Recently dropping her new song and music video to 'Origin'. We chat to Emmalee Rainbow about her latest single and future projects.

Thanks so much for talking to ReVamp, what were your musical inspirations growing up and why did you decide to get into music? 

My Grandmother was a brilliant Australian musician, a singer and songwriter. She recorded with The Bee Gees and opened for The Beatles. She was definitely my biggest musical inspiration, but I also reference jazz artists like Billy Strayhorn and Miles Davis in my work. And Lady Gaga is my favorite ever.

Do you think your music taste has changed since writing your own music?
Definitely. Before I started writing regularly I was really into indie rock, and that’s still the kind of music that I make, but I listen to a lot more new wave and jazz these days. I think I have a better appreciation for longer, more intricate music now.

You have a new single ‘Origin’, what was the inspiration behind this?

I started writing it when I moved to New York early 2021, and I was missing home and going through a really tough time. I started writing about my growing up in LA and how the city and the people I’ve met there have shaped me as a person. It grew into something a lot more personal and kind of helped me start to process my childhood, which was unorthodox in a lot of ways. 

Can you tell us a bit about the behind-the-scenes of recording and writing?

I wrote all the songs on my own with my guitar, which is always the way I write. I brought them to my co-producer Sejo Navajas, who used to produce my sister and grandmother’s music. He works out of 4th Street Recording in Santa Monica and I spent a lot of time there as a kid, so it felt especially important to make this record there. We tracked for I think four sessions, and we didn’t end up making a whole lot of changes from the demos. It all felt incredibly natural and easy. 

What can we expect from you next?

More music is coming, that’s for sure. I also hope to direct more music videos, and maybe even movies, in the future!