Rising star EMMMA faced up to the realisation that she had unwittingly become a supporting character in her own life. She reacted to that dilemma by writing herself out of that situation, and finding catharsis through her gorgeous brand of alt-pop that will surely draw comparisons to the likes of Chappell Roan, boygenius, Phoebe Bridgers, MUNA and Griff. It’s an experience she explores with today’s release of her debut single Playing It Safe
Far from Playing It Safe, the racing tempo of the track is an ambitious cocktail of switching rhythms, dramatic pauses and a huge, rousing chorus. Meanwhile, EMMMA’s voice is capable of flitting from a rich, full-bodied call to a perfectly pitched falsetto redolent of 2024 breakthrough Chappell Roan as she sings: “Am I missing out? / Not making mistakes? / Am I playing myself? / Playing it safe?”
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EMMMA (Stoney Darkstone)
EMMMA says: “I had very much fallen into a pattern in my life where I played the game too safe. I get really scared when I’m pushed outside of my comfort zone whether that be in relationships with other people or following rules. I was always so nervous that I was missing out on the joys of life because I’m boxing myself in by being too safe with my choices. Life had become stagnant.”
The singer wrote Playing It Safe with Emily Haber (Joy Oladokun, Anna Clendening), with production and co-writing duties from Doug Schadt (Maggie Rogers, ASHE) and mixing courtesy of Lee Smith (Holly Humberstone, Griff). The single is the first taste of her debut EP, which is set to follow on 28th November.
Born Emma Ruchefsky in the coastal town of Westport, Connecticut, she was raised in a family with a long heritage within music. Her mother is a former opera singer who studied at Julliard; her uncle plays percussion with the New York Philharmonic; and her late grandmother was an opera singer and vocal coach, who met EMMMA’s grandfather, a classical radio host, in the school choir.
Listen to Playing It Safe below:
She laughs that music was always destined to be her career path, and the more you uncover about her story the truer that becomes. She first picked up the violin when she was just two-years-old, before moving onto the piano and performing in local music theatre when she was five. Her family’s music taste was a pivotal influence: jazz and classical to folk and classic rock, and particularly Carole King, James Taylor and Joni Mitchell.
The lyrical prowess and influence of those artists heightened EMMMA’s talents as a born storyteller. Her ability was further honed when she studied songwriting and performance at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. After graduating she set off across North America, playing live shows in all manner of venues. It was a process that enabled her to figure out who she is as an artist and feel comfortable in all manner of scenarios, yet some of the lessons were more prosaic – knowing when to say no being an essential one.
Now EMMMA knows that she has to dig deep in order to speak truth through her music – and those stories, delivered with her enchanting voice and heartfelt lyricism, will find their place with listeners who need to know that they’re not alone. In the meantime, she will spend much of the closing months of 2024 touring as the guitarist and keyboard player in Sasha Alex Sloan’s live band. She will perform with the Dancing With Your Ghost / Older artist at headline shows spanning Asia, North America and Europe, including a London show at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 27th November.
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