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Annalise Emerick, “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart”
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Last month, Annalise Emerick and a collection of beloved childhood friends joyfully reunited in Nash...Last month, Annalise Emerick and a collection of beloved childhood friends joyfully reunited in Nashville for food, fellowship and fun, commemorating the occasion with a memorable New Year’s Eve party. Translation: Annalise and some of’er summer camp pals got drunk and shot off fireworks in the middle of October for a music video. That blowout is now documented forever — (which is actually a great idea — filming a party with your friends so you can watch it when you’re 45 and lame and wishing you still said things like, “Me and my girls know how to PAWTY!”) — and the celebration continues with the video premiere of “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart.”
The song was included on the Boston-via-Nashville singer-songwriter’s 2011 EP, Starry Eyed. Co-written with John Flanagan, Emerick cleverly borrows a few bars of the New Year’s Eve classic, “Auld Lang Syne,” in this catchy take on end-of-the-year reflecting. Emerick tells the story behind the song and the resulting music video, explaining, “I wrote the song about the people in your life that will never hurt you. For me, it’s a group of friends that get together every New Year’s Eve, coming from all over the country to celebrate our friendship and love. It’s as corny as it sounds! But I want people to hear this and be inspired to find their people–the ones who will never break their hearts.”
Maybe the story is corny, but the sentiment and the video are not. Emerick made sure of this during the filming process, jokingly admitting, “we put a bunch of people in a house with beer and fireworks and let the rest just happen. Most of it is just candid and organic. I didn’t want it to be too trendy and unrealistic. So many videos are impossible to relate to because they are overly sexy and serious, but for mine I wanted it to just be real. Real people in normal clothes drinking mediocre beer and having good times!”
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Annalise Emerick -- Starry-Eyed
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On her album Starry-Eyed, singer-songwriter Annalise Emerick blends folk music with pop sensibilitie...On her album Starry-Eyed, singer-songwriter Annalise Emerick blends folk music with pop sensibilities as she crafts melodies as pretty as her name. The album follows the story of a young woman who learns to stand her own ground and rely on herself, but without sounding jaded. Emerick opens the album with You Win, a breakup song to her dear Nashville-- the city that became the takeoff point for her career as a singer-songwriter. In the beginning, she admits she was “starry-eyed and full of hope,” but when she gets her heart broken, she knows better than to let others get the best of her.
With its innocent and thoughtful lyricism, Starry-Eyed focuses some of its attention on looking back, like in I Came Around, which analyzes the should-haves of life and love and shows off Emerick’s tough side. But more importantly, the core of the album is about moving forward. Emerick has the soul of a traveller, and she’s not afraid to pick her life up and go when she needs to; She’s a Texan who has settled down in Nashville and Seattle before planting her roots in Boston, at least for the moment.
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Annalise Emerick Debuts video for "This Love Won't Break Your Heart"
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Just in time for your holiday music roundup, Annalise Emerick has unveiled her video for "This Love ...Just in time for your holiday music roundup, Annalise Emerick has unveiled her video for "This Love Won't Break Your Heart," from her seven-track debut EP, Starry Eyed. Directed and produced by Tyler Evans and David Lavender, the video follows Emerick on her way to a party and ends, in true Nashville fashion, with a group of friends surrounding the backyard fire pit.
"This Love Won't Break Your Heart" was co-written with John Flanagan and, fittingly, weaves "Auld Lang Syne" throughout a song about new beginnings.
To stream Starry Eyed or check out some behind the scenes shots from the video, visit Annalise Emerick's official website.
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Daily Discovery: Annalise Emerick, “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart”
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ARTIST: Annalise Emerick
SONG: “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart”
BIRTHDATE: December 11, 1987...ARTIST: Annalise Emerick
SONG: “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart”
BIRTHDATE: December 11, 1987
BIRTHPLACE: Fort Worth, Texas
AMBITIONS: Never have a 9-5 job. Live in London. Build a ranch. Sing a lot. Write songs.
TURN-OFFS: Laziness, WWE, bad manners.
TURN-ONS: Workin’ man hands, ambition, making dinner.
DREAM GIG: Red Rocks.
TV ADDICTIONS: Survivor and Real World/Road Rules Challenges.
CELEBRITY CRUSH: Shia LeBeouf – since the Even Stevens era.
THE WORST JOB I’VE EVER HAD: Lifeguard at an unnamed Nashville YMCA.
5 PEOPLE I’D MOST LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH: Brandi Carlile, Tom Hanks, Dixie Chicks (does that count as 3?), Ellen DeGeneres, and Ron Weasley
WORDS TO LIVE BY: Work hard for something you love and it will never feel like work.
I WROTE THIS SONG: over Skype. I got the idea while driving home from work one night so I went straight to my guitar and figured out the chords to “Auld Lang Syne.” Then everything just started coming out. I called John Flanagan (who lives in LA) and we hashed out the rest over a couple Skype dates.
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A Sneak Peak at “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart”
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“This song was going to be written, I had no control over it”.
This is one of the comments Annali...“This song was going to be written, I had no control over it”.
This is one of the comments Annalise Emerick makes as we discuss her song, “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart”, which is the track featured on her upcoming music video release. Prepping for the video debut, I wanted to chat with Emerick about the artistic decisions regarding the song and video, the process, and what the song means to her.
http://annaliseemerick.com
The video centers around New Year’s, and the song integrates a familiar theme from the holiday. I wondered…is it tough to write a holiday type song? How does one make it accessible to all times of year but also heavy enough for the holiday cheer? My only experience in the field of holiday songwriting was an extra credit assignment in my high school honors chemistry class, and it was pretty much the Periodic Table of Elements set to Carol of the Bells. But you bet I remembered my Polonium and Caesium that holiday season.
Emerick says, “I’m not sure if it was hard to write a holiday song, because its not a Christmas song and Christmas songs seem…” she pauses and goes on about how many holiday songs have the storyteller reminiscing about being somewhere else, or with someone else.
“It didn’t seem like I was writing a holiday song. It seemed like I was writing a song that celebrated this one night of the year where a bunch of my best friends get together and love each other and…have a good time. And so I think I didn’t really think about it that way. I definitely have a hard time playing it when it’s in the summer months…after January first, it’s harder to put it in a set because it’s so specific to New Year’s Eve time. But from right now/October on…the shows I have been playing it at seem to be really well receiving of the song. So it’s kind of hard (…) but I did try and keep it somewhat universal in that it uses “Auld Lang Syne” but it doesn’t overstate that it’s New Year’s Eve. I don’t know, maybe it does, maybe it’s completely New Year’s Eve and no one can hear it any other way and that’s fine. That’s what it’s for. But really it’s just about that one night of the year when everyone gets together. I hope that some group of friends or some other families can relate to it and just realize that people that you spend whatever night of the year it is…those are the people who will never hurt you, never break your heart, that love is pure and that’s what the song is really really about. Celebrating friendships and having a great time together and it happens to be on New Year’s Eve for me so I wrote it about that.”
Who created the concept for the video? How does she feel it captured the mood?
She explains, “I knew I wanted to work with Yeah Yeah Creative. They’re based in Nashville and they’ve done a lot of videos for some of my friends…I went to them and we ran through one other concept that I felt was just a little too big for the song and I [suggested] ‘let’s just tone it down a bit and get really pure’”. She goes on, adding, “I don’t want it to be some big metaphor music video. I want it to be normal people, lots of beer and taking shots and you know, fireworks…things like that that are just normal. I just want it to be really relatable, I don’t want it to look too expensive or too sexy. A lot of videos…you’re like, ‘that would never happen, why is she walking along the beach, nobody does that in the middle of winter’, really unrealistic. So I wanted it to be…as real life as possible. I think, as far as capturing the mood of the video, the video is just spot on. The guys knew what I was talking about when I was explaining the party to them and they just really ran with that. They made it really warm and cozy and I just think it looks exactly how I wanted it.”
At this point I wanted to bring something up that most, if not all, songwriters dream of. It looks like some people have covered the song! How did she find out about these covers? How does it feel?
