Emily King

Since her debut album, King has been nominated for a Grammy, toured with an aray of decorated artists from John Legend to Alicia Keys, and has brought a unique beauty and honesty to audiences all over the world. Her story however, is one of an emerging artist who reveals she is just now finding her own voice. As I sit with King on a park bench in NYC's East Village, she tells me of her new found independence. "I had a bittersweet relationship that's now done with, and I'm as happy as can be". King of course isn't speaking of the kind of heartbreak spawned from a significant other. She recently separated from J Records, a Clive Davis run record label that she worked with for 3 years. "I learned a lot from the whole thing.. mainly that I'm a musician, not a formula, and that the music is always the most important person in the room"

As the daughter of two singers who performed internationally as a jazz duo, King was exposed to music, its challenges and its rewards, from an early age. She always knew she would follow in her parents' footsteps. "I had a hard time in school," she says, "I already knew what I wanted to do." At age 16, King took two giant steps: She got her GED, and she started writing songs. In fact, the very first song that she completed, "Business Man" - a commentary on heartless capitalists - is a central moment on East Side Story. "I always thought, if I write a song, it's not going to be about relationships," she says. "There are so many other things to talk about." She quickly advanced from banging around on a guitar in her apartment to performing on the local folk club circuit at such noted venues as the Bitter End and CBGB's Gallery.

Meantime, King had discovered producer Chucky Thompson, a member of Bad Boy Entertainment's famed Hitman studio team who had recorded smashes with the likes of the Notorious BIG and Mary J. Blige and together they began searching for the right sound to capture King's eclectic tastes and styles. After taking her demos to various labels, they signed with J Records and began the process of making a real album.

"We came to the label with a lot of songs that I had written by myself in my kitchen," King says. "At the labels suggestion, there was a long process of collaborating with different writers, in the end it was those kitchen songs that felt the best"

With contributions from notables including producer Salaam Remi and Marsha from acclaimed rap duo Floetry, East Side Story brings together King's singer-songwriter foundation with soul-drenched vocals and fluid hip-hop beats to create a truly special blend - a place where the coffeehouse meets the dancefloor. The lyrics are shot through with a real sense of Emily King's life and personality, from the undulating first single, "Walk in My Shoes," to "It Was You," based on the story of her "biggest influence," her parents.

"I'm in a really cool place right now. A lot has happened since my first album, and I'm really excited about the direction of my new project," she says. It's easy to say that we have something to look forward to in King's sophomore attempt. Her debut, East Side Story, was wonderfully recieved, gaining rave reviews, fans from all different walks of life, and to top it off, a Grammy Nomination for the Best Urban Contemporary Album of the Year in 2008.

In a sense Emily King has come full circle. After all of the hype and excitement of her last album, King explains she is "back to earth, working on my new project with amazing people"

Notable Permormances 2006-2008

John Legend Tour (opening act) 2007
Floetry Remixed Tour (opening act) 2007
George Washington University (w/ Common)
SUNY Purchase College
New Hampshire University (W/ Ludacris)
Heineken Red Star Tour
Montreal Jazz Festival
CES Convention 2008
Artscape Festival 2007 (w/ Lupe Fiasco)
Sugar Water Festival 2006 (w/ Jill Scott)
Black Girls Rock Awards NYC
Can A sista Rock A Mic Festival
R&B Live w/ Alicia Keys
Five Towns College
Jesse Jackson Rainbow Push Gala 2008