ContirbutorWith her debut EP ‘The Extra Ordinary’ landing Friday, we caught up with Emilee to get a deeper insight into the creativity behind the release, plus a look at the two stellar remixes from Maya Jane Coles and Andrade & Sam Clarence.
Hi Emilee, great to have the opportunity to speak with you today. So, you are set to release your debut EP The Extra Ordinary, can you tell us a bit about this collection of music? How long has it been in the works for?
Hi, thanks for having me! I wrote the EP at a time of my life when I needed to find some truth and a sense of meaning. Out of the shadow is a running theme in ‘The Extra Ordinary’ EP with aspects of going from the inside to the outside world. The EP tries to act as an ode to life itself. It feels completely relevant today as everything is being redefined by the pandemic. The lockdown is rewriting our imagination, what seemed impossible has become thinkable. We have a different sense of identity and it feels like we are entering a new era. That is how ‘The Extra Ordinary EP’ feels on a personal level with a sense of introspection for a new start.
You are releasing your originals alongside a pairing of remixes coming from Maya Jane Coles and Andrade & Sam Clarence. What pulled you towards getting these guys remix your work? What’re your thoughts on the outcome?
I first met Maya at The Showcase in Paris when I used to work there and DJ. I was fortunate enough to meet Maya and collaborate together on her Mobilee Records release where I did some vocals for her. Since then we’ve stayed good friends. I admire Maya and have a deep respect for her and her work. Maya is my all time favourite, I’m blessed with her astonishing remix of ‘Rodeo’ that features on this special debut release. It’s pretty symbolic to me and I get very emotional when listening to it 😉
With Andrade & Sam Clarence, it’s a funny story, they actually wrote the ‘Memory land remix’ without knowing it was from an original song. I had already written the songs at the time. I met these guys in a similar way, at The Showcase in Paris. I sent them the vocals, and they worked with the stems rebuilding a whole new atmosphere around them. Memory Land is more on the moody, trippy, exciting and mysterious. They have done amazing work on the remix, I love it! They discovered the original afterwards which is a very fun experience.
I think the pair of these remixes fit together beautifully, it makes total sense for the EP to stay within the moody and nostalgic atmosphere. The remixes are on the B side of the vinyl, and come together so coherently with the 5 originals tracks on the A side.
You have also released under the name Moggli, how does your sound differ to your previous vocal work?
So Moggli is a DJ Producer project targeted towards electronic music and Emilee is an experimental indie pop project. The similarities are in the vocal work with a lot of layers because I like playing with harmonies and effects with the voice. I like treating the voice like an instrument. That’s pretty similar both on Moggli and Emilee projects. The big difference is on the Emilee project all of the instruments were real vintage instruments, like the GEM Rodeo 49 Synthesizer an old Italian synth,( the track ‘Rodeo’ is like a homage to it) and also the Yamaha CP70, which is an acoustic electronic piano, that the likes of Prince used. It was very different to what I work on with the Moggli electronic projects.
How have you found covid has changed the way you write?
Well I haven’t written much because I have been focussing so much on the release and the work behind it, as an indie artist I do a lot myself. I bought an acoustic piano a few months ago that I have been enjoying writing on recently. I don’t think the pandemic has really changed my writing or creativity thankfully.
The EP is set to drop on your own self titled record label. Why did you opt to release it yourself?
Yes the EP is set to drop on my new label ‘Crésus Records’, I think I chose the option of creating my own business because of the freedom as an artist to release the music you love whenever you want to. I guess the main point is freedom and control over your work. Having said that it doesn’t exclude any future collaborations.
It’s always good to see music being released on vinyl too! Was this an important factor for you?
Yes it was important for me to start off the project with a release on vinyl, not only because the record is prettier! I have put a lot of effort into creating special artwork that I enjoy. I also think my music is targeted towards pretty niched music lovers. I hope the vinyl will appeal to the audience that likes this kind of music. This new project is a special start for me, I’m very excited and I’m thrilled to have the EP in a vinyl format. I hope people will enjoy it as well. Go buy it!
What else can we expect to hear from you in 2021?
2021 will be targeted towards live performances. Obviously at the moment we can’t go and gig but I am preparing a home set up for live performance which I’m really excited about. I will be live streaming from home, testing and having fun with some new instruments and new live settings. A nice way to translate the EP on stage. Hopefully, touch wood, we will be able to play in live venues over the summer!
Thank you!
Thank you so much for having me. It’s been a pleasure answering your great questions.
The Extra Ordinary EP is available to pre-order now.