You can tell Emerick is grateful and thrilled. “Yeah! So I guess some people have been finding my song and covering it. And it’s like-whoa! One of my friends [said} ‘you’re famous’ and I said no, that’s silly…but it’s so…it’s really special.” She smiles. “I feel that, as an artist, and other artists can relate to this…when you find a cover of a song you write, you’re just..it’s like a new place that you see yourself. And it’s really exciting because it means that your music really is getting to the people. It is getting out there, people are finding it.” She adds that it reinforces that all the hard work she had been doing, the mail outs and Facebook and Twitter, has been working. “That’s crazy, I am so happy,” she goes on. “I found that cover of ‘This Love Won’t Break Your Heart’ when I uploaded the music video, unlisted, on Youtube, so we could send it out to press, and that one came up because it had the same title.” She explains that it had only been posted a week before and she watched it right away and wrote back to user, telling them thank you. “I mean, that’s just really special. That’s awesome. I hope that they play it at their New Year’s Eve party and have a great time…that’s all I really want.”
Also…how did the idea for this song come up? Did she intend for it to conjure up a New Year’s Eve story?
“I was working on the album, for Starry Eyed, and I was driving on my way home from work and I just got the idea. I was literally driving up my street to my apartment, so I got the idea…I was like, ‘please don’t forget this Annalise, please don’t forget this’, and I ran into my house, got my guitar, figured out the chords for “Auld Lang Syne”, and just started writing it. And it was just one of those things where it just kinda comes out. I knew, as soon as I got the idea, that this song was going to be my favorite song I’ve ever written, and I knew that it was going to mean the most to me.” She explains wanting the song to honor her friends and memories, and how she called her friend, John Flanagan, who she tends to write with. He lives in Los Angeles. “We got on Skype and I told him the idea”. She also brought in a friend who is a writer and consulted her for key words and ideas for lyrics. She had a few more Skype dates with Flanagan for the song. “This song was going to be written, I had no control over it”. She adds, “It was totally spur of the moment, totally fell in my lap, and that doesn’t always hapen to me”, she recalls, calling it a gift from the universe.
Being on the topic, and this may seem obvious, but why did she include those bars of “Auld Lang Syne”?
“I included the bars of “Auld Lang Syne” because I really wanted it to come back to the fact that it is New Year’s Eve. It’s a new beginning. That special time after Christmas and before the New Year, when everyone’s home…” She also adds that some songwriters incorporate traditional songs into their work for personal impact or memories, such as a friend whose mother used to sing her “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, which was then incorporated into her friend’s song about her mother. Emerick had been thinking about that when the idea came to her in her car. “So, it was kind of a no brainer…it’s a really beautiful and historic song.” She looked deep into the history of the song upon writing it, and was happy to include it in her own work.
And shooting in Nashville…?
“We shot the video in Nashville. I knew I wanted to go back there to do it because I really trusted the Yeah Yeah Creative team and had seen their work before.” Emerick adds that she loves going back to Nashville and tries to keep her presence known there. “It’s an amazing town, it just wasn’t working for me to live there anymore, but I still go back and visit. I felt that was going to be the best option for me. I feel Nashville is really on trend with music videos, music, fashion…everything like that is just really happening.”
What does she hope people can take away from the video?
“I just want people to feel moved and inspired by friendship and love. I know that sounds really silly but I just want people to feel like I do when I have that night of fun and games and friendship and love. I want people to hear that and seek it for themselves and find those people. Find their people that make them really happy. And also drive them crazy maybe, but those are your people. It could be your family or friends from college or whatever it is. I just want them to feel like it’s all going to be okay and you have a fresh start. You have this one sacred night to be together and just make the most of your friendships and take care of the people you love and remind them that once a year…for us it’s a once a year reminder that we have each other. That love will never hurt you.”
Hence the title of the track “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart”?
Directed and produced by Tyler Evans and David Lavender, the video was shot in Nashville, TN and is being pre-released to the press on November 14th, with an exclusive premiere via American Songwriter on November 28th, just in time for the holiday season. (via press release).
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Top 11 Songs of the Year
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The album isn’t dead, as you’ll see when my top albums of the year list rolls around tomorrow. But t...The album isn’t dead, as you’ll see when my top albums of the year list rolls around tomorrow. But these songs stuck out over and above the albums that encompassed them–or not, as #4's album has yet to be released. Viva la album, viva la single.
11. “Advice From People Who Shouldn’t Give It (Don’t Take It)” – Superstar Runner. There’s beatboxing and group vocals in this acoustic tune. Yeah, it’s awesome.
10. “Brother Don’t Wait” – Emily and the Complexes. The raw emotion tugs at my heartstrings.
9. “Kneebone” – The Miami. This call and response tune is profoundly fractured and odd, but I dare you to keep it out of your head.
8. “Virtues, Spices and Liquors” – 4H Royalty. The best lyrical outing of the whole year, backed up with strong melodies and great instrumentation.
7. “Rockingham Cindy” – Jonas Friddle. I could fill this slot with at least a dozen Friddle tunes, but this tune of longing is especially memorable.
6. “See the Conqueror” – Jenny and Tyler. Beauty and power wrapped up into one hymn-esque charge.
5. “Still Analog” – The March Divide. It’s a pop song about pop songs, and it involves clapping and snapping. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!
4. “All Creatures” – ElisaRay. Poignant and pounding in turns, this arrangement choked me up the first time I heard it.
3. “All I Have” – Young Readers. This is one of the most romantic tunes I’ve heard in a long time; it’s right up there with “Above All Men” by J. Tillman.
2. “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart” – Annalise Emerick. A gorgeous, evocative folk tune that perfectly captures the sadness that hope brings and the hope that sadness brings.
1. “When I Write My Master’s Thesis” – John K. Samson. There is no song I spun more this year. You could often find me dancing and singing along with manic glee to this power-pop jewel.
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Music Discovery Podcast 9/20/11
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Annalise Emerick / “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart” from Starry-Eyed (Buy at CD Baby)
This young...Annalise Emerick / “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart” from Starry-Eyed (Buy at CD Baby)
This young Boston singer/songwriter is releasing her debut album this week, and it’s already getting big buzz. It’s made the top 10 on the Singer/Songwriter charts on iTunes it’s first day, and getting attention locally and nationally. Fans of Ingrid Michaelson will feel right at home.
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A GORGEOUS HOLIDAY MUSIC VIDEO: ANNALISE EMERICK'S "THIS LOVE WON'T BREAK YOUR HEART"
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Know what I love in life? Classic holiday music with a modern twist. Like for example, Jack Johnson'...Know what I love in life? Classic holiday music with a modern twist. Like for example, Jack Johnson's version of Rudolph. Know what else I love? Strong women singer-song writers with awesome lyrics and music. Which is why I am thrilled to debut the video "This Love Won't Break Your Heart"(from the debut EP Starry-Eyed) by the up and coming Boston based songbird Annalise Emerick. Seriously, when I watched this video for the first time I found myself fixated on her gorgeous voice, beautiful lyrics, and the video just can't help but make you smile (and okay, tear up a little!). Do yourself a little holiday favor for me: sit back, relax for four minutes and take a peek at this new song, you won't be sorry, I promise!
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FRESH SQUEEZED FRIDAY
We are LOVING this song (and video) right now.
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Annalise Emerick's Starry-Eyed
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In popular music there exist albums which define a generation. Two fine examples: Sgt. Pepper’s Lon...In popular music there exist albums which define a generation. Two fine examples: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles & Thriller by Michael Jackson. Folk music is different. Folk musicians present albums which define moments in the soul: Blue by Joni Mitchell and Tracy Chapman are the first which come to mind. They suspend your life in a moment - the place, the sensations, and the feelings of an instant. When returned to years later, the senses revisit the moment when that music entered the heart and colored it.
So it is with indie-folk artist Annalise Emerick’s debut EP, Starry-Eyed. From the bluegrass infused album opener, “You Win” - a break-up song for the city she left behind - to the clincher, a shockingly fresh take on Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me,” Starry-Eyed captures it’s listeners attention with honest, poetic, freshly melodic anthems to love and loss. True to folk tradition, Annalise blends both originals and covers in her debut record. Stand outs on the record include “Time of Day,” a simple, heartbreaking lament with surprising lift and drive; “Round and Round,” which uses repetition as it’s driving emotional device; and my personal favorite, “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart.”
