Get To Know EMMMA

Main character syndrome is a phrase that has found its way into the lexicon of pop culture. The idea that you should be secondary to yourself after all, is absurd. The alt-pop artist EMMMA‘s debut EP is a play on the concept, titled ‘Secondary Character’. Named after one of the songs on the tracklist, the artist found that there was a theme emanating in the music and, taking note, realised something prevalent about her own life. “I was feeling secondary in lots of aspects of my life.”

It’s something we’ve all probably become susceptible to at some point, and EMMMA puts it into words for herself and others. It’s also been a cathartic process too for the singer-songwriter. “As I enter this new chapter I will kill the secondary character and be the main driver of my life.” It’s incredibly relevant to listeners today, who may feel the urge to compare their own lives to those they scroll upon.

The EP chronicles both love and friendship, as well as the self-doubt she may have been plagued with in the past. With influences like Carole King and James Taylor, it’s clear to see and hear that lyrics drive her music.

We spoke with EMMMA about the new EP and the creative process of making it below.

What was the first track you wrote and recorded for the EP and where did you find your initial inspiration for the project?

The first song we wrote was Playing it Safe, and it came from the feeling that I felt like I was doing everything in my life with a guard up, and that it was hindering me from reaching my full potential. The inspiration for this group of songs is unlearning the need for everything to be safe.

This is your debut EP. Where do you begin in deciding how to introduce yourself and what to include and tell people?

I wanted to make sure that this EP was really authentic to myself as an artist and person, and I wanted that storytelling to come out in the songs. I think that’s the most important thing an artist can do for themselves!

How long have you been working on this EP? How did you know that it was complete and ready to share with people?

I’ve been working on this EP for about 2 years, and I knew it felt ready when after many rounds of notes on production, mixing and mastering, that everything just felt correct and sat right, and I had no more changes to make.

Secondary character is the EP’s title and the final song on the EP. How do you decide that this track will name the body of work?

I felt like that phrase really struck home with me and felt like an underlying theme in each song I wrote, where I was feeling secondary in lots of aspects of my life. As I enter this new chapter I will kill the secondary character and be the main driver of my life, and not take a back seat anymore.

How did studying at Berklee College of Music help shape you as a songwriter and performer?

I learned a lot about who I was as a person and how I wanted to present myself through the experience of music school. It definitely helped me formulate in my head what made a good song and why, which has helped my songwriting a lot.

You’ve toured in the past as a keyboardist and guitarist, how do you think that has prepared you for being a solo artist?

I’ve always been a solo artist my whole life, I have gone through many different iterations of projects and it has taken me a long time to really discover who I was and what I wanted. Touring with other artists helped me see what I could achieve and helped me see the end goal.

Now that the EP is out, where do you hope it takes you in regards to touring and direction as an artist?

I hope to be touring globally in 2025 and sharing my music across the world!

If you had to choose one track from the EP that right now is your favourite, what would it be?

My favorite track is More than That.

What do you hope listeners take away from listening to the EP?

I hope people who are listening realize that if they’re feeling secondary in their own lives, they’re not alone. I’ve been there and I hope that comes across in these songs. I hope the listeners feel heard and also maybe motivated to get out of their own head and start living life for themselves.