Fresh off the heels of an exciting and successful Midpoint Music Festival, where music fans scoured the streets of Cincinnati looking for the next big thing, many of them found EMA who is (if not already) one of those acts.
Luckily for us, we were able to have a quick conversation with the Sioux Falls, South Dakota native. Before she ventured into town, we wanted to find out what’s new in her world musically and other interesting tidbits like her favorite cereal, nicest bands she’s played with and much more. Check it out after the jump!
So what’s new for you? New Music? Touring?
EMA: Today, I just put out this multi-media zine that I’ve been working on for quite a bit of the summer, so I’m really excited about that. It’s on New Hive. (http://newhive.com/) It’s kind of a new collection so it’s got a lot of writing, a lot of original images and gifs and some old never before seen videos and demos. It’s a bunch of stuff that I’ve been working really hard on. It just came out today, so it’s something I’m really excited about.
We just got done with dates with Spoon, which was really fun. Heading out on some of these headlining shows and what sounds like really fun festivals.
Lets say you’re on the Price is Right, and they present you with a dining room set, how much would you bid on it?
EMA: Oh god, I’d probably have to see it. Y’know I haven’t bought new furniture…so I actually have no clue how much furniture costs? But I know it’s a lot more expensive than I think it is. So, I would so say that the best way is to just bid a dollar. But, I don’t know, $1799 pops in my head.
Is it ever weird to hear what you do described very poetically?
EMA: I liked this line from a New Yorker profile that came out earlier this year. It’s something like, “At first, it sounds like a muffled karaoke song that you think you might know…and then you realize that you definitely do not know”.
Who was the nicest band you’ve ever toured with or met?
EMA: There are “fake nice bands”, yknow? Which will get you far…people are like “Oh! They’re so nice!” and when you work in music, people like to work with people who are nice. Most of the people we have worked with have been really nice. The last two bands we’ve gone on tour with have been great, which is Downtown Boys (which is like a punk band). They were super sweet, super fun, and had a lot of energy and then, everyone on the Spoon tour was amazingly nice, supportive and great. Like they’re whole crew and everybody.
Switch Gears…Speed Questions:
Favorite Cereal?
EMA: Count Chocula
In a movie about you, who would play you?
EMA: he same actor who played Seabiscuit
First album you’ve ever bought with your own money?
EMA: Appetite for Destruction
Biggest guilty pleasure album or artist?
EMA: I read lots of trashy books. I don’t really feel guilty about anything musically, but I will read shitty scifi. That’s more of my like “I know this isn’t very good for me, but I’m gunna binge read a weird crime novel or something”
If you weren’t in a band you’d…?
EMA: I’d love to still be doing something with art. I was a substitute teacher for along time, I hopefully would not still be a substitute teacher.
Favorite Wayans Brother?
EMA: Pass.
Are you socially tech savvy?
EMA: I do Twitter, I don’t do Instagram. I have a Facebook, but I usually have other people take care of that one. I mostly do Twitter.
What would be the best hashtag to describe a photo of your show?
EMA: #terminator2
Proudest or most memorable moment as an artist?
EMA: Anytime that I can play for teenage girls. Clubs are usually 21 and over, so whenever I do a good job in front of teenage girls.
Coming in one spot above Beyonce, must have felt good. If you were to cover one of her songs, what might it be?
EMA: I’d love to do, “Check on it”. I think that song’s so great. It’s one of my favorite songs. It’s hard though! I tried to do it on karaoke…and it is hard.
If you could bring back any trend from your elementary school days, what would it be?
EMA: I really like those sick LA Gear sneakers with the leather, not the braided leather. Those were pretty hot.
Why is South Dakota better than North Dakota?
EMA: It’s so easy to pick on North Dakota. It’s like the flattest, most nothing. One thing I’ve noticed, there’s just these small little rivalries. South Dakota talks shit on Iowa. Nebraska talks shit on South Dakota. I bet North Dakota talks shit on South Dakota. They keep wanting to change their name—this is why maybe South Dakota is better than North Dakota— they keep wanting to change their name to to just Dakota because they think the “North” in it makes it sound too cold. And I’m like, “It is fucking cold, you’re on the base of Canada.”
When you become a mega star, what will be the most ridiculous thing you put in your rider?
EMA: It has to become what Axel Rose had, cause I know he had a lot of like, healers and stuff like that. So I probably just want Axel Rose’s astrologist.