You wouldn't necessarily expect a 13 year old girl to be one of the most exciting acts coming out of the Birmingham music scene. And yet, the mononymous Emer has proved it to be possible. After releasing her first single Destroy-Her independently, She kindly agreed to be the first artist to be interviewed for Loud Mouth.
What first got you into music?
“Probably my Dad because he has an elite taste in music and it’s basically his whole life. He got me into bands like Nirvana and stuff like that. Hearing that music made me want to do stuff like that as well.”
I love Destroy-Her. When did you write it and what inspired the song?
“It’s not actually that special to be honest. It was the middle of the night and I was texting one of my mates. She was writing a song and so was I and I just came up with the three chords and the strumming pattern. I’d already got a few lyrics… sometimes I just think of a good lyric and then I’ll just write them down. Then I just came up with the rest on the spot”
Were you scared about people’s reactions to this new thing you’d created in your bedroom?
“I was in some ways; the song had a few curse words and I did get a bit of a telling off from my family about it. But for everyone else, my friends and that, I wasn’t too bothered because, you know, everything’s preference. Some people might like it, some people might not.”
The song was recorded on a phone. Are you going to continue with that or are you looking to go into a studio or maybe have a home studio setup?
“I have thought that if my music does get bigger then I’d pay to go into a studio. But at the moment I’m probably just going to stick to cheap phones and stuff like that.”
Did it take a lot of attempts to record the song?
“I recorded the vocals and the guitar separately... The vocals were pretty easy to do but for some reason the guitar part was a bit harder. I was a bit nervous and shaking a bit but I got it in the end.”
What is Destroy-Her about?
“A lot of people were like “Oh... This is about your ex-boyfriend.” It’s about me. It wasn’t really about anyone else except for how people see me. It wasn’t really about break-ups. I Just poured emotions into it and put it out there.”
What did you mean when you said “You think we’re different but we’re really just the same?”
“People kind of judge the way I dress and the way I present myself. Some people are very judgey based on my music taste. I don’t think that lyric’s that deep really and there are other ones that have way more meaning.”
Which lyric are you most proud of?
“I’d probably say “There’s this thing that follows me around, doesn’t talk but still makes a sound.” It’s about like a hold over me that makes me indecisive and nobody can see it but it still takes a massive toll on my life and how I act.”
It’s just you and an acoustic guitar. Are the songs acoustic on purpose or would you like them to have a full band one day?
“I’ve got a bunch of acoustic songs and a lot were I’m playing electric guitar. I’ve got a few basslines as well but at the moment I haven’t found the right people to do a full band yet. So I’m going to stick with acoustic songs but hopefully, one day, I’ll find the right people to make music with.”
Is live music something that interests you?
“I haven’t really done any gigs but my dad does a lot of stuff. After the quarantine’s blown over I might try to get booked at pubs or maybe festivals.
Which musicians have influenced you the most?
“I think overall it would have to be Kurt Cobain because he’s a singer-songwriter and he plays guitar. I love Grunge music. I can’t say I relate to him because I didn’t know him, he died before I was even born but he has still had a massive impact on my life. I’ve listened to his music my whole life and my dad loves them.”
What is your favourite Nirvana song?
“Overall, I think my favourite is Drain You. I think he said it’s one of the songs that he’s worked the most on and I just think the lyrics are amazing.”
If you could be the opening act for any band, who would it be?
“I think I’d say slipknot. Even though our genres are extremely different, I just think that their shows are like the craziest.”
Are you working on any new music right now?
“I’ve got a couple of songs at the moment. I’m just trying to work out which one I like the most. At the moment, I’m just going to keep on releasing singles. I have been thinking about an EP maybe?”
Where do you want to be this time next year?
“I want to keep on doing what I’m doing. Hopefully, more people will be listening to my music and hopefully I’ll have a lot more songs out. I just hope people enjoy the music.”
Has the city of Birmingham had an effect on you personally?
“Obviously, Birmingham was the main place where heavy metal was made because of Black Sabbath. I think having that and my parents loving Black Sabbath has affected my music taste and my writing.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be and why?
“There’s a certain type of music that’s broadcast to everyone. I think it should have a wider range because everybody likes different things. It’s like Pop and Rap at the moment. Even though you can still make it as a rock band, it’s not always something that everyone is going to be able to find and listen to.”
Do you think we will ever have a massively successful rock band again, such as The Beatles or Oasis?
“I don’t necessarily think that rock is dead. What we need is a new Smells Like Teen Spirit because that’s what happened in the 90’s. I think if someone could make a song as great as that… If someone could make something mainstream so that enough people were listening to it then that could potentially save rock. It would have to be something new.”
Has making music been a positive experience so far?
“Yeah, I’ve met a lot of people online who make music and have a very similar music taste to
me. I’m hoping to meet them sometime.”
The music industry is dominated by heterosexual white Men. Do you think that’s an issue?
“I think it is an issue. Most of the band’s I listen to are full of straight, white men and I think that’s something that I need to change. I have branched out and started listening to different things. There are a lot of talented people who are part of the LGBTQ community, women and people of colour who are just not getting noticed. It’s also worrying for me… the music industry is almost impossible to make a living out of and as I’m also a bisexual female, it is a bit concerning. But maybe times will change.”
Do you think you would be interested in starting a band or are you only interested in a solo career?
“I do enjoy making music by myself but I have always really wanted to be the guitarist in a band. I haven’t really found any people who are as serious about it as I am but I’m still quite young so I hope I’ll meet people as I get older.”
Is this definitely what you want to do as a career?
“I know a lot of really talented people whose music hasn’t really gotten anywhere so I’m going to need a back-up career. I do really want to do music full time though.
Destroy-Her is available on all streaming platforms now
Interview by Aidan McGuire - https://www.instagram.com/aidan._mcg/
Emer's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/emerr.x/
Emer's Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/6K5bWCXwtcnzdfcvzpcL1H?si=HKAwDuB-R1ibN5zKJRu45g
Commentaires