Emma Quee is all about straight forward, honest, heartfelt song writing, so it was perfectly natural for her to open up to us before her gig at The Lair for the first round of Emergenza Festival Australia. Check out what she had to say about her influences, and what makes her tick musically, and make sure to go down to see her set next Thursday, April 10th at The Lair.

WHAT FIRST GOT YOU INTO WRITING ORIGINAL MUSIC?
I needed a way of expressing my thoughts and emotions and writing a journal simply wasn’t enough. So I took my love for music and a need to share my thoughts, put them together and began to write songs. I was inspired by Taylor Swift’s story telling approach and how honest her lyrics were, I fell in love with the way Mumford & Sons write songs with such an incredible depth and poetic nature, so I took this on board and from there I’ve only seen my song writing develop.

IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND IN THREE WORDS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
Lyrical, bouncy, fun.

WHAT'S YOUR LIVE SET UP LIKE?
My incredibly talented band that backs me consists of a keys player, drummer, bassist and acoustic/electric guitarist. When performing live, it’s all about the audience and making them feel a part of the show. I want to bring energy to the stage, I want to bring a story to the stage but most of all, I want to bring something new.

HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SINGER SONGWRITERS OUT THERE?
I think all singer/songwriters who write about personal experiences have similarities in the perspectives we have and how we view and feel things. So by that I mean, some things touch us a little deeper, affect us a little differently and we turn to song writing to release these emotions. But it’s the way we approach our songs that is different from each other. So I believe I’m different because I approach each song with honesty. To me, it’s not about writing a catchy tune, I always go back to the sole purpose of why I’m writing the song, someone may have inspired me, hurt me, loved me, whatever it is, I will write nothing but what I’m feeling and ensure only truth gets down on that paper. Listening to my songs is like reading my journal; it’s a scary concept.

WHERE HAVE YOU PLAYED BEFORE AND WHAT WOULD YOUR DREAM GIG BE?
I’m only just starting out with my first EP only released in November last year, but my EP launch was a huge success, I’ve been playing at street festivals and just getting involved with anything to do with music in my community to start getting my name out there. I have been given the incredible opportunity to perform at the Opera House twice – it was an amazing experience! I can’t say that I have a specific venue I’d love to play at or the size crowd I’d love to have, because my dream gig would simply be to perform to a room full of fans who can sing my words back to me, even if it was in someone’s backyard.

HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR THE SHOW AT THE LAIR?
I’ve been rehearsing with my wonderful band, workshopping my songs until we feel we have a really good sound that we want our audience to love. I’ve been studying my own lyrics quite intently, continually going back to the mind space of when I wrote them to ensure I grasp the core meaning of my songs and how I want that to be portrayed when I perform at The Lair. I also think it’s incredibly important to take a step back and always make sure you’re having the time of your life and really appreciate the opportunity you’ve been given to be a part of the festival.

WITH OTHER BATTLE OF THE BANDS COMPETITIONS AROUND, WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE EMERGENZA?
I absolutely love the whole concept of the Emergenza Festival. It’s all about allowing independent artists take their music to the stages of amazing venues in their cities. That’s why I’ve taken part in the festival; I love what Emergenza stands for and their genuine purpose to give artists exposure.

For more details on the show at The Lair @ The Metro Theatre in Sydney on April 10th, click here.