Indie Band Hub


 Emily Howard





This St. Louis based singer/songwriter has a work ethic and passion that seems to elicit respect wherever she goes. The spot on vocal delivery, the vulnerability in her songwriting and her abilities as a multi instrumentalist make her so attractive to cheer for. To hear her take on her musical journey, her self-effacing nature is hard to ignore. "I started singing when I was very young. I always wanted to be a singer but got lost in sports in middle school and high school. I went to college to major in opera and wrote my first song after a college heartbreak. I wrote on my guitar that I had been plucking around on and taught myself to play." Emily spent at year at SMU in Dallas TX, before transferring to Belmont University in Nashville.

And back to that passion again. It comes through so clearly in her songwriting. "I write from experience and each of my songs has it's own story. I usually start with guitar riffs and find melodies easily. The words come from the experience I am writing about and once I start a song I don't stop until it's done."


Self admittedly, her sound is all over the map, and yet, it kind of a concoction of everything she's listening. Many people will draw comparisons to Regina Spektor, KT Tunstall, and Liz Phair. Emily elaborates by saying "My biggest influences are drawn from many genres. Yes, I'm inspired by female artists I admire, such as; Regina Spektor, Jessie Baylin, Lissie, and Ingrid Michaelson, just to name a few. However, I am also inspired by the energy of rock bands such as The Stills, The Black Keys, Beatles, KOL, and the lyrics from singer/songwriter types like Marc Broussard, Jon McLaughlin, Amos Lee, and Matt Wertz. I could go on all day."

Emily's new EP "Wind Me Up" was recorded in St. Louis with Canadian transplant, producer/manager Kevin Gales. "I met Kevin last year through some mutual friends. A lot of our time in the beginning was spent getting to know each other so we could make this album just how I wanted it. That's what I liked about Kevin from the start. He could put together that sound that I knew I wanted, but could only explain by mixing together qualifiers from my favorite singers/bands. I couldn't have made the sound without Kevin as my producer. It was a really good combination for us to work together because we have different personalities, but are both hard workers and bring our own ideas to the table. I decided to record my first album in St. Louis instead of Nashville because I had everything (production, management, photography, video direction) covered by Kevin."

There's a genuine sense of openness when Emily talks about her musical journey. Perhaps another part of that authenticity comes from her upbringing. "My family is Christian and part of my music experience has come from singing at church. I am very fortunate to have their support with my musical endeavors." But for Emily, it doesn't stop there. "I am a big supporter of mission trips. I have been to places all around the US, and Nicaragua twice for mission trips. When I get the chance I will go again. I love sharing my music with people there, they have a completely different appreciation and it is so touching."

Wind Me Up

$2.97

Add Album To Cart

  Track Title Price
Love Sleeps [3:30]  $0.99   Add To Cart
Paper Heart [3:06]  $0.99   Add To Cart
I Don't Care [3:51]  $0.99   Add To Cart

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 Artist Links:
 
www.emilyhowardmusic.com
www.myspace.com/emilyhowardsmusic
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Emily-Howard-Music/180244248683081

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