Happy Monday, readers!
Our “Music Monday” artist this week is a 21-year-old singer/songwriter that goes by the name Emma Kate.
Emma Kate is the thinking woman’s singer/songwriter, who blends a fun, upbeat and positive dynamic to the contemporary popmusic space. The former New Jersey Nets junior dancer, who stunned the New York Mets crowd with her beautiful rendition of God Bless America,” has a radio ready hit on her hands with “Neon Yellow Hearts,” available now – https://itunes.apple.com/
The catchy, hook-laden single was co-written with her creative partner Aaron Kamin from The Calling (“Wherever You Will Go”), and pays homage to a high school group’s last night together, infused with youthful hope and exuberance. A new EP is forthcoming.
Emma Kate debuted “Neon Yellow Hearts” live at The Bitter End in New York City on August 1st. CelebSecrets4U chatted with Emma moments before she was about the take the stage! In our interview, Emma talked about how she became a singer/songwriter, her debut single “Neon Yellow Hearts,” and her debut EP. She even opened up about balancing her career and a full academic course load and her secret talent!
Take a read at the Q&A below. For more information on Emma Kate, visit her official Twitter page at http://twitter.com/EmmaKateMusic19
CS4U: What got you into the music business, or the entertainment business in general?
Emma: “Well, I’ve been singing my whole life, in an a capella group and a barber shop quartet, but in about 10th grade, my family friend introduced me to the singer-songwriter Matt White, who she had gone to college with, and he needed someone to sing background vocals on one of his songs, and I was there and he brought me in the studio with him. From there, he started introducing me to other songwriters, and then I realized that I could really start doing this professionally. That’s how it all began, and then I started working with my current writing partner, Aaron Kamin, in L.A.; we wrote “Neon Yellow Hearts” together, which is my first single and I’m so excited about it.
CS4U: And I know you’ll be performing that tonight at The Bitter End! What can fans expect from an Emma Kate concert?
Emma: Well, it’s definitely really fun, and of course I have a few ballads in there which tend to be on the sadder side, but there’s a bunch of sassy ones too, and everything I’m going to be doing is original stuff tonight, so it’ll be things that are going to be on my upcoming EP.”
CS4U: Cool! Can you tell us a little bit about what we can expect from this EP? What has the writing and recording process been like for you?
Emma: “The writing and recording process has been really great. My partner, Aaron, in LA, has really taught me the craft of songwriting and how to turn even just simple diary entries into a song that sounds very universal and fun and upbeat. He’s taught me the importance of writing your own lyrics so that when you’re performing it’s real and it’s something that anyone in the audience can relate to.”
CS4U: And how would you describe your sound to our readers?
Emma: “It’s definitely upbeat because I’m really girly. I love to have fun and hang out with my girlfriends, but there are singer-songwriter undertones because I do write everything, so it’s very honest and open, so even the poppy songs are about real parties that I’m going to. I mea, I’m in college, so it’s all very real.”
CS4U: So how do you balance going to school and working on your career?
Emma: “It’s definitely a challenge at times, when I wish I could be writing with Aaron and I’m stuck at home studying for an exam. It definitely helps with my songwriting—I have a bigger vocabulary, I learn nuances in writing classes at school. It’s a challenge, but it’s one that I’m willing to take because education is important and music is my passion, so I like to do both.”
CS4U: And what’s next for you in the future? Can we expect anymore concert dates or anything like that? Do you have a release date for the EP yet?
Emma: “I don’t have an exact date for the EP, but it will be coming soon. I’m going to be performing at a show at the Westfield mall in California on September 12th, and Brandon and Leah are going to be headlining that show so it’ll be really fun and exciting. I’m just going to keep going from here, and I’ll probably have a bunch more shows in the city now that I’m back at school.”
CS4U: Cool! Why do you think our readers should check out Emma Kate if they haven’t heard from you yet?
Emma: “Because I think as a 21 year old girl in college that it’s hard finding artists that I can relate to because they’re either a lot older and doing things that I’m not doing, or they’re a little younger and maybe haven’t had a serious boyfriend or been through the challenges of college, and I just think I would be a fun friend to have!”
CS4U: And since our website is called CelebSecrets4U, do you have any secrets or hidden talents, something that the fans wouldn’t know about you that would be a surprise to hear?
Emma: “Well, when I was younger I did want to be an Olympic gymnast, so I do still take adult gymnastics classes.”
CS4U: So what is your favorite type of gymnastics?
Emma: “Definitely the floor when you just get to run and jump into the pit.”
Photo: Courtesy of Rogers & Cowan