Starry-Eyed Cover
I’d be remised if I didn’t confess my bias regarding the last. I actually had the great honor of co-writing this cut. One night, mid-Spring, Annalise and I sat down 1000 miles apart and put skype to good use. ”This Love Won’t Break Your Heart,” was the product of that session. Annalise had the idea of using “Old Lang Syne” as the backdrop, which produced an immediate universal familiarity for the song. For that reason, it seems most people most people are drawn to this track on first listen. But to purchase only this song is to do yourself a disservice. The album is a story, and all of the pieces make up the Starry-Eyed experience.
You can read this review as a puff piece, a mere tool to promote my friend. Maybe you even see it as a shameless stab at self promotion. Most will probably get half way through and lose interest because nobody cares about someone they’ve never heard of, but don’t be one of those people. Annalise is an artist worth watching on her way up - live performances, radio play, and commercial placement can be expected from this young start-up. It’s only a matter of time before you’re hearing her everywhere.
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Friday Roundup
And finally, loving this song from Annalise Emerick, perfect for New Years Eve.
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ANNALISE EMERICK NEW VIDEO
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Boston folk songstress Annalise Emerick is thrilled to announce her music video debut with “This Lov...Boston folk songstress Annalise Emerick is thrilled to announce her music video debut with “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart,” which premiered yesterday on American Songwriter. Co-written with John Flanagan as one of the fittingly optimistic tracks on her debut EP Starry-Eyed, the former Nashville-based singer-songwriter engages a few bars from “Auld Lang Syne” in a warm account of the perfect New Year’s Eve, set among longtime friends. The evening progresses wholeheartedly, leading up to a spirit-driven fireworks scene that will surely inspire viewers to begin making their New Year’s plans.
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Starry-Eyed
Annalise Emerick’s new EP is a sweet collection of heartfelt songs. Give it a go :)
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Windsor Mountain Counselor Releases Her First Album on iTunes!
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I have goosebumps listening to Annalise’s album “Starry-Eyed.” It is an impressive collection of son...I have goosebumps listening to Annalise’s album “Starry-Eyed.” It is an impressive collection of songs performed by an incredibly talented singer, songwriter and musician who has graced Windsor Mountain with her talent for the past two summers. Her album was released today and it climbed to #10 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart. I know I speak for the entire Windsor Mountain community when I say I am bursting with happiness for her. We are all so proud of Annalise and are thrilled that the rest of the world will have an opportunity to hear her beautiful voice.
We wish her all the success with her album. If you are interested in hearing “Starry-Eyed,” it is available on iTunes – Annalise on iTunes.
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Young female voices hit the stage at Johnny D’s in Somerville
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Chick Singer Night Boston is partnering with Johnny D’s in Somerville to host a talent showcase of f...Chick Singer Night Boston is partnering with Johnny D’s in Somerville to host a talent showcase of female artists on Saturday, with all proceeds going to fund music and art programs in local schools.
The show features established and emerging talent, including 6-year-old Ava Derderian of Billerica, Miss Ellaneous, Brooke Graves, Ashley Jordan, Jenny’s Tribe, The Great Unknowns, and Annalise Emerick.
The Boston chapter of CSN is directed by Jennifer Truesdale of Arlington and Kristin Bythewood of Billerica, both local musicians and educators.
CSN is a national nonprofit that promotes young female talent, giving them a start in the music industry. The Boston chapter has set itself apart by donating all proceeds from its talent showcases to fund local music and arts programs that have experienced significant budget cuts.
Saturday’s showcase runs from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Doors open at 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door.
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Lovely debut from Annalise Emerick
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I was introduced to Ms. Emerick when the CD Baby Music Disovery Podcast featured "This Love Won't Br...I was introduced to Ms. Emerick when the CD Baby Music Disovery Podcast featured "This Love Won't Break Your Heart." The song immediately captured me and I replayed it three or four times. The simple riff based on "Auld Lang Syne" develops subtly and beautifully to a powerful crescendo of hope and confidence in the comfort of love, both old and new. The lyrics are straight forward, often forced over the rhythmic structure of the song, but this works for Emerick, implying naivete but also heart-wrenching sincerity. It is one of the best songs I've heard this year. After hearing the podcast I immediately purchased the full album, not even waiting to listen to samples of the rest of the songs. Perhaps I should have. The first four songs - half the album, are nice enough but blur together with a certain sameness. I enjoy them while listening to them but have difficulty remembering much about the experience afterward. I came out of those four with a sense of loneliness and longing but little else. I'm aware that each of them told some part of Emerick's life experience but don't ask me what it was. This was not a bad thing, however. The album hits its stride with "A Runner and a Singer." Emerick's penchant for narrative, which I can vaguely recall from the first of the album, shines through with this gem. She breaks away from the tendency to sing about Big Loves and instead recounts a simple, relatively short love affair about two people who really didn't belong together. It is a unversal experience we can all relate to. Her unadorned but perfect guitar playing is a perfect accomanyment and produces a goregous melancholy that creates a powerful resonance in the listener. "Runner and a Singer" is followed by the aforementioned, fantastic "This Love Won't Break Your Heart," which in turn is followed by a low-key, strikingly sincere rendition of "Stand By Me." Once again, Emerick's candid musical style results in a powerful performance that easily compares to any version of the song I've heard before. Obviously I'm already a big fan of Emerick. While the front of the album can't compare to the back, and keep it from a 5 star rating, the overall experience is fantastic. I don't believe the tracks were intended to tell a specific story, but they do produce a narrative of loneliness, loss, and hope. The album should be viewed not as a collection of songs but as an overall experience, and a powerful one at that. Emerick blends lyrics and melody to create sympathetic emotion in the listener that one can't help but identify with. I highly recommend purchasing the entire album and listening to the whole of it straight through.
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Annalise Emerick – Starry-Eyed (CD)
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I Came Around is a song of regret and loss that mirrors well the emotional intensity felt by someone...I Came Around is a song of regret and loss that mirrors well the emotional intensity felt by someone in that situation; I believe a large part of Emerick’s allure comes in being able to capture in song what a great segment of the population has had to go through. Round and Round is the teetering track on this seven-song EP, and the more pensive and quiet approach here creates a much more cozy and intimate feel to the release.
The simultaneous ability of Emerick to further the instrumental and vocal sides of A Runner and A Singer is something that is immediately shocking, and will bring flocks of fans to her side. The light touch of a second set of vocals during this track really adds the cherry on top of the track’s sundae. With minor amounts of adornment working so well for Emerick on this track, it strikes me as surprising that she takes a more storied approach for tracks like I Came Around.
The complexity of the different tracks on Starry-Eyed make for a much more expansive effort than one can typically place onto that type of recording. This Love Won’t Break Your Heart has an incredibly slow burn, and the track’s nearly five minute run time provides ample opportunity for Emerick to build a solid foundation. On this foundation, she touches upon classic tracks (Auld Lang Syne) to properly demarcate the memories that a couple would have. Emerick is able to talk to the human spirit, and that is precisely the reason why I would love to hear what she can do in a live or a full album space; I believe that the resulting constellation of tracks would be considerably different than what is heard here. However, I am confident that the same quality would resound through anything that she releases. Check this disc out today.
Top Tracks: I Came Around, This Love Won’t Break Your Heart
Rating: 8.0/10
Annalise Emerick – Starry-Eyed (CD) / 2011 Self / 7 Tracks / www.facebook.com/AnnaliseEmerick
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ROCKWiRED RADiO PROFiLES PRESENTS: THE HYPNOTiC SOUND OF ANNALiSE EMERiCK AND HER NEW E.P. STARRY-EYED
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DECEMBER 21, 2011 - On “THIS LOVE WON'T BREAK YOUR HEART,” one of the brightly optimistic tracks on ...DECEMBER 21, 2011 - On “THIS LOVE WON'T BREAK YOUR HEART,” one of the brightly optimistic tracks on ANNALISE EMERICK’s highly acclaimed debut EP, STARRY-EYED, the Boston based singer-songwriter engages a few bars from “AULD LANG SYNE” in a tale about spending the perfect New Year’s Eve among longtime friends whose encouragement and support never fails. Since moving to New England in late summer 2011, EMERICK has made countless more never-fail friends and fans thanks to whirlwind slate of live performances and the immediate success of her seven track collection, which debuted on the iTunes singer/songwriter chart at #9 its first day. The collection prompted an outpouring of attention from the national blog scene and a spotlight on CD BABY’s MUSIC DISCOVERY PODCAST, which assured its listeners: “Fans of Ingrid Michaelson will feel right at home". EMERICK’s engaging acoustic driven style and heartfelt, quirky lyrics may find her right at home among fans of EVA CASSIDY, PATTY GRIFFIN and her musical idol BRANDI CARLISLE—whose 2010 concert in Nashville inspired EMERICK to commit to following her truest heart as an artist. But in many ways the singer is a gypsy, a poet of the people always restlessly exploring the notion of “home” musically, emotionally and geographically. She’s claimed many places as musical lovers, growing up in Austin and Seattle and studying music at Belmont University in Nashville, where she later recorded her debut with producer BRAD HILL and top Music City musicians at Hill Studios.
