THE RELATABLE MUSIC OF EMMA RAE
Emma Rae is a pop vocalist and songwriter. Her upbringing in a house with a jazz trombonist father and vocalist/guitarist mother has heavily influenced her writing and musical ear. Emma’s original music and live arrangements flow freely between pop, rock, and jazz.
While at Berklee College of Music, she studied under renowned singer-songwriter, Paula Cole. Emma has won numerous awards throughout her career, including the Excellence in Songwriting Scholarship at Berklee. An accomplished pianist and lyricist, Emma’s music captures the realities of love, frustration, loss, and life.
Kids These Days: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/emmarae/kids-these-days Kids These Days I feel so sorry for the kids these days It seems none of them get an awkward phase No no no Oh that shit humbles you Like nothing else can do I feel so sorry for the kids these days Oh no no I don’t know how they focus World’s fucked up, have you noticed I feel so sorry for the kids these days Oh no no Don’t run your mouth They’ll cancel your fun One minutes you’re god And the next you’re done Glued to their phones Theyre anxious as fuck Self diagnosed With nothing but bad luck The girls in seventh grade They’re caking on foundation Meanwhile I’m twenty eight I still can’t contour shit There’s something terrifying About how hard they’re trying I feel so sorry for the kids these days Oh no no I don’t know how they focus World’s fucked up, have you noticed I feel so sorry for the kids these days Oh no no Don’t run your mouth They’ll cancel your fun One minute you’re god And the next you’re done Glued to their phones Theyre anxious as fuck Self diagnosed With nothing but bad luck So sorry So sorry Oh no no I’m so sorry So sorry Oh no no Feels like I’m on the out Of all their inside jokes Don’t know what that’s about Guess I’m not woke enough Kinda makes me wanna die Or is it un-alive I don’t know I can’t keep up with the lingo I don’t know how they focus World’s fucked up, have you noticed I feel so sorry for the kids these days Oh no no Don’t run your mouth They’ll cancel your fun One minute you’re God And the next you’re done Glued to their phones They’re anxious as fuck Self diagnosed With nothing but bad luck So sorry So sorry Oh no no I’m So sorry So sorry Oh no no
What are your favorite lyrics from your latest single?
I’m really happy with the lyrics from my latest single, “Kids These Days”, but my favorite lyrics have to be the second verse:
The girls in seventh grade They’re caking on foundation Meanwhile I’m twenty eight I still can’t contour shit There’s something terrifying About how hard they’re trying I feel so sorry for the kids these days Oh no no This section just feels really relatable to me right now. When I was 13/14 I was just barely starting to think about makeup. It seems that kids now are becoming masters at makeup by the time they’re in middle school. It’s as if they’re skipping an entire part of childhood and going straight to young adulthood. I think social media plays a huge role in this, encouraging kids to grow up too fast. What kind of pull did you feel about making the single? Honestly, it happened so fast that there wasn’t even time to feel a pull. I was driving into NYC one afternoon and I just started spewing out lyrics in the car. I probably recorded 50 voice memos on the West Side Highway just to make sure I would remember everything I thought of. Then, I contacted this punk band I like on Instagram called Magic Sugar Coffee. I started working with the producer of the duo, Nick Axel Kauffman, and shared this song with him. He was immediately drawn to it and sent me back a track idea almost instantly. It came together pretty quickly after that.
Are all your writing sessions collaborative or do you go off on your own? Do you have a preference?
Are all my writing sessions collaborative? Hmmmm that’s a tough one. Yes and no. I absolutely LOVE co-writing. My strength is in toplining, which is when someone gives me a track and I write the melody and lyrics over it. Sometimes I write songs on my own but I then usually bring in another person to help me create the instrumental parts or arrange the song. I find that if you have a good co-writer then it will almost always improve the song. Two heads are better than one! Do you ever compare the work you bring to the table?
I ALWAYS compare the work I bring to the table. Collaborating, and songwriting in general, requires a thick skin. There’s always going to be someone who doesn’t like what you wrote, and you kinda just have to get over it. I am my toughest critic. I compare every song I write to the last one I finished. If it’s not better (or at least on par) with my previous writing then it will probably get shelved. Sometimes I’ll come back to them, sometimes I will leave them to rot. What is standard practice when it comes to if the song is really finished?
When I finally finish a song, and I mean REALLY finish it, there is so much logistical stuff that has to get done for it to actually be released. If the song is mixed to my liking, then it has to go get mastered. Mastering adds that special sparkle to a song and makes sure everything is balanced just right. I also have to get the cover art done, whether that means having a photoshoot or hiring a graphic designer (usually both). Then there’s the matter of copywriting, publishing on ASCAP, squaring up all the credits, promoting on social media, and digitally distributing it to stores. It’s definitely a headache but it’s worth it when you see people enjoying your music. What was the goal for making the latest track?
The goal in making this song was to bring back that nostalgic pop-punk feel while still being current with the times and unapologetically myself. I wanted it to sound like the songs I grew up with, while talking about the comparisons of kids then and now. I like to think I achieved my goal. Challenges to the new music that no one would know about?
I did actually face a couple challenges with this song. One was while writing the chorus - I just couldn’t write anything good! I would write something, then immediately delete it. Rinse and repeat. Finally I got on a call with my co-writer, Nick, and we banged it out. Now the chorus SLAPS. Another challenge I face with almost every song I release is how do I get people to hear it?? Promoting your own music is really really hard. Not many people want to listen to a song if the artist tells you it’s good - of course they think it’s good, they wrote it. It’s really important to get people who genuinely like the song to share it. That either takes a ton of outreach, a ton of money, or (most likely) both. The marketing and logistical side of music is my worst nightmare. I just want to create music and sing to people but alas, it’s not that simple. Favorite memory in the making of this music?
My favorite memory of making “Kids These Days” was when Nick sent me the master for the first time. I blasted it in my car to check the balance of the song and I found myself jamming out so hard. I then played it for my roommate and she was like YOOOO THIS SLAPS! Seeing people enjoy the music I create is one of my favorite feelings. Is there anything off the table when it comes to bringing yourselves into your music?
Nothing is really off the table when it comes to bringing myself into my music. I will pull from whatever I find inspiration in, whether it’s a personal feeling or a story I’ve heard. Anything can be a song, it just depends on what perspective you look at it. Leave us on a high note! And share some good news!
Something I’m really excited about is my upcoming show on August 4th! I’ll be playing with my band at The Bowery Electric in NYC at 9pm. It will be my live debut of “Kids These Days” and I can’t wait to perform it! I have a lot more music in the works and I can’t wait to share it!! Socials PLEASE: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmaraeofficial/ TikTok: @emmaraesings Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emmaraeofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZU8hweA_WY9AJyfbfMicSQ