EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: It’s The Return Of Emma Blackery And Her Track ‘Cry to Your Mother’

Guess who’s back! That’s right, we’ve got another opportunity to talk to the oh, so talented Emma Blackery!

The last time we talked to Emma Blackery was with Girl in The Box, but we also talked to her prior to that release as well. So, we’re practically best friends at this point. But now, Emma just finished her tour, her most recent release is the addicting ‘Cry To Your Mother,’ and she just teased that ‘Don’t Come Home (Demo)’ will be released July 6th. So, she has a lot of things going on. And well, we got the opportunity to pick her brain some more, and talk about ‘Cry To Your Mother,’ tour memories, Taylor Swift, and what’s next. Check out our exclusive interview below! 

Welcome back Emma! We’re so happy to be able to talk to you again! The last time we got to chat was before your release of Girl In A Box. What has changed from August of last year to now?
So much has happened since last August! I’m over the moon with how much the album has resonated with people – it was something I needed to write and release, and seeing it out in the wild has gone a long way in helping me heal from certain events. Since then, I’ve released two singles (‘What Have You Done For Me Lately?’ and ‘Cry To Your Mother’) and have just finished the first run of headline shows since 2018. It feels great to be back after so long!

‘Cry to Your Mother’ is your most recent release, was the response to the track what you thought it would be?
It’s gone down so well, especially live on tour! It was fun developing a indie/disco track with dance elements, as it is pretty different from my past releases – but the joy of finally being able to play shows again after so long is that you can see exactly how much people vibe with it.

The backtrack at the beginning of the track is giving us a bit of 80’s vibes, what inspiration did you pull for the track?
I didn’t actually start the idea with a specific inspiration in mind. I was developing an idea with another songwriter and as we discussed the direction of the song, I started imagining what an indie-rock track could sound like – over time I began to pull inspiration from the likes of Gossip, but the finished track ended up sounding pretty unique, in my opinion!

Can we be expecting more tracks that sound similar to ‘Cry to Your Mother’ in the future?
At the moment, I’m not sure where I’m heading – for the past few months I’ve been so busy thinking and planning for tour, and that’s taken priority. Now that I’m back home, I’m looking forward to getting back to writing. It’s nice not having a specific plan in mind, as you never know what’s going to come to fruition.

We can’t help but keep ‘Cry to Your Mother’ on repeat, have there been lyrics you’ve written that have gotten stuck in your head?
I love singing the hook ‘Why don’t you go and cry to your mother?’ as vocally I enunciate it in a way I don’t think I’ve ever done on another track – besides that, the entire chorus is so fun to perform. It’s so full of energy and you’ve gotta have a lot of breath saved up!

You tweeted about how you laid awake listening to Taylor Swift’s folklore the moment it had dropped. What album had that same effect on your growing up that made you realize you wanted to make an album? Also, what’s your favorite track from folklore?
I’m not sure, actually – I’ve had a lot of albums stick with me over my lifetime, but for as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a musician with bodies of work – a lot of artists and labels are steering away from full albums, as the way music is consumed is changing all of the time – a song’s relevancy comes and goes faster than ever. I still have a lot of love for the LP, though. It allows you to tell a story that can’t be fully told in one song. Girl In A Box is erratic, and that was on purpose – it’s true to how life was going at the time.

As for folklore… I think ‘mad woman’ is my favorite. It’s horrible what Taylor went through in order to write it, but I’ve had some similar experiences with people in the music industry who mistreat you and then try to gaslight you and others into thinking that you were out of order for your reactions. It’s a beautiful song that really conveys a sense of brewing anger that is bubbling under the surface, ready to come out.

If you could have her jump on any track of yours, which one do you think would fit both of your vibes? And If you could have any artist jump on ‘Cry to Your Mother’ which artist would you pick?
I’m not sure what song of mine could possibly suit Taylor’s style and unique voice – I wrote ‘Take What You Want’ (from Girl In A Box) with a light, 1989-style sound in mind, so perhaps that! As for ‘Cry To Your Mother’ – as Gossip were really the only band I had in mind during the writing process, I’d love to hear what Beth Ditto could do with the song.

You once talked about how powerful TikTok can be for artists, so what has been your favorite TikTok video that was either about one of your tracks or had it playing in the background?
I absolutely adore it when people do ranking videos of their favourite songs of mine – I watch them in regards to other artists, so seeing them made about my songs is so flattering and so interesting to see different peoples’ opinions! There are some songs that people rank really highly that I wouldn’t have in that high regard, for example. It means a lot that people enjoy enough of my music to rank their favourites.

You’re going to be on tour very very soon, what is your favorite thing about touring? Any landmarks or touristy places on your tour bucket list? (Touring ended at the time of the answers)
This tour was so much fun – it’s been my favourite experience of live performances that I’ve ever done. Everything sounded so huge – the way I always wanted my live shows to be. The best part of touring is easily the hour or so on stage where you get to lose your inhibitions and put on a real performance – conveying your music in a physical way whilst seeing and hearing people connect with it and join in. I’m so grateful for live music, and I hope we never come close to losing it the way we did over the past couple of years. As for landmarks or destinations – I’ve always wanted to visit Australia on tour! Hopefully one day I can make it happen.

If you could choose three tracks of yours for new fans to listen to first, which tracks would you choose?
I’m not sure they would give people a good overview of my sound, as my sound develops and changes all the time – I’m a massive believer in artists choosing to follow their hearts over sacrificing their message for the sake of consistency. If I could personally deliver three songs to new listeners, I’d have to choose ‘What Have You Done For Me Lately?’ ‘Shadowplay’ and ‘Crying.’ I think I’m leaning towards those at the moment simply because I’m still fresh off tour, and they were my favourites to perform every night. I have amazing memories attached to those songs that I didn’t have just a couple of weeks ago.

What can we expect from Emma Blackery for the rest of 2022?
Now that I’ve finished this last run of shows, I’m already looking forward to planning some more – I’m not sure when they’ll be, but I’m eager to get back out there. I’m also looking forward to writing new music – I had a lot to say on Girl In A Box, and I’ve come a long way in recovering from past events since then. I think any sound moving forward will reflect that healing. I’m excited to write music that isn’t about the negative experiences I’ve had with people over the past few years. I’m feeling very emotionally and spiritually fulfilled right now.

We think Emma Blackery deserves a little relaxation break, but we’re also excited for new music and new tour news! So, we’ll just sit here and wait for some more news.

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