TO LiSTEN TO THE SHOW CLiCK HERE!!!
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C.D. On Songs: Annual Crushmas Pageant
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We have long held New Year’s Eve as the cheesy consolation prize for the post-Christmas world. There...We have long held New Year’s Eve as the cheesy consolation prize for the post-Christmas world. There’s one New Year’s Song, and that’s been done to death, right? Maybe. But Annalise Emerick breathes new life into a classic tune, interpolating it into her own original composition and bringing it someplace absolutely awesome that makes it feel like the electric confetti is falling all around us and it is simply the most glorious moment ever.
The arc of “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart” ramps itself up the hill slowly, starting off as a quiet side conversation at a wholly average-sounding New Year’s party. Annalise Emerick’s vocal timbre is magnificently warm and sonorous, making a case for headphones. You want this sound as close to your face as possible. Even when heard on non-headphones, Emerick’s vocal leans inwards towards you, granting a feel of overall closeness that is fully satisfying and enervating. You can hear “into” her voice – and it is a marvelous place to be.
The track’s finale is a world-wide-open sounding affair, as if the song creates a network of everyone who has ever heard it and everyone who might ever hear it and then plugs the network into their sound mixer, spilling forth an untold number of voices and sounds. The energy in the finale puts this song at “addiction” level and grants new context to the earlier strains upon second, third, and fourth listen. And so forth. You find yourself caring about these characters based upon almost nothing at all – they aren’t even characters, just voices – but they are voices you want to be closer to. You root for them to make it – even though you have no doubt they will.
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CD Review: Annalise Emerick 'Starry-Eyed' Brings Many Smiles
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Americana songstress Annalise Emerick's ever-clear voice and whimsical lyrics charm the listener in ...Americana songstress Annalise Emerick's ever-clear voice and whimsical lyrics charm the listener in 'Starry-Eyed.'
It only takes a few seconds of the acoustic guitar plucking - that finger dance songwriters sweep listeners off their feet with - to know that the song one is about to hear is effervescent. That first song is "This Love Won't Break Your Heart" and it is from Austin, Texas' Annalise Emerick's CD Starry-Eyed. Aptly-named and incredibly entertaining, the first track is just one of the highlights on this comforting collection.
Listener Transformed Into Her Story
Now, back to that acoustic guitar. As the strings crack, Emerick's voice sings as if she is in the room next to the listener - no headphones intercept, no audio distorts. It is just her and the listener is transformed into her story. "This Love Won't Break Your Heart" is about New Year's Day. So high with hopes, so boozed and so loving. Emerick weaves the words to "Auld Lang Syne" into her prose.
As the CD progresses, the tracks continue to creep inside the listener's heart. At times it does feel as if her range is restricted, but at other times the listener feels strapped into this Indie folk/rock carousel. Her voice in "Time of Day" is so beautiful it floats along like the light she sings so poetically about. The listener feels it.
Near Bluegrass
In "You Win" the banjo makes a subtle entrance. The acoustic guitar strikes its presence in this boastful taunt. Emerick's voice speaks with her consistently feathery fount. This song feels like summer. The chorus "dear old music city...you win" trips up the listener and falls into a tight, near bluegrass jaunt.
In "Round and Round" the production value is once again top-notch. The orchestration that Emerick pulls from seems to incorporate bluegrass, folk, Americana and a bit of Indie rock. This is another outstanding track. Emerick's subtle nuances capture the listener.
Overall CD Review is A+
Overall, this CD garners a solid A+ ranking. As a listener - there really is nothing to not like about the seven tracks on Starry-Eyed. The comparisons to Regina Spektor's vocals are eery; but what really makes Emerick different is her warmth. She has this sunny disposition to her - her words are not only heart-felt and honest, the listener truly has empathy. This writer became blindsided by the unusual energy emitting from the lyrics and arrangements.
Emerick's voice is fascinating and enchanting.
Fans of Regina Spektor, Brad Hoshaw & The Seven Deadlies, Rilo Kiley, Kate Nash, Ingrid Michaelson, Malvina Reynolds will want to take a listen to Annalise Emerick's Starry-Eyed.
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ADVENTURE IS ON THE FARM WHERE JUSTIN GREW UP, AND WHERE HE MARRIED ALYSSA
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our belief that “adventure is out there” means that anytime we have the chance to try something new,...our belief that “adventure is out there” means that anytime we have the chance to try something new, we jump at it, even if we don’t really know what we are doing yet. we will be the first and loudest to admit that we are photographers, photographers, photographers. we are not videographers/cinematographers/filmmakers, or whatever you want to call it. but after playing around with making short films for our personal fun, we were asked by justin and alyssa to make one for their wedding. we were also their wedding photographers (photos and more of their wonderful, magical story will post someday in the future), so we told them yes, as long as they understood all of the biggest moments of the day would be prioritized and captured in still photographs. the film would just be the “icing on the cake” to help them remember the nuances of their experience.
so, in true parsons fashion (our boys are a testament to this) we are going to devour the sweet, messy, beautiful icing before the cake.
here it is, the first wedding short film we have ever made: rough, unedited, and from wild, happy hearts who believe adventure is out there!
thank you, alyssa and justin, for the blast of trying something new! we can’t wait to share your wedding photographs with you!
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Annalise Emerick, Starry-Eyed
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Annalise Emerick is a focused & grounded singer/songwriter who puts everything into her music. On t...Annalise Emerick is a focused & grounded singer/songwriter who puts everything into her music. On the debut EP ‘Starry-Eyed’ you will get to witness the real Annalise Emerick firsthand as she lays it all out there. Nothing left to hide, you will hear for yourself that Emerick is not shy when it comes to her songs.
There are seven tracks on this disc and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed listening to every single song. Annalise pours her heart & soul into this project as you can truly sense this. The style is in the Folk/Pop realm with Emerick playing up to both elements perfectly. This ‘Starry-Eyed’ musician honestly is a true singer/songwriter & artist because she conveys so much realness and feeling toward the audience. What you hear is what you get from Annalise Emerick with no exceptions to the rule.
I have to say that Emerick displays such a fine tone to her voice. Her singing is a perfect fit for this type of music that is both mellow & moving. The acoustic element seems to be a strong part of who Annalise is as a performer as I just could not get enough myself. Lyrically, you will hear some very inspirational and even poetic verses at times that will make you stop and think.
One song you may have heard of called “Stand By Me” performed by Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller is covered brilliantly by Annalise. Emerick stays true to the original while putting her own spin on the classic and I have to say that I was blown away. I would like to think that Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller themselves would be extremely proud of Annalise Emerick’s version here. Tasteful, classy and touching; Annalise nails it all here!
After it is all played & heard I have to say that Annalise Emerick really seems to have that human touch when it comes to music making. She is ONE with her audience and she wants the audience to be ONE with her ALWAYS. Emerick says it best here: “It’s all there, an open book. I want people to feel connected to me and my songs—everything I sang on ‘Starry-Eyed’ is true, pure feeling and emotion.” I would highly recommend Annalise Emerick and her latest effort ‘Starry-Eyed’ to anyone out there.
By Jimmy Rae (jrae@skopemag.com)
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ANNALISE EMERICK - STARRY EYED
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Annalise Emerick has had an emotional journey before the release of her debut EP, Starry Eyed. The ...Annalise Emerick has had an emotional journey before the release of her debut EP, Starry Eyed. The seven-song EP paints a beautiful picture of a young woman taking risks, moving forward, and making change. Though the album may be considered pop, there is a huge folk and rock influence that drives the EP.
