Dorset singer-songwriter Emma Gale is set to release her beautifully crafted self-titled debut album. The Americana record, set for release on Friday 18th March, is both nostalgic and hopeful, with a mixture of upbeat tracks and slowed down ballads.
Emma cut her teeth as a cover singer before falling in love with songwriting. She is a self-proclaimed “accidental indie folk artist”, having released her debut single Let’s See What the Earth Has to Say in April 2020 and watching the video become a viral lockdown hit.
Emma Gale is a lyricist above all else, having woven beautiful storylines throughout her debut album. A truthful, observational style is at the centre of her approach to writing.
Emma first started writing songs for the album nine years ago, she said: “The album started out as quite an eclectic mix of different styles and genres - there were pop, acoustic and rock songs created at different times. As the album progressed, Americana quickly became the focus and worked really well across the material, bringing a nostalgic and soulful sound to the body of work which I hope will really pull on people’s heart strings.”
The album features the single Enjoy Life While You Can, a mellow track carrying the message that we should live life to the fullest and appreciate the small things, and Showbiz, a catchy and upbeat single with a country-infused sound, which will be released on Friday 4th March.
Emma continued: “On the surface Showbiz is about celebrity love, but I think it goes a little deeper than that. It touches on all of our lives in the way that we live them these days - we tend to spend a lot of time on social media, only showing people what we want to show. So ‘she’ in the song could be me, it could be you…we’re all slightly guilty of only showing the highlight reel of our lives.”
The album also features some emotional tracks such as the reflective She’ll Never Be Me and the ballad Meet You At The Bridge. Emma is also accompanied by acclaimed and award-winning songwriter and composer Dan Whitehouse on Love Got the Better of Me, a sweet and upbeat track about falling for someone. Dan is part of a stellar line up of supporting musicians, also lending acoustic guitar, bass, vocals, reed organ, electric guitar and piano across the album, while Ivor Novello Award nominated singer-songwriter Boo Hewerdine features on acoustic guitar, bass, melodica, backing vocals, keyboards and electric guitar.
Elsewhere sees her husband Peter Kirkbride on ukulele, Chris Pepper on bass, keyboards, percussion, guitar, backing vocals, drums and electric guitar, Melvin Duffy on pedal steel, Nik Newark on piano, Tanya Brittain on accordion, Angus Lyon on piano and Robbie Mcintosh on electric guitars and mandolin.
The record - also produced by Boo Hewerdine - was recorded at Chris Pepper’s Saltwell Studio in Cambridgeshire and in Emma Gale’s own home studio. Chris also mixed the record and Emma collaborated with a number of co-writers from the UK and US on some of the tracks.
In 2020 Emma attended accomplished record executive Judy Stakee’s Nashville songwriting retreat and has taken part in songwriting camps with the likes of Grammy-nominated folk singer Mary Gauthier and Berklee College of Music professor Pat Pattison. She has also received mentorship from LA-based songwriting coach Robin Frederick and was selected as a finalist in the Talent is Timeless competition and the Blues & Roots Female Artists Category, and as a semi-finalist in the UK songwriting competition.
She is currently working with songwriters across the UK and US to write pop tracks and songs for TV and film.
Emma Gale’s self-titled debut album will be available to stream and download on all digital platforms and purchase on CD from Friday 18th March 2022. A vinyl release is planned for later in the year.
Website: emmagale.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/emmagalesongs
Twitter: twitter.com/emmagale
Instagram: www.instagram.com/emmgale