Emma Yue Lonely Lover

A glistening yet gritty journey into self-reflection, the brand new single Lonely Lover (out today) is the ultimate indie rock ode to independence and the pursuit of connection from Melbourne singer-songwriter Emma Yue, who will be celebrating the track's release with a gig at The Gaso Upstairs on March 28.

 

Continuing Emma's knack for weaving addictive hooks with raw lyricism, Lonely Lover thrives with serene textures and spirited vulnerability, with the track driven by buoyant instrumentation and Emma's crystalline vocals. A compelling earworm, Lonely Lover initially began life well beyond its firm indie flavours, with Emma drawing on long-term sonic influences to shift the new track to its latest form alongside newer muses. And while Lonely Lover may stem from bittersweet sentiments, its ultimate effect is one of hope, as Emma explains, "This single is probably the most honest and raw song I've released so far. It represents so much of my reality and feels so authentic to myself, which makes it sort of terrifying to share. When that fear and doubt comes up in my mind I've gotten into the habit of reminding myself that I really want to share it so that maybe people who can relate feel a little less alone and a little more optimistic. Around the time of writing it, I was really getting into some Aussie bands like Spacey Jane, but also absolutely obsessed with the song Kilby Girl by The Backseat Lovers. I think those influences came through a bit, while also having grown up listening to Taylor Swift all through my teenage years, her lyrical influence is definitely felt too. When I originally wrote the song, it was far more singer-songwriter and had a country rock feel to it, which I wanted to lean away from a bit. I worked with an incredible producer, Gus Cannon, who took the song and my description of how I wanted it be and gave it the sound it has now. He has been a huge influence on the finished product that we're both incredibly proud of."

 

With Marcelina Permatasari on drums, Gus Cannon on co-production and backing vocals, and Brad Jackson on co-production, mixing and mastering duties, Lonely Lover not only carries stylistic nods to Emma's past and present; it also captures her own personal experiences with loneliness and isolation, emerging with a catchy yet universally relatable sonic gem. "When I wrote the song it was after a night out with a friend of mine and her long-time childhood friend who had come to visit her," Emma explains. "I had such a lovely time with them both, but seeing their familiarity and effortless closeness made me feel incredibly lonely and got me thinking about my friendships and how moving countries at age 10 and 12 had played its role in them. That was about three years ago now, and since then the meaning of the song has very much changed to being about the loneliness of having a difficult emotional relationship with my parents. I was also reflecting on other parts of my life so far where I had felt lonely, growing up as a woman of colour in a predominantly white society, being a member of the LGBTQ community and being neurodivergent were all things that had made me feel socially isolated at various points too. While the song sounds upbeat and defiant and like an anthem of independence, it really is just about a girl who has a soul-deep loneliness and realises the only way that's going to change is to become everything she needed for herself."

 

A self-confessed purveyor of the phrase 'do it for the plot', Emma Yue has been capturing her effortlessly poetic creativity since an early age, first penning lyrics in the dark when she was eight before transforming her words into songs in her teens, channelling her craft as a form of self-expression and catharsis that has carried over into adulthood. Embodying the rollercoaster ups and downs of your early 20s, Emma pairs her personal experiences with themes of self-identity, sex, relationships, and mental health fused with genre-blending indie, pop rock, and punk sounds. Deeply driven by emotions, Emma's musical vibe transports you to deeply intimate and familiar places; think wine drunk on the floor with your closest friends, speaking about taboo topics, stomach sore from laughing while knowing you need to be up early the next morning for work. Emma also firmly carries this feeling onto the stage with her five-piece band, and while her latest single Lonely Lover may be releasing on Valentine's Day in 2024 - it certainly isn't your average love song for the broken hearted, as Emma concludes, "To be honest I just thought it was a bit comical, I knew I wanted to release the song in mid-February and it didn't occur to me to release it on that day until I saw the automatic "Valentine's Day" event that Apple has in my calendar. While the song isn't actually about romantic relationships, it definitely could be interpreted that way, and we absolutely love the kickass single independent queens of the world."