Originally Emerick had plans to launch her music career in Nashville. In “You Win”, Emerick tells listeners about her emotional departure from Tennessee and hopeful move to Boston to get a brand new start. Being about Nashville, the banjos add a nice touch. Emerick is originally from Texas and has lived in several cities. You can hear the different influences from each music scene.
“Time of Day” is a beautiful yet heartbreaking ballad. Emerick sweetly sings, “Our love is like the light/ Creeps in slowly then fades fast away”. A highlight track off the EP is “I Came Around”, where Emerick incorporates her rock influence. The song is upbeat and possibly my favorite off the album. “Round and Round” and “a Runner and a Singer” takes a look into the end of a relationship. Emerick is moving on and that is how “our story goes”.
If you are still in New Years mode, “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart” is a perfect track to celebrate a new start. She uses lines from “Auld Lang Syne” and tells the story of spending New Year’s Eve with close friends. Closing off the EP is an acoustic cover of “Stand By Me”. Her rendition is beautiful and may be one of the better versions I have heard in awhile.
It is hard not to love this EP. Thank you Annalise Emerick for letting us in on the soundtrack of your life. Starry Eyed is just the beginning of a wonderful journey, and I am glad we were all invited to see it.
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Annalise Emerick
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“Quirky, folky singer/songwriter” Annalise Emerick truly lives up the reputation of a musical gypsy ...“Quirky, folky singer/songwriter” Annalise Emerick truly lives up the reputation of a musical gypsy – raised in Seattle and music capitol Austin, Texas, she moved on to college at another city esteemed for its song writing roots: Nashville, Tennessee. And just this past September, Emerick established herself here on the east coast, moving to Boston “with an acoustic guitar and a cache of catchy melodies” to instantly tackle the coffee house/indie scene in the heart of Massachusetts. She’s been sharing the word found on her debut EP, “Starry-Eyed”, and people have been listening; the collection hit #9 on the iTunes singer/songwriter chart the day of its release, September 20th of last year. Annalise says “’Starry-Eyed’ is my first official project.
It is what I've been wanting to release since I was 5 years old. The 7 songs on ‘Starry-Eyed’ each tell a different story of my life and give a glimpse into my personal life. Every song we (my producer and I) picked for ‘Starry-Eyed’ was chosen for a reason and we put every effort to make each song a perfect reflection of what I was trying to say when I wrote it.” If you’re in the Boston-Cambridge area, keep an eye out for this folk artist (and judging by her past, it’s just a matter of time until she’s live in a city near you, no matter where you reside). There’s much more to learn, so keep reading for all the answers to the XXQ’s.
XXQs: Annalise Emerick
PensEyeView.com (PEV): How would you describe your sound?
Annalise Emerick (AE): quirky, folky singer/songwriter
PEV: Calling New England home, what kind of music were you into growing up?
AE: I was actually raised in Seattle and Austin, went to college in Nashville and moved to Boston in September. Growing up I fell in love with the Dixie Chicks, Trisha Yearwood, Alanis Morisette, and Dustry Springfield. I saw how these awesome women could make in the music industry and knew I could never do anything else. I really thought I was going to be the next Martina McBride, haha! But after a few months at college that dream quicky reinvented itself.
PEV: What can fans expect from a live Annalise Emerick performance?
AE: A sincere, heartfelt performance. I try to never leave anything off the table when I do a live show. I want each song to touch every single person in the audience.
PEV: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you step on stage to perform?
AE: I hope my guitar is in tune!
PEV: Any preshow rituals before you take the stage or do you just wing it?
AE: I always make sure to rehearse and plan out a set list but the best part about performing live is not knowing what's going to happen. It's really cool to throw a set list out the window after seeing your crowd and making stuff up based on the vibe of the room.
PEV: What was the underlining inspiration for your music? Where do get your best ideas for songs?
AE: stories of life. heartbreak. summer love. friendship. all the usual ideas. I usually get my best ideas when I'm least expecting them, driving, at the grocery store, at work.
PEV: Tell us about your latest work- “Starry-Eyed” what can fans expect from this work?
AE: Starry-Eyed is my first official project. It is what I've been wanting to release since I was 5 years old. The 7 songs on Starry-Eyed each tell a different story of my life and give a glimpse into my personal life. Every song we (my producer and I) picked for Starry-Eyed was chosen for a reason and we put every effort to make each song a perfect reflection of what I was trying to say when I wrote it.
PEV: Do you ever find yourself getting writer’s block and if so, how do you get over that?
AE: Absolutely. Writers block is a real thing and happens to me all the time. Even if I can't write my own songs I try to always keep playing other peoples songs and stay inspired that way. Also I keep a list of songs that I want to write, ideas, topics etc. I'm a firm believer that you cannot rush the song and the worst thing you can do is try to force it out. I always let the songs speak to me and if I'm not feeling it then I walk away until if feels right. Otherwise, you end up resenting the idea and the song.
PEV: What’s one thing we’d be surprised to hear about Annalise Emerick?
AE: I LOVE mustard. On anything.
PEV: How is life on the road for you in the music world? Best and worst parts?
AE: I haven't really been "on the road" yet. Besides a bus trip to NYC for a show and driving up to Burlington, VT for a show.
PEV: Is there one area you wish you could travel around and play that you have not yet?
AE: The whole US! East coast/west cast would be awesome
PEV: Is there an up and coming band or artist you think we should all be looking out for now?
AE: My friend, Daniella Mason is going to be huge, mark my words. And I LOVE Madi Diaz, she's pretty big in Nashville.
PEV: If you weren’t playing music now what do you think you would be doing as your career?
AE: Ummmm.......
PEV: So, what is next for Annalise Emerick?
AE: a summer tour! (I hope) but I'll be playing New England for the next few months, building my fan base and hopefully planning a tour.
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C.D. On Songs Special Edition: All You Need is Love (Songs). 2012
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>>Annalise Emerick – “A Runner and a Singer”
There are a lot of love songs that are simple expres...>>Annalise Emerick – “A Runner and a Singer”
There are a lot of love songs that are simple expressions of I love you/him/her and other variations on that theme. Heck, Axl even used to love her before he had to kill her. Thankfully – for many reasons – Axl never fell in love with Annalise Emerick. You, however, might.
Emerick levels up past the classic “I love you” song and instead tells us a story of love, from the outside. Emerick seems like the detached storyteller, except it seems that she knows a few too many details of this particular story, and one of the protagonists is a singer. It’s kind of like when Stephen King has an author as a character and you’re all “I know it’s you, Stevie,” you’ll be all “OK, Annalise is a female in Boston singing about a female singer from Boston.” The guy in the story is a runner, which is a keen bit of foreshadowing. Emerick’s story is a poignant one of a dissolving romance, rendered all the more intimate by her apparent familiarity with the subject.
Emerick’s vocal tone is superb – you want to listen to her on a variety of levels. One the most base level, her vocal timbre is so pleasing, you’d listen to her sing about anything – love, calamity physics, ice-fishing – it doesn’t matter. The story that Emerick winds is rich and detailed, leaving you leaning forward in your seat to find out what happens next, even if you’re not one for romance films, this is like one of those romance films that makes you think that even if you’re not the type that usually digs them, you dig this. And you will.
NOTE: Zooey Deschanel will play Annalise Emerick in the film based upon this song. She will make this face a lot.
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EP REVIEW: Annalise Emerick - Starry Eyed
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New England based singer-songwriter Annalise Emerick releases her debut EP 7 song entitled Starry Ey...New England based singer-songwriter Annalise Emerick releases her debut EP 7 song entitled Starry Eyed. Released in 2011. Starry-Eyed is available via iTunes, Amazon.com and CD Baby.
