#NEWMUSIC | Emmavie - Honeymoon (LP)
Released 22nd August 2019 | Fresh Selects (FSX-041)
Emmavie is a singer/songwriter and producer. She specialises in what she describes as "limitless, soulful, future R&B". Her music is an amalgamation of 90s R&B and her love for digital audio experimentation.
‘Honeymoon’ the debut album from Emmavie is a collection of songs with heavy inspiration from Timbaland, Missy Elliot and The Neptunes. The full-length project features interludes which blend incredible harmonies and head nodding production and sees them accompanied by cuts like ‘Can’t Get Over You’, ‘Before The Night’ and ‘Let You Down’, where Emmavie shows a repertoire of R&B flavours that has been championed publicly by DJ Jazzy Jeff, Joe Budden, Posdnuos (De La Soul) and Phonte (Little Brother / Foreign Exchange). Also on the album you can find the ballad ‘I Hope We Never Break Up’ featuring Ego Ella May is a powerful slow jam which lit up Soundcloud in 2015.
Emmavie released her first single, ‘High Off This’, in mid July. It was featured on R&B website, ‘Soul Bounce’ and was added to Apple Music’s Breaking R&B Playlist in the USA. The single with its early 2000 R&B inspired production reminiscent of Amerie’s early work is an ode to the exhilarating feeling of being in love.
Single two, ‘Distraction’ and was made Track of the Week by DJ Ace on BBC 1Xtra (W/C 29.07.19). The uptempo track with it’s hip hop soul groove and drum and bass drum fills ends with a mid 90s inspired breakdown provided by the talented DT Soul on the Talkbox. The song has Emmavie exploring a new love with doubts on whether it could be a fruitful pursuit or merely a distraction.
The third release from Emmavie’s debut album was ‘Burn This House’. The single was added to Spotify’s Soultronic Playlist. A suspenseful, anthemic ballad with shades of Prince. The sultry 80s electronic soul tinged production is the perfect background for Emmavie to show her vocal talents and melodic prowess describing a crumbling relationship.
Finally, Before the album’s release, Emmavie dropped ‘Stop The Tape’. The up tempo and up lifting track is filled with instrumentation and harmonies that bring back memories of early Janelle Monáe. Emmavie has expressed that she was inspired by ‘Millionaire’ by Kelis & Andre 3000 & ‘Never Catch Me’ by Flying Lotus & Kendrick Lamar. Her creative approach to production is on full display with the track shifting gears from a drum n bass arrangement to a full-on Jazz breakdown towards the end of the song.
Emmavie has credits spawned across a number of artists both UK based and internationally, including collaborations with IAMNOBODI, Budgie, ROMderful, Jarreau Vandal, Dornik, Alfa Mist, Nick Grant and Jay Prince. Last year Emmavie met DJ Jazzy Jeff who caught one of her live performances in London. He invited her to his Playlist Retreat in 2019, in it’s fifth year. There she spent a week making music with not only Jazzy Jeff but a collection of around 60 artists / musicians from around the globe, including Robert Glasper, Redman, Posdnuos (De La Soul), Devin J Morrison, Eric Roberson, James Poyser, MXXWLL & Young Guru to name a few.
Championed by many specialists including Future Bounce pioneer Jamz Supernova, Everything R&B ambassador DJ Ace and Rinse FM’s nu soul tastemaker Jyoty. ‘RATHER BE’ was BBC 1Xtra’s Weekend Anthem in December 2018. Her track ‘OOPS’ was selected by Joe Budden as his Sleeper track on his The Joe Budden Podcast in April 2019. On Beats 1 in June 2019, Julie Adunega asked Jordan Rakei who his favourite artists were, he responded with praise for Emmavie describing her backing vocals as, ‘easily my favourite’ and championing Emmavie’s track, ‘LETTER’ live on air.
Emmavie's high profile performances have seen her share the stage with the legendary R&B singer, Jon B, Grammy and ASCAP award winning singer/songwriter, Eric Bellinger, Smino, Iman Omari, Mahalia and The Internet front woman, Syd (Red Bull Music Academy’s Paths Unknown). She also had the privilege of supporting the multi-talented Masego on his 2017 European Tour. Hitting 8 cities in the UK, France, Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Italy.
Following a number of successful collaborations with Soulection (LA), Emmavie went on to perform as part of the Soulection Sound of Tomorrow World Tour, to a sell-out audience at KOKO, Camden and at the Roundhouse. Joe Kay, Soulection co-founder, again invited her to perform at his sold-out show at Village Underground, June 2018.
Recently, Emmavie and long-time collaborator / friend, ROMderful, took part in an episode of Boiler Room TV’s ‘Crowdsourced’, which saw the two make several tracks on a live stream using samples and subject matters sent in by viewers of the cult show.