Emily Rose released her latest single “Dance in the Kitchen.” It is the singer-songwriter