The CD gently takes flight with “You Win” a smooth intro groove that serves up inviting vocal groove against impressive Americana fretwork, inviting banjo, smooth as silk rhythm section and mesmerizing vocal delivery from Emerick. Track 2 “Time of Day” presents a slow moving follow-up that serves up a methodical musical build with a passionate melody with heartfelt vocal delivery from Emerick that flows and ebbs its way through to emotional fruition. Track 3 “I Came Around” delivers an upbeat melody with impressive guitar ambience, thought provoking lyrical content and hypnotic vocals. The production quality is impressive and the musicianship of everyone involved is clearly above the bar. Along the way you will notice an array of instrumentation with things like Banjo, Piano, Percussive Accents, mesmerizing guitar chops, well placed vocal harmonies - all built upon a solid rhythm section foundation. Song for song the combination of Emerick’s voice and earthy fretwork is simply masterful. Now turning our attention over to Emerick as for her vocal abilities - she is quite impressive. Her vocal style is cut from the cloth of Sara McLaughlin, Suzanne Vega and even Alannah Myles. It definitely works well within the confines of this catalogue. Emerick’s impressive vibrato, falsetto and overall vocal passion clearly showcases a strong and confident vocal ability. I especially like how her voice just sort of flows and ebbs melodically with the music. This is an amazing quality that not many artists can execute flawlessly. This X-Factor quality clearly makes Emerick a marquee talent. No doubt she has solid musical instincts behind the microphone. This EP from Emerick delivers 7 compelling tracks all providing an interesting snapshot of an amazing artist with thought provoking lyrical wisdom with messages that are positive, passionate and captivating. From striking “Round and Round” to uplifting “Runner and a Singer” to passionate This Love Wont Be” his EP has something for just about everyone. The EP ends with track 7 “Stand by Me” the perfect wrap for a catalogue like this
It’s hard to find serious weakness with this production. I would offer up 2 items that would improve it slightly. Americana musical production such as this need more instrumentation to fill the earthy atmosphere. Instruments like fiddles, harmonica, Pedal Steel, Mandolin, Flute, Hammond Organ and Cello would bring even more musical variety to the table and take the edge of the repetiveness. All songs over 4 minutes tend to drag you to the finish line.
I like everything about Annalise Emerick. She's truly an infectious artist that possess a Gold Standard - look, sound, appeal, talent and vocal presence. From start to finish Starry Eyed” is an impressive musical teaser. The music is warm and earthy, highly passionate, uplifting and very passionate. The pin drop moments are amazing, and her falsetto is to die for. The songwriting is an interesting snapshot of music from a clairvoyant artist that has quite a lot to offer. All songs are consistent musical experiences, each one possessing a unique personality, flair and signature groove. Note for note, song for song this catalogue is extremely consistent and fills the space with what I would describe as peaceful earthy exuberance. I look forward to hearing her Full Length release soon, hopefully this Summer.
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Folk From Some Local Folks: Music Pile
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Folk From Some Local Folks: Music Pile
February 23, 2012 by laparadiddle
If you are not sick o...Folk From Some Local Folks: Music Pile
February 23, 2012 by laparadiddle
If you are not sick of my puns yet, I applaud you. But I sincerely hope you appreciate them! In addition, if you are enjoying these posts or whatnot, please ‘like’ the page on Facebook for more artist tidbits, and follow on Twitter!
So, to the point: Annalise Emerick and Eva Walsh.
Last time I posted a ‘Music Pile’ as just a passing thought, to mix in a few artists into one post. It seemed pretty well received, though, so I thought I’d do it again!
I’ve been going back to folk music this week and there are two local artists I’d like to highlight.
First-just a quick hello to My Politic. They’ve introduced me to more music that I love and are really great to see live. I think it’s wonderful when bands can introduce you to other musicians through cover songs…but as a band themselves, My Politic is a very honest and down to earth group to see perform, chat with…you get the idea!
Eva Walsh
Since following My Politic, I have been following Eva Walsh, who sometimes performs with them.
From her site:
“Eva Walsh is a 23 year old classical violinist turned singer/songwriter, fiddler and multi-instrumentalist based in Boston, MA. As the daughter of two public school music teachers in Minnesota, she started violin lessons at the age of 5. Over the years, Eva developed into a competitive classical violinist, but while studying violin performance at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, she strayed from her classical roots and began to explore folk, americana, jazz, indie & pop music through songwriting and performance in “Music City”
…To this date, she’s recorded two full-length homemade albums, has a 3-song studio EP and is in the process of recording her first in-studio album, release TBD. In less than a year in the Boston music scene, Eva has become a fiddler and vocalist in demand and performs frequently with bands and solo artists in addition to her own solo material…”
Credit: Leah Feeney/ leahfeeney.com
Despite the fact that she has been conquering the folk scene-Midwest Fiddle Championship, Chicago Folk and Roots Festival main stage, to name a few-she is incredibly versatile. Check out her cover of Lelia Broussard’s “Hipster B*tch“.
And something else to just blow you away to the next galaxy: Going Home (Dvorak-New World Symphony, fiddle and voice arr. Eva Walsh)
Well. Yikes, where did I put my box of tissues?
Ahem. I just had some really spicy soup. Or that piece just made me really ferklempt. You decide.
Eva is currently recording an album. You can donate on her site!
Annalise Emerick
I stopped by Think Tank Bistro in Cambridge on Tuesday after work. My sister was performing, along with an artist that was new to me, Annalise Emerick!
Hailing from Austin, Texas, and having been performing in Nashville, Tennessee, Annalise arrived in Boston and has been performing constantly.
Catching her at Think Tank, she had a very serene and warm presence, and was very friendly and approachable after the show. As you may have noticed, I find it very important when a performer is also a gracious audience member and cheerful peer at venues. I’ve seen some performers let the show get to their head, and it’s just simply nice when you meet performers who captivate an audience and share the audience at once, if you know what I mean.
After speaking to Annalise about her familiarity with country and folk music, hearing her speak to others about her musical background-she attended Belmont University in Tennessee-I looked her up when I got home.
I recommend checking out her album, Starry-Eyed. I especially enjoyed the very anthem-like ‘This Love Won’t Break Your Heart’ and the bright and sharp ‘You Win’.
Credit: Kailey Seymour
You can catch Annalise Emerick next at The Funky Monkey Cafe and Gallery this Saturday, Feb 25, at 7 PM. For more shows check out her Facebook and Sonicbids!
Thank you all for reading! I am constantly reminded of how important it is to help other musicians and to listen to new artists and their ideas. We are lucky to express ideas-whether it be social issues, loved ones, or comedy-through art. To reference something I read today, “Earth without art is eh”.
I also read a quote from Katy Perry today referencing the fact that even ‘fart’ has ‘art’ in it. She is right, but let’s not contemplate that too much.
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Exclusive Interview With “Gypsy Poet” Folk Artist Annalise Emerick
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Popular independent folk artist Annalise Emerick has been gaining many new fans across the globe tha...Popular independent folk artist Annalise Emerick has been gaining many new fans across the globe thanks to her beautiful voice and engaging lyrics. She stopped by to share her thoughts on her music, her love of travel, life as an indie artist, and the current music industry.
Welcome to Independent Music Promotions, Annalise. You’ve been described as a gypsy, and you have in fact travelled to follow your intuition and your dreams. Please talk about this a little. Does being on the move speak to your soul and keep the inspiration fresh?
Moving to Boston was the best thing I could’ve done for myself. I really did love Nashville and it is an amazing music town but I needed to find my own path. I realized a few months after the move and Starry-Eyed came out that it could have been any city, Seattle, Portland, Denver etc but I chose Boston and I was going to make it work for me. I needed a fresh start and a smaller pond. I have the contacts in Nashville but I knew that releasing an EP in Nashville is just like going to the grocery store, everybody does it. Boston has a great music scene, less of the industry but still lots going on. And if you want to travel and hit a lot of different cities in towns, it’s not a 10 hour drive, unlike Nashville.
I love to travel and most of the songs I write have a theme of moving on, traveling, seeing the world, even if it’s a love song. I grew up in Fort Worth, Seattle and Austin and when I got into Belmont University in Nashville, TN, I couldn’t wait to leave home and make my own adventure. This trend in my life of moving and traveling (I’ve been to France, Japan, Australia, Papua New Guinea and road tripped over a lot of the US) has made me a restless person and I love the idea of packing up my car and finding a new place to go. I won’t be doing that forever but for now, it works for me.
Your debut EP has definitely found some success in a variety of places, and it’s no wonder. You have a unique and beautiful voice. Are you currently touring for the release or planning new material?
Thank You! I have been doing a lot of shows since the release in September and I’m booking for summer dates right now. The goal is to do a mini tour for a few weeks at the end of July/beginning of August through the North and South East.
It’s definitely a challenge to keep the creative world alive inside of you when a lot of the time you feel like all you do is send emails. But I do play and write all the time and I’m already thinking about my next project.
What has worked the best for you as far as promotion goes.
