Emma Louise: From Uncertain to Unstoppable

Brisbane-born songstress Emma Louise hit the music scene in 2011 with the release of her first single Jungle. Securing a J Award for Unearthed Artist of the Year in 2011 Louise was thrust into the limelight on home soil, while a 2013 remix of Jungle by German producer Wankelmut charted in a number of countries across Europe, boosting her reputation internationally.

Music came easily to the young artist, who picked up a guitar for the first time at age 15 after receiving it from a schoolfriend. Louise claims that her fascination with music as a teenager came out of the blue as she had never actively listened to any artists growing up. She goes on to say that Missy Higgins was the first musician she was inspired by, which prompted her to hone her abilities and eventually write her own songs.

Louise was nominated as one of five finalists in the ‘Best Female’ category at the 2013 ARIA Awards alongside Missy Higgins, Sarah Blasko, Jessica Mauboy and Abbe May. Then, in 2014 Jungle went on to be featured in renowned fashion house Yves Saint Laurent’s worldwide advertising campaign for their Black Opium perfume, heralding another enormous year for the singer-songwriter.

However, Louise admits that despite receiving critical acclaim for her work both at home and internationally, her experience in the music industry was underscored by periods of doubt and anxiety.

“My relationship with music had changed. All of a sudden it wasn’t just me and my guitar, it was me, my guitar, a producer, a band — all of these people, industry people,” she tells The Adelaide Review.

“I just decided to get away from my music and reestablish my relationship with it.”

There was a three-year gap in between Louise’s first album Vs Head Vs Heart and Supercry, her most recent LP released in July of this year. During this time off from recording and touring, she deliberated whether she should proceed with her musical career before coming to a conclusion.

“I think [I just realised] that I don’t need to write music for any other reason than to express myself honestly, and just kind of being like ‘f*** you’ to everything else,” she says.

“Just being like, I’m gonna do my own thing and that’s what I need to do. Knowing [that] naturally alleviated any kind of stress or pressure on music and it was just great.”

The artist’s current national tour is the first string of performances showcasing Supercry, with Louise claiming that she has a few “nifty little surprises” up her sleeve for the thirteen shows. At the end of the run, Louise plans to return to the studio and record her latest tracks to potentially feature on a new album. While she is not certain as to which direction any upcoming work will take, she is eager to see how it evolves.

It appears that after years of apprehension, the singer-songwriter has found her feet and planted them firmly and confidently within the musical world. Louise confirms that the most pivotal moment in her career so far was understanding her identity in relation to music during her time off:

“I was always writing [in the break]. It was just deciding to go through the wringer again for an album release and touring. It’s all worth it, you know? I just realised that music is like my duty in this life, and I just love it. I would be dead without it.”

Emma Louise will perform at Adelaide UniBar on October 27. Tickets start from $41.10 and are available through Oztix.