This is an interview done with Emma Andersen, read her story below! If you, or anyone you know, would like to be highlighted in The Zillennial Zine, shoot us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram!
Tell us your story! Where did you begin, and how did you reach the caliber you’re currently at?
I’ve always been drawn to music from a young age. I started playing piano at seven and got my hands on a guitar as fast as possible. Music had always been a fun hobby, and I floated in and out of playing for years until high school, and then I really got into it. Covid was what I would mark as the catalyst for my songwriting. I spent a lot of time in my room writing and playing, and that’s when it felt like I rediscovered how much I loved creating. I worked with a teacher from my school, Mr. Ford, who pushed me to continue writing and gave me the much needed confidence at the time. Most days, I’d spend lunch in his classroom writing new songs with him and putting together some rough demos. It’s hard sometimes to break out of one specific sound, and working with him was what pushed me to start looking at writing differently and experimenting with some different folk sounds. I’m currently at Belmont University in Nashville, where I continue creating music surrounded by ridiculously talented people. Most of the students here have some connection or pull to music, so we all collaborate to create some exciting art and that’s what i’ll continue to do for the next few years!
What makes you love what you do? How long have you been making music? Would you call it your passion?
I’ve been making music for as long as I can remember, but I mark my actual writing start sometime around my Sophomore or Junior year of high school. I’ve always loved music because of the way it connects people in such a uniquely honest way. We live in a society where we don’t talk about many of our emotions, and we process things internally most of the time. Still, music has always been this space for people to express externally how they’re feeling uniquely and creatively. Being able to create something that feels so vulnerable and watching people share that experience is what makes me fall in love with music time and time again. I always dreamed of being someone like Taylor Swift and making a living off of music, but for a long time, it felt like an intangible dream. I didn’t quite realize how important music was to me until COVID and the end of high school, at which point it became apparent that music really was this passion that I wanted to pursue further. Finding something I could consume in mass quantities daily and never get sick of was something that I knew was special, and it reached this point when I thought of my ideal future music was at the center of it.
What are some accomplishments or milestones you’ve reached lately?
Since moving to Nashville, I’ve been so lucky to be surrounded by people who are so driven, and it’s definitely been the root of most of my recent accomplishments. I have a whole group of friends who are all musically inclined in some capacity, and in the first few weeks of college, we’d all get together and play songs we had written or cover songs we were currently loving. One of my friends, Henry Bitzer, started a TikTok series called Saturdays for the Stairwell, where he’ll play covers with people around campus. We made one for Cleopatra by the Lumineers, and it got some traction on TikTok and even made it onto the Lumineer’s Instagram, which was definitely an exciting moment. I had listened to them for years, and to know that they saw our cover and then liked it enough to live on their page was such a surreal moment. I also have been able to play at the Bluebird Cafe a few times since being in Nashville, and I couldn’t even fathom being on that stage a few months ago, so to say that I’ve been able to play some originals on that stage is definitely something that’s been a highlight so far. The last thing that’s been really exciting is getting to continue writing and getting some work produced. I’ve always been a huge John Vincent Ⅲ fan, and I really fell in love with his album Songs from the Valley. After his producer saw a cover i had done from that album, he reached out to me. We’ve now started working together to produce an EP which i’m so excited to get rolling.
Tell us about “Jaded & Blue”!!
Jaded & Blue was a song that came together in a whirlwind, to say the least. I started writing the verse to it one morning but was completely stuck on where to go with the idea after the first verse and chorus. I typically love to write sad songs, but this was one of those rare instances where I had a slightly peppier idea and I was stuck. I brought it over to my friend Tommy McCrone, and we had the idea for him to write the second verse and turn it into a duet. The song ultimately evolved from there. We were playing around with what Tommy had written, and our friend Joshua Wurz offered to produce what we had, and by the end of the night, we had an almost entirely finished draft of the song. I wrote this song about my high school boyfriend and how I had been pining over him in one of the classes we shared, so I felt like I had to send the song to my friends who watched it all go down firsthand. The response was unlike anything I had received from prior songs I’ve written. Josh finished the final master of the song, and then we started promoting it on TikTok tok, which currently plays a huge role in gaining exposure as a smaller artist. It’s scheduled to release on February 9 and will be available on all streaming platforms for listening!
Do you have any advice for someone who is starting music?
It’s really easy to get discouraged when doing music, whether it’s as a hobby, a career, or something in the middle. I’ve been discouraged, taken breaks, and also had months where I ate, slept, and breathed music. I think there’s a balance that many people don’t discuss. It’s okay to take a break and come back to it. Music is not going anywhere, and sometimes the best ideas and sources of inspiration come from stepping back from the constant creation. It’s also so incredibly random with the way things happen. I had confidence in Jaded & Blue as a song, but seeing the positive feedback in the quantity we’ve gotten it is exciting and definitely a shift from how much attention some of my other work has gotten. People gravitate towards shared emotions and experiences, and it’s a huge part of why Jaded & Blue appeals to a more extensive range of people. Stay vulnerable in your writing and write what feels honest, and that’s a great place to start and most definitely a principle to fall back on.
What do you want our readers to know about you and your music?
First of all, so many people have helped me reach where I’m at today. Most of the work I’ve done to date is possible because of the help of my parents, teachers, and friends. As much as this feels like the beginning of what I hope to be my music career, there has been a lot of work to get to this point, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support and help of those who surround me. Secondly, I want people to listen and enjoy the music it however that looks for them. I’ve said it a few times now, but I love how music connects people, and being able to put out music that people feel speaks to some aspect of their lives is such a beautiful thing that I feel lucky to be a part of.
Anything else you would like to add?
Tommy, my co-writer on the song, and Josh, the producer, have media platforms if people want to check out their work there. Tommy’s handle is @tommy.mccrone, and Josh’s Instagram is @joshwurzmusic. They’re two incredibly talented musicians with whom I feel so lucky to have worked on this project.
Find Emma Andersen On Social Media!
Instagram: @emmaandersen_13
TikTok: @emmaandersen_13
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