Diandra Interviews Emma Frank: What’s Next
I am a firm believer that music is a drub, but not every drug makes you feel better. Sometimes, picking a song is like choosing the blue pill or red pill from Morpheus’ hands. Are you really ready for The Matrix, Neo? On September 6, Emma Frank will be releasing her debut, Come Back, but before she answered some questions on how music is an art the teaches as much as it connects people. Frankly, her responses are nothing less than lovely.
Diandra: How would you define an emotional connection to music?
Emma: I think that when we listen to music, we empathetically relate to whatever the performers are putting into it. There are albums that I try to avoid because they make me feel so sad, or albums that make me feel really agitated. I think when we tune in, there’s always some level on which we are connecting to music emotionally.
Emma Frank – Before You Go Away (Official Music Video)
Do you see music as a reflector of the world’s current and historical state, and, in that, What has music taught you about humanity??
Emma: Sure. I think art is always reflecting the world that it’s made in. How can it not? I guess music, and art in general, reminds me that there’s so much potential for beauty in the world, and that we, as humans, have this really amazing ability to reflect our experiences back at the world in a beautiful way.
What is one book that you wish you could make an album about?
Emma: The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather!
Diandra: What are you hopeful this debut will reveal about you spiritually and stylistically as an artist?
Emma: I don’t know. I mean, the thing about making a record is that, by the time. it’s out in the world and people are listening to it, a lot of these songs are already, at least ,a year old. Of course, they’re still relevant, but for me, the learning that comes out of the process of writing and recording has already been happening. My question now is what’s next? What’s inspiring me, and what do I need to communicate?
Emma Frank – I Thought (Official Music Video)
Diandra: Your mother has said you have the tendency to “polarize things.” What is one subject you felt polarized about that music helped you find balance?
Emma: I think the process of making music, the act of it, is very balancing. To use the voice in a healthy way, to be present with your body, with other people, is balancing. So I find in general, music has a calming influence in my life and helps me organize my anxious energies in a positive way.
Diandra: How do you feel this album taught something about yourself that you grew to love thanks to this process?
Emma: I think I learned to trust my instincts more as a leader and that felt really awesome.
Diandra: You have struggled with depressive states and self-doubt. Name a song of yours that showed you how to be happy and taught you about how you are sad.
That’s an interesting question. I do think that songwriting, for me, is about providing a soundtrack for my own life when something feels complicated. But I think in general, I like music that makes you feel many things at once, not just happy, not just sad. Aaron Parks wrote a beautiful song called “Lilac” that I wrote lyrics to – it’s named “Come Back” on the record – and it’s kind of an ode to wabi-sabi, to beauty that is fleeting. And for me that’s about trying to make sense of the happiness and sadness that exist at the same time in a moment.
Emma Frank – Living Room Songs – I Thought
Diandra: Is there a love song you would dedicate to your husband and why?
Emma: I’m sure there are a lot of them, but I haven’t heard them yet. But that’s a good writing prompt!
For More Information On Emma Frank Click Here.
Emma Frank – Either Way (Official Music Video) [Wilco Cover]
