Interview with Australian Singer, Emma Anglesey

Emma Anglesey

Rave It Up recently had a chat to Australian singer Emma Anglesey about her latest song and video clip Mary-Anne and her recent tour around Australia.

Emma, since this is your first time on Rave It Up, we’d love to get to know you a bit better. Firstly we’d all love to know, how did you originally get started in the industry?

I sang on my dad’s radio show on 5AD Adelaide when I was 4 or 5. After that I was hooked! 

Were there any other careers that you wanted to pursuit or was it always music?

Absolutely and I’m still pursuing a few different interests. There’s an idea out there in the world that if you want to be really good you can only have one career.  And I totally disagree. People are often pursuing more than one interest at once and for me I get energy from multiple passions. Music is my love but I’m also an environmental activist and you can see how one passion feeds and builds the other. 

What have you found the hardest thing about the industry?

You really have to put yourself out there. This becomes easier when you truly believe in your songs and what you’re doing. 

Have you had any issues with haters or bullying throughout your career?

No I haven’t actually. 

What advice would you give to the readers who might be experiencing some bullying in their life?

Make sure that you make someone aware of the bullying – a trusted friend or someone in the music industry – and then seek professional help and counselling because bullying can be really damaging. I know this sounds really cliché but there are professionals who specialise in this area and they will know what to do.

You have just released a new song called Mary-Anne. What is the song about? Is it inspired by anything in particular?

Mary-Anne is about how you don’t always know where the road is leading and sometimes things happen that are totally out of your control but you just have to keep going. The song was inspired by a time when my housemates and I were going through something rough and I kind of wrote it to help us all get through. 

Why did you decide to name the song Mary-Anne?

It felt like the obvious choice as all the verses open with the lyric. The name Mary-Anne represents this universal person for me in the song. 

How does it feel to have your song produced by Joshua Barber, who is known for performing and collaborating with Australian artists like Gotye and Archie Roach?

It was amazing. Josh is a percussionist and a drummer and I love his production because rhythm is a feature. He and I also have really similar tastes in music and I totally fell in love with all the sounds he produced for my songs. 

The video clip is also now up on YouTube for everyone to check out, and it was filmed in Tasmania. Did you choose the filming locations yourself?

My friend Tim Kling filmed the clip and we both chose locations that felt right and that had the light and colours that we felt would fit together and be most evocative. 

Why did you decide to film the Mary-Anne video the way you did?

We chose the location of Lake Pedder for the film clip because it’s just so beautiful. The place also represents a place of struggle – where a big environmental campaign was fought and lost in Tasmania (the campaign to save Lake Pedder). 

The character in the clip hitchhikes. For me, this represents an adventurous spirit who is open to connections –  it’s one of the bravest things you can do. And sometimes getting up every day and deciding that you’re going to keep going takes an equal amount of courage.  As the character goes on her journey, she goes further and further into the wild. 

Where exactly are you trying to get to in the video clip?

Where are any of us trying to get to? 

Did you have fun dancing in the video clip? ?You are the true meaning of ‘dance like no one is watching’. 

Haha thanks. Yep I really love dancing and it feels so freeing and amazing to dance in the open wilderness. 

There’s a part in the video clip where you step through a huge puddle of water. How many takes did you have to do to get that shot? Were you wet and cold?

To tell you the truth, we did three versions of that shot from different angles and distances. I wasn’t wet and because my boots are waterproof but during the whole shoot it was really cold – which is why I wore the big furry jacket.  

You just finished your Mary-Anne Australian East Coast tour. You performed in Launceston, Neika, Berridale, Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney. Where was your favourite place to perform?

Oh! All the shows were amazing but if I had to pick one, it would have to be in the VOID at Mona in Hobart. It was like performing in a beautiful cave. 

Even though you have already achieved so much in your career Emma, what else can we expect from you in the future?

More great songs I hope. And dancing haha

Can we expect an album from you soon?

Yep. Real soon….

What advice would you give to the listeners who want to follow their dreams of becoming a singer?

Make sure that the things you do each day are fun and help you grow creatively. Don’t compromise on your values because it’s never worth it. 

Now we do have a funny question to ask you. A question that all your male fans would like to know the answer to….Are you single? If so, what do you look for in a partner?

Aw! I just broke up with my boyfriend actually. To be honest I’m not looking for anything in particular and just trust I’ll know when I find it. 

Knowing what you know now Emma, what would you tell your 14-year-old self?

That her jokes are really funny – even though no-one laughs. 

If the listeners would like to contact you or find out what you are up to, where should they go? 

www.EmmaAnglesey.com 
facebook.com/EmmaAnglesey

Thank you so much for chatting to us today Emma.

– Interviewed by Lauren Yeates

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