If there’s one thing I didn’t expect to be a negative impact of quitting my job, it would be the loss of my recording device connected to phone calls. Further, I didn’t expect this loss to be unclear to me until midway through a recent interview with up and coming jazz singer Emmaline. That said, I’ve been meaning to switch up my interview style anyway. So, this will be a paraphrased account of my conversation with the 21 year old singer-songwriter. Let’s see how it goes…

Coming to us this week for an interview is Emmaline, the newest jazz singer you absolutely need to listen to now, so you can brag about how cool you are when she’s cruising the airwaves and crushing a big stage on your screen. You can see Emmaline perform her classic blend of jazz and R&B Friday, November 15th at The Constellation. I’ve been streaming her debut EP, All My Sweetest Dreams, since it dropped last month, and I can’t wait to see her in a club I’ve yet to shoot before. You can join me for a measly $15. That’s a damn fine price for a night of good music. Tickets can be had here or at the door.

I’ve spent a good part of my career talking with people trying to sell me something, and while, ostensibly, that’s why I’m talking with a young artist starting her career - Emmaline is more approachable and honest than most of the “professionals” I alluded to earlier. She’s got a breezy, friendly voice and after we traded some laughs about the ridiculousness of Chicago weather, it became apparent that she’s just genuinely jazzed (what I did, do you see it?) to chat about her craft. First, we need to get some background so you, dear reader, don’t think I’m just making up some hot new artist...

Emmaline is originally from Indiana, and studied at the prestigious College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) in Cincinnati. She remembers having a deep love for performing music since the age of 4, when she began violin lessons. Further, her parents were musicians and a house of music made a huge impact on her aspirations. She originally entered CCM for classical violin training, but moved to jazz in her sophomore year - crediting her father’s piano playing and his love of jazz singers for this choice. When it came time to set out on her path to fame, Chicago was an easy choice. Despite the winters, she likes being close to home and feels privileged to perform her craft in a city with such a rich story in jazz. 

She told me she plans on making these baby steps, giant leaps eventually, so catch her now before LA snatches her up.

Because I at least do some due diligence, I brought into the discussion the quick accumulation of thousands of fans and an independently released EP - liking it to when Lily Allen’s meteoric MySpace fame in my younger years (thankfully, she didn’t call me old and out of touch at this remark)...

Putting her music on the internet was something that she did for fun, beginning with short videos made with friends that weren’t intended to be “official” releases. But she started getting likes, and comments, and followers, and soon - hundreds of thousands of people are begging for an album. She decided to go a route that’s becoming more powerful for artists lately, let the fans take part in the creation of art. Her small team got together a Kickstarter campaign for what would eventually become the aforementioned EP, and it ended 168% to goal. She’s now faced with a tough decision. Because of her success, labels are calling to get in on the action. Emmaline enjoys the freedom of expression that comes from independence, but isn’t opposed to hearing offers - as long as she can continue to make music on her terms.

I don’t pretend to be an expert in classical or jazz, but I started playing both at a young age and always have one of the two on for relaxing listening sessions. One violinist I’ve admired is Lindsey Sterling, for her fusion of classical arrangements and electronic pop. Naturally, I asked if Emmaline consciously brings her classical training to her original numbers.

Consciously, it turns out, is not how she would put it. But she prefers music to be raw and felt, and she’d be the first to admit that the melodic, cinematic elements of her many years of training seeped into the writing sessions. Ultimately, she views her work as a modernization of many genres and decades of music that influenced her

I’d have to agree with her. The movements of classical pieces are there, bubbling under the surface of a blend of traditional jazz standards ala Billie Holiday and neo soul stylings of Erykah Badu.

It’s around this time I realize I’m probably wasting this poor girl’s time and we need to get to promoting her show, so I waste her time more by asking her favorite jazz spots in the city she’d like to play before we get to what we can expect from an Emmaline performance.

For the former, she does her new city well by immediately dropping Winter’s Jazz Club and The Green Mill. For the latter, she split no hairs - if you want to see music created in front of you, her show is for you. Very much inspired by the 50s and 60s of jazz standards, she’s not singing over an iPod - expect a five piece to back her up through a series of originals and classics you know. Live music, to Emmaline, is about living in that moment of creation, when you can truly feel the artist’s message, and she wants every listener to walk out of the club knowing a bit more about her and feeling good about themselves.

Lastly, I felt like kind of a jackass asking if she’s got plans for future EPs or maybe even an LP in the future. I mean, she just released an EP. But, I need more ok? I’ll be the first to admit that I’m usually only an instrumental jazz guy, but Emmaline has something - it is a fusion of classic and new, of jazz and R&B, of sweet and sassy. So, yeah, maybe I want more tunes to blow through the headphones.

She does have more material, and would love to get out to her fans as soon as possible, but the first EP was a lot of work and she wants to make the right decision with the next set of released music. But, she’s excited to get on the road - she heads to the East coast for a few dates before coming home in time for her gig on the 15th. 

So, while we wait - get off your butt and stream All My Sweetest Dreams already. And then, snag a ticket for the Constellation show. I’ll be there, up front snapping shots and singing along. Say hello, why don’t ya?

-John Barnard