically?
EW: Rhythm, a really good guitar, a really great song that makes me jealous I didn’t write it, and moods. I really try to create moods in my songs. My last album was called “12 Ways to Live” and that concept came from the idea that each song was its own little approach to living.

CG: What types of subjects do you find yourself writing about the most?
EW: I usually end up writing relatively personal music, from my own experiences. Every once in a while I’ll write a song that is complete fiction – like “Omaha” on my last record – but even that song was inspired by time I spent in Omaha, so I feel like all of my songs end up being extensions of something I’m going through, even if I’m the only one who can see the connection. If something really strikes me in the news or in the political landscape, I’ll write about it, but it’s usually still about me, ha!

CG: Who do you consider to be your musical influences?
EW: Of course the Indigo Girls, and I absolutely love Conor Oberst, Ryan Adams, Tegan & Sara, Cory Branan, Wilco, Missy Elliott, Pamela Means, The Weepies, Death Cab for Cutie. . .and on and on. I like a lot of what my friends are doing too, and am constantly being influenced by the way new bands and singer/songwriters are pushing the envelope and really creating something new. I have a not-so-secret love for cheesy radio pop, but I think I’m more influenced by people trying new ideas, people who use funky song forms or complex rhythms all within the confines of a something traditional like an acoustic guitar. But it’s gotta be a good song, of course.

CG: What are some other hobbies and interests of yours other than music?
EW: I love to rock climb, ride my bike, play soccer, do yoga, and hang out with kids. I just finished playing this winter on a lesbian dodgeball team. Lemme tell you, that was intense!

CG: What are your fans like and what is the atmosphere like at your shows?
EW: It really depends on the venue. I like to keep it interesting, so I play all sorts of different places – bars, coffee shops, house concerts, listening rooms, and colleges. Depending on where it is, it could really be anything. Usually (hopefully) it’s a listening environment, but it’s always more fun if people are interacting in some way. I try to keep it light between the songs and tell some random stories because the songs can be a little heavy at times.

CG: You have a strong lesbian following. Do you think of yourself as an out lesbian artist and if so was that something that you intentionally made known or did it just reveal itself on its own?
EW: When I first started playing out I played at a lot of lesbian bars because I was playing Indigo Girls covers, and I guess people just thought those things went together. I’ll always appreciate the support I got from those bars, and I think they really helped me along. I grew up in a very conservative environment in the South and think because of that I tend to be pretty reserved in my approach to all issues. . .but everything comes out in songs, no pun intended.

CG: What would you say is the most difficult part of finding success in the music industry?
EW: I think getting heard is probably one of the hardest things these days. There are an awful lot of bands out there, and a lot of avenues (especially on the internet) for those bands to get their music, or product, to you. It’s pretty easy for talented folks to get swallowed in that flood, and it takes people like Cherry Grrl or bloggers online to really find the hidden gems and bring them to fans.

CG: What have been some highlights of your career so far?
EW: I’m such a dork, but I just love some of the festivals I’ve played – the Midwest Acoustic Music Festival, Milwaukee PrideFest, Estrojam. I love getting out there and listening to music, and being a part of it. And I especially love getting to travel around the country and see new places, meeting folks and talking to them about what they love where they live. I’m always so amazed at how many cool, interesting people there are in the world doing incredible work in the towns they live in. I think I’m a social worker at heart, and I love hearing about community-based spaces and projects in whatever town I’m in. It really blows me away how many cool ideas there are out there.

CG: What is coming up next for you and where to you hope to take your career in the future?
EW: In May and June I’ll be traveling around the Midwest playing shows and festivals and generally enjoying the nice weather we’ll finally be having! I’m going to spend the summer at home in Chicago enjoying the lake, writing, and working on some ways to put new songs and old songs to video that I took while I was in Paris this past fall. It’s a long overdue project, but I’m hoping to have the time to sit down with it once I get back from my May tour. In the fall I’ll be doing a longer East Coast/Southern tour, hopefully bringing a whole slew of new songs to play for folks in those parts of the country. Then I think I’m looking into recording a new album, but I haven’t thought much about where or how I’m going to approach that – gotta write the songs first!