 

 

Interview with Emma Yue

First up, can you please give us a quick intro?

Hey My name is Emma!! If you like drinking wine, Olivia Rodrigo, house plants, singing Taylor Swift and feeling allllll the emotions I reckon I'm your next fav singer/songwriter!! I write from the heart and about all the super fun times of your early 20s, including topics like sex, relationships, identity, mental health and just generally wondering what the F is going on.    

How would you describe your music?

It's giving Taylor Swift, Maisie Peters and Olivia Rodrigo walked into a room together with nothing but some guitars and plenty of emotions and didn't come out for a week. I'm an indie rock pop girlie and my songs are super lyrically driven, often about events that evoked an emotional response from me.   

Can you tell us about your new song Lonely Lover?  What inspired it?

You know when you've been feeling a certain way for a while and you're just tired of feeling that way? Lonely Lover was me being fed up with loneliness dragging me down and trying to make something positive out of it. I wrote the song the day after a night out in 2020 with some friends of mine who have known each other for a very long time. I was driving home in the wee ol' hours of the morning and actually having a really fun time singing to songs and realising it wasn't so bad to be designated driver (a real revelation for the 20 year old self I was at the time). I realised that I'd had a great time but I was also left thinking "where are my people like that?". That's when I decided to become my own best friend, and the song Lonely Lover was born.  

Is there a particular message you hope listeners take from your music?

I really just want to help people feel things. Like they can listen to the music I write and just be with their emotions, knowing that my song has perfectly encapsulated what they feel so they don't need to bother trying to put it to words. It's okay to have big emotions and feel a lot deeply. 

What motivates you most when writing music?

If you've read my previous answers I think it'll come as no surprise to say that my biggest motivator is emotions. Whenever something happens in my life that causes me to feel a lot of things, I tend to go on a big songwriting spree about it. It's my little way of processing whatever is happening. 

Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Lately Gracie Abrams and Holly Humberstone have been on repeat. Some others have been Lizzy McAlpine, The Last Dinner Party, MUNA, Hozier, and of course Taylor Swift. My music taste is 90% women and what about it. 

What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

I grew up on Taylor Swift and loved that she wrote songs I could always apply to my own life and situations. Another huge influence was a girl I dated in highschool who was the first person to really show me how possible it was to be a songwriter so I owe a lot to her. 

If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Go big or go home, Taylor Swift. Or Hozier. Florence + the Machine would be incredible. Or Gracie Abrams. There are too many dream artists to collaborate with!!! 

Did you have any preconceived ideas about the music industry?

I knew it definitely helped, but I didn't realise how much knowing the right people can make a difference. I know some incredible artists who's music deserves to be heard but who don't have as many industry contacts as others through no fault of their own.  

What has been your favourite part of becoming a music artist?

Definitely seeing people connect with my songs and being able to emotionally share this with them. When people take a song I've written and connect with it in their own little way it's so special to me.  

What's a typical day like?

Honestly every day is different, some days are in the studio, others are doing all the super fun admin, some are at the day job, some are about networking and going to gigs or creating content. You really have to try and juggle everything as an indie artist, and it means there's a lot of chaos all the time. I personally enjoy a bit of chaos though.  

What advice do you have for aspiring songwriters or artists?

Remember that you deserve to be heard just as much as the next artist, and no one has your specific lens of creativity. 

What's next, for you?

More gigs, more songs, more releases!! I love playing live and I'm really starting to feel more and more comfy on stage. I'm also feeling more comfy sharing the music that I like and feel proud of, rather than what I think people want to hear or that's more easily consumable.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmamakesnoise

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emmayuemusic

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3cc1hCCUelDAL7Dn5Bj06r?si=OzJvcQlSQ4GwFWaKmW-R4Q

Triple J Unearthed: https://www.abc.net.au/triplejunearthed/artist/emma-yue/