Word of mouth! It is the most powerful source of promotion and spreading information. There are only so many tweets and facebooking you can do. If someone is really into your music, they are going to tell all their friends about you and hopefully they will like you too and be excited about telling their friends.
Tell us about the biggest influences and inspirations that inspired you to play music.
Well this is kind of a funny thing for me. Up until I was about 18th years old I wanted to be the next big country singer. I’m talking like, Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood etc. The Dixie Chicks were a huge influence on me when I was a teenager, I wanted to be just like them.
But after a few months at Belmont University (Nashville, TN) I had to kind of, re-asses my goals. I started playing guitar more and writing my first original songs. I found artists like, Brandi Carlile and back then, artists like Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson were just getting big. All of a sudden was a big deal to be a female, singer/songwriter in the commercial (pop) market and people loved it. I had always loved Shawn Colvin, Dar Williams, Sara Hickman but now so did everybody else. Does that make any sense?
But if I had to give a list of my greatest influences and inspirations it would definitely go like this….
Indigo Girls (I spent my elementary school years in Seattle and they were huge there)
Patty Griffin (she lived in Austin, where I spent my middle and high school years, I saw her live in 8th grade and never looked back)
Dixie Chicks (Natalie Maines is still my favorite female voice ever)
Brandi Carlile (her albums inspired my first songs)
Adele
Ben Folds
Carole King
Dusty Springfield
Eva Cassidy
Feist
Lori McKenna
Who in the current music scene do you most admire most and why?
Oh my gosh, this so hard! Let’s see… I love all the Nashville singer songwriters. Madi Diaz, Katei Herzig, Amy Stroup, Marie Hines, Holley Maher, Sarah Siskind, Kate York. They are really doing what I hope to be doing in a year or so. No day jobs just writing music and making a living from sync deals and touring the US/UK and Australia.
I also love Arcade Fire. I remember when they won their Grammy last year. I was at a viewing party at a friends house and when they announced the winner for album of the year I totally freaked out. I was so happy that a band with a bunch of real musicians and songwriters, family style, great melodies and lyrics, just a motley crew of people, won album of the year. I mean really, can I get a hell yeah?
Going back to Madi Diaz. She is one of my absolute favorite current artists. She started in Boston at Berklee then moved to Nashville, did really well for herself there with the singer/songwriter crew and recently moved to LA to get involved with the big time. I don’t know of another current artist that can write, sing and perform like she does. Check Madi Diaz out!
How do you feel about the music industry and the issue of music downloading/file sharing? It’s either an issue or a great thing depending on who you ask.
We all have to face the fact that the coming generations will not expect to have to pay for music. We’re going to have to start (most people already have) getting creative and finding new ways to make money off of releases. Touring will always make money but I don’t know how much longer iTunes will be around. Am I really saying that?? Woah!
My philosophy, or what I try to remind myself of is, if people want your music, they will buy it. If they don’t want to buy it, they will download it illegally. If they really like you they will come to a show in their town and buy some merch and a CD. That is all you can ask. If people like your music they will support you. I’m such a huge music fan and I love seeing my favorite artists live. I make a point to find out when they are playing and buy a ticket. Not everybody does this anymore but those who do are the ones that are worth your time and the ones who will support you through your journey.
Do you have any advice for aspiring independent musicians who may feel disillusioned or discouraged at times?
The most important thing I’ve learned since Starry-Eyed came out and I set out on this crazy adventure of being an independent musician is that it is a high and low lifestyle. One day you’re playing a show to a full house, make some actual money, collect a ton of emails and the next day you play to an empty bar and walk about with less money you had when you walked in because the bartender made you pay for the single beer you ordered. It’s insane!
Once I realized this is the way it was going to be, I felt so much better. I take each day as it comes and try not to get ahead of myself. It’s important to realize that this is a very, very long road. Nothing happens overnight anymore and if you really want to succeed you have to keep your head on straight and your heart in the right place. Pace yourself. Work hard.
Are there any new places that are calling you to travel to or possibly live in the future?
I really would love to get back to the west coast. Seattle/Portland area. I also want to play the UK soon. Folk musicians do really well over there.
What else do you plan to get up to in 2012?
Writing many songs. Visiting Colorado and doing some shows out west. Late July/Early August North/South east tour!
How can music fans keep tabs on Annalise Emerick?
Twitter: AnnaliseCE
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AnnaliseEmerick
Tumblr: http://annaliseemerick.tumblr.com/
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Annalise Emerick – Starry-Eyed
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Popular music of today lacks an ability to bridge the gap between generations. At some point, you’v...Popular music of today lacks an ability to bridge the gap between generations. At some point, you’ve heard a grandparent or parent telling their kids, “I just don’t get that music you’re listening to. The music back in my day was much better.” If your parents catch you listening to Annalise Emerick, chances are, you won’t get that reaction. That’s probably because Annalise has a rare gift of appealing to all generations. Older fans will compare her to a young Joni Mitchell or Carole King, while younger fans of Regina Spektor or Ingrid Michaelson will take a liking to her music. This appeal may be one of the reasons why Emerick’s album, Starry-Eyed was number nine on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart on the day of its release.
When listening to the first track off Starry-Eyed, you get the feeling Emerick is singing to an old lover, although once she takes you into the chorus, you realize that’s not the story she’s portraying.
“Well maybe I was starry-eyed and full of hope
But that is what you promised me when I first hung up my coat
So there’s one more thing before I go,
Don’t you ever try to break my heart again
Dear old Music City, you win.”
“You Win” is written as a goodbye letter from Annalise to the city of Nashville. Like many musicians, she moved to Nashville with dreams of being discovered, but like so many before her, she didn’t experience the success she hoped for. It’s easy to fall in love with the Music City and it’s possibilities, but she had to move on to try and find that success elsewhere. To help express her relationship with Nashville, she incorporates a classic country sound by using a banjo as the main character in this story.
If “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart” was a story, its setting would take place at a New Year’s Eve party, moments before midnight. The music sends a message to the listener that this is a story of romance. In the seconds before the clock strikes twelve and everyone is ready for change, these two lovers are making a promise to each other.
“Should old acquaintance be forgot,
I’ll love you till the day I die
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
will you kiss me in the morning light?”
Emerick puts her own twist to the traditional New Year’s Eve song, “Auld Lang Syne” by incorporating some of the music and lyrics into her own song in order to help with the story’s setting. The highlight of this song is when a choir joins in the chorus alongside Annalise and the male vocalist. Like a New Year’s Eve party at midnight, this seems to be the climax of the song with the choir and percussion bringing a powerful presence to the story.
Other highlights of Starry-Eyed are “a Runner and a Singer” and Annalise’s cover of the Ben E. King classic, “Stand By Me.” “a Runner and a Singer” is a folk song with Emerick channeling her inner Joni Mitchell while “Stand By Me” is a beautiful rendition of the original. Sometimes it’s hard to listen to someone cover such a classic song, but Ben E. King would be proud of Emerick’s representation.
While music arrangements are very essential in every song, Annalise Emerick’s ability to express her feelings and tell a story through her lyrics and voice are what will attract people to listen and stick around for the long haul. Hopefully music lovers of all ages will take the time to appreciate this gift, and support her in following her dreams wherever they may take her.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars!
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Cover Lay Down
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We don’t often get a chance to come back to our New Artists, Old Songs posts through featured artist...We don’t often get a chance to come back to our New Artists, Old Songs posts through featured artist coverage. But among the sweet, rich, soundtrack-ready original folkpop tracks on Starry Eyed, a 7-song EP from previously unheard-of Boston-by-Nashville songwriter Annalise Emerick which has caused me so much joy in my morning commute the past month, is a solid, folk-rockin’ cover of I Came Around that calls back to the vibrancy we felt in our 2008 post introducing songwriter Amie Miriello. There’s shades of Rosie Thomas here, too, and Ingrid Michaelson, and Regina Spektor, and the boston indiefolker crowd – all good stuff – and so, as bonus and balance, we also add a track from way at the other end of Emerick’s stunning sense of breadth and mastery: a quiet, surprising coda that earns our utmost respect for breathing new life into Ben E. King’s Stand By Me, an oft-sung tune that had previously struck us as too saccharine to cover with any depth. Thank Annalise for proving us wrong by snagging the whole EP in download or hard copy.
