(Photo Credit: Lauren Hall)
So I want to paint a picture of you as a person and as an artist. You’re a music therapist. Tell me about that and what role it plays in your art?
"I do a little bit of everything right now. The bulk of my work is in psychiatric work, but specifically with residential work with kids and teenagers. I think music therapy is so cool because it acknowledges how music can heal you. It's so cool to see the power the and the science of music. I think it's impossible to not impact my art. My perspective is what it is because of my work. There is a song I like to use to close out my sessions, so I used it at a house show back in February. There's a part where I have patients use a word to describe our time together, so I did that with the crowd and it was really powerful.
You’re a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Can you speak a little bit about how you came into your art and how you found your voice?
"My mom is a music teacher so it's been a part of my life since before I can remember. My dad loves music and my first concert was Rebecca St. James and a Newsboy concert. I was about 5 years old and I wrote all the songs she sang and drew a picture. The next concert I went to was a Superchick concert and there was a harder band there which was a little beyond me because I'm mild mannered. I also did some classical and Christian music early on. I also joined the West Virginia University (WVU) Bluegrass band and that helped me hone my vocals quite a bit. I also did Mon Hills at WVU as well and I'm just so grateful for all the tools and experiences I gained from those experiences.
Hell Hath No Fury is a bloody brilliant piece of Americana that I believe will stand among our albums of the year. Can you share the process and work that went into creating it?
"I released my first record in 2021 and immediately started picking apart that process and thought about things I wanted to change. One thing I thought was that every song was slow. My mom recommend that I start listen to singer-songwriters from the 70's. I started to a lot of female artists that vocals were not super 'belty'. I listened to Madison Cunningham and she has some rock elements where she has a Joni Mitchell voice and some harsher instrumentation. I listened to music for about a year before we started. That really helped me not put up walls like I did for the first album.
2022 came around, I moved to Nashville. I quit the job I was doing, I got broken up with by someone I thought I was going to marry. I wrote a song and I ended up texting Chris Kuskey and he just helped me make this song for free because he's the best. We had worked together previously at Mon Hills. I was speaking to Sarah Giles about this and I went to Kuskey and said that I wanted to make a second album and I wanted him to produce it. We had a pre-production meeting of sorts. I couldn't get there on my own, because this was going to be so different sonically. Kuskey was just so helpful to get the ball rolling. Most of what you hear on the record is Kuskey and I. It was just very cool to make this record with him and I was talking about men with him and it was just a very safe space with him."
There is a lot going on thematically on this record, but what stands out to me are discussions or love, interpersonal relationships, and heartbreak. Would you mind discussing some of the thematic work behind your brilliant lyric work?
"I guess I have have rarely ever written for a record. I wrote "Hell Hath No Fury" for the record and I wanted that to be the title track. I don't usually write for a record. So I had a long list of 17 tracks and I just sort of sifted through them. As a music therapist, my job is to hold space for people to find comfort and process emotion. While listening to music is not music therapy, I wanted the record to hold a similar space. My favorite record is "Forget and Not Slow Down" by Reliant K.
After my ex broke up with me, I listened to it on the drive from West Virginia to Nashville. It's a concept album that has some breakup songs on it, but I didn't want it to sound petty or jaded. What's so cool about writing music, is that I just capture an emotion and just process through that. I wanted to select songs that captured different moments including moments after the heartbreak, but also after some time had passed. I wanted there to be an intentional arch, of down and up. I wanted there to be a feeling of hope."
You, Sarah Giles, and Chris Kuskey (who are featured on the album) are creating a solid music community in a place well known for music (Nashville). What’s it like to work with friends in a community that nurtures a great deal of diverse music?
"It feels really special and cool. I played a lot of rounds with Sarah and Chris in Morgantown. We all play in each other's bands, I play violin in Sarah's band. I also think that with production in Nashville who are not really thinking about the people they're working with. I just know there are so many vultures that are waiting for an 18 year old girl who wants to be the next Maren Morris. Chris jokes that I'm his unofficial manager because I recommend him to everyone. I have a friend Mary that is doing an EP that I recommended Chris to her. I also have a friend Katie that I produced for her and Chris sound engineered. It's so cool because we started these relationships in Morgantown and they're still going. I feel so grateful to have people that I already know. My best friend from childhood moved to Nashville with her husband and she sings on "Cicada's".
What’s next for you?
"I'm putting out an EP of live recorded songs from the record and that will be out on October 11th which features Sarah and Chris. I am playing on a bill with Hello June that will be benefiting Life Literacy Education and I'm really excited about this. Also, I'm doing a dual release show for my live EP show with my friend Mary in Tennessee."
Where You Can Catch Emily:
September 27 - Tennessee Brew Works - FREE SHOW
October 3 - Fundraiser for Life Literacy Education at Riverside Revival in Nashville, TN (tickets available here.)
October 12 - EP Release Celebration with Mary Jay in Lebanon, TN (tickets available here.)
Keep your eyes peeled for North Eastern Tour with JoJo Scott including rumored dates in Martinsburg, WV, Morgantown, WV, NYC, and Philly!
As always, FMI on Emily Lehr visit: http://emilylehrmusic.com/v2/
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