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Record Review- Annalise Emerick
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“Sincere, heartfelt lyrics layered upon intricate arrangements”
Annalise Emerick’s debut EP, Star...“Sincere, heartfelt lyrics layered upon intricate arrangements”
Annalise Emerick’s debut EP, Starry-Eyed, is one that is reminiscent of other singer/songwriters such as Ingrid Michaelson and Brandi Carlile. Starry-Eyed has been the center of conversation on many blog sites and caught the attention of listeners around the country.
Each song on the EP has its own unique sound, ranging from upbeat rhythms to calming melodies. Emerick’s opening track, “You Win,” begins with an upbeat banjo-picking style accompanied by acoustic strumming, resulting in a catchy opening track.
Although the catchy tracks are a fun listen, the slower ballads are the standout numbers that showcase Emerick’s vocal abilities and creativity. “Round and Round” and “Time of Day” prove that sometimes less is more, as Emerick’s strong vocals accompany an array of string pieces. “Time of Day” is a beautiful track that opens with a simple bass line and acoustic guitar. The song builds slowly and reaches its climax while strings and strong backing vocals catapult the music into an entirely different realm of excellence.
Emerick’s music is relatable and undeniably good. She has been called a musical gypsy, as she seems to travel from city to city performing her songs. After listening to this EP, it is evident that she will gain a strong fan base wherever her travels takes her.
Produced by Brad Hill
Mastered by John Baldwin
Recorded at Hill Studios
www.annaliseemerick.com
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SUMMER PREVIEW: NORTH BY NORTHEAST (NXNE)
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MUSIC. FILM. INTERACTIVE. Sounds a bit like South By Southwest, doesn’t it? That’s because SXSW was ...MUSIC. FILM. INTERACTIVE. Sounds a bit like South By Southwest, doesn’t it? That’s because SXSW was the original template for Toronto’s NXNE, and the Texan juggernaut proved to be a great role model for its little sibling, that’s since grown into a veritable music force each June. Headliners include The Flaming Lips, Raekown & Ghostface Killah, Bad Religion, and Matthew Good, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as names and genres are concerned. Hundreds of bands are crossing the Canadian border to fill the showcase lineups, and Animal Talk, Annalise Emerick, and Ariel Rubin will do Boston proud as our official reps in the NXNE Class of 2012. [Reporting Live: NXNE 2011 | @nxnefest | nxne.com]
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Annalise Emerick, Starry-Eyed- CD Review
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Folk-like singer/songwriter, Annalise Emerick has a fresh sound and vocals that aren’t cookie-cutter...Folk-like singer/songwriter, Annalise Emerick has a fresh sound and vocals that aren’t cookie-cutter like many of the laid-back sounds of folk-pop.
Her music is dreamy and sleepy at times, lulling you into a beautifully relaxed state. Later it is energetic and makes you want to move some. Like the difference between song 2, ‘Time of Day,’ and song 3, ‘I Came Around.’
Like all folk, Annalise’s music tells a story, within each song. Powerful. Songs that will reach into your heart and soul.
Enjoy!
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Those low-down Worcester blues ….
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“The Runner and the Singer,” by Annalise Emerick: Blues purists may be inclined to call this song mo...“The Runner and the Singer,” by Annalise Emerick: Blues purists may be inclined to call this song more folk than blues, but you know what? It's such a sad, wistful portrait of a relationship disintegrating that it's earned its glass of whiskey to chase the blues away. Want to hear more? Emerick will perform June 1 at The Vanilla Bean Café in Pomfret, Conn.
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MyRuralRadio.com Featured Artist (December)
Annalise Emerick , MyRuralRadio.com Featured Artist December 2012
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Annalise Emerick - This Love Won't Break Your Heart
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Feels like: The Lumineers, The Head and the Heart, Monsters Calling Home, Pepper Rabbit
I know th...Feels like: The Lumineers, The Head and the Heart, Monsters Calling Home, Pepper Rabbit
I know this song is quite a bit ladylike, but gosh it has been stuck in my head for a couple weeks now, and the video is absolutely perfect for this time of year. Check it out
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THE DAILY KRAPHT – ANNALISE EMERICK – “THIS LOVE WON’T BREAK YOUR HEART”
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Bring in the New Year with this play on “Auld Lang Syne.” Emerick has a beautiful love song in “This...Bring in the New Year with this play on “Auld Lang Syne.” Emerick has a beautiful love song in “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart” that comes to a crescendo as the ball drops at midnight. With vocals reminiscent of Sarah McLachlan, heartfelt lyrics a male backing vocal and a mixture of instrumentation, this is the type of song that helps you fall into your lover’s arms…or in a big beer-fueled sing-a-long.
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AMBASSADOR OF SUNSHINE :: ANNALISE EMERICK
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Happy New Year’s Eve, dear Bright Siders! We are so excited to introduce you to our Honorary New Yea...Happy New Year’s Eve, dear Bright Siders! We are so excited to introduce you to our Honorary New Year’s Ambassador of Sunshine: Annalise Emerick. Annalise is an absolute force when it comes to living your dream and “Do what you love, love what you do.” Today’s Ambassador brings a soundtrack with her as well! But, first, let’s meet her…
1. Please introduce yourself to our readers and explain a little bit about who you are and what you do.
Hey I’m Annalise Emerick, a singer/songwriter currently based in Boston. I’m originally from Austin, Texas by way of Seattle, went to college in Nashville and after 5 years I moved up here to explore the New England music world. By day I’m a nanny/waitress (depending on the day) and by night I’m a songwriter/performer. I also do all my own booking, management, publicity and everything else that comes with being an independent musician in today’s world.
2. We believe that one of the ways to achieve happiness is to “Do what you love, love what you do.” How does this philosophy apply to your life?
It’s funny you ask that because a couple nights ago I was heading home from work and I had this moment when I said to myself “oh my gosh I am so happy right now.” I feel like in the past year since my EP, Starry-Eyed, came out I have spent thousands of hours plugging, promoting, booking, while working full work weeks to pay my bills with other jobs, but at the end of the day, I’m making my dream come true. With the release of my music video last week a lot of people have come out and told me how proud they are and how the hard work is paying off and I’m finally realizing this myself. I love writing songs but in today’s music industry you can’t just write songs and expect anything to happen. There is a massive business side that you also have to take care of until someone comes along and offers their professional help. Until then, you’re on your own. I have discovered that all that work I do never really feels like work. I think it’s because I’m always working toward the greater goal, booking a show takes time, and effort, and countless emails but if I get to play that one show at that one coffee shop, it’s totally worth it. I recently did an interview for American Songwriter and they asked me what are your words to live by, my answer? Work hard for something you love and it will never feel like work.
3. Our mission here at The Bright Side Project is to spread sunshine on a daily basis because we firmly believe that life is inherently beautiful. Where do you find beauty and inspiration?
One of the most common places I get lyric inspiration is in my car. This can be a bit inconvenient but I’ve learned to sing everything into my phone and listen to it later when I get home. Also, I get to hang out with a 5-year old and an almost 3-year old, 5 days a week; they are the coolest kids ever. They totally keep me on my toes. If I’m having a rough day and the time comes to pick them up from school, they are always there to snap me right back to reality, and they don’t even know it! They remind me that I need to take one day at a time. When I’m with them I don’t think about music or try to send important emails, I make sure they are fed and happy and feel loved. We go to the park a lot. Yesterday we went to see Santa, what a beautiful thing. They are both on the nice list this year of course.
4. On a dreary day, what do you do to infuse your life with a bit of sunshine?
Play music. Listen to music. Read a good book. Call an old friend. Call my mom.
5. What are you most grateful for?
What an impossible question! I’m grateful for so many things. I’m grateful to be doing what I love everyday, to have a supportive family that is always there for me when I need them, for the most supportive and loving boyfriend I could ever ask for. I’m grateful that we live in a time where hard work still pays off and if you truly want something you can make it happen. I know that times are tough for people, trust me, but I’ve seen with my own eyes how hard work and complete determination are the qualities that make things happen. I’m grateful that we live in a world that is big enough to keep us completely overwhelmed and small enough to make us feel special.
And, dear friends, here is a special view of Annalise’s video for her song “This Love Won’t Break Your Heart.” I have a feeling this will be on repeat tonight and we hope you’ll share it with your friends and loved ones. Be safe and have a wonderful New Year’s Eve!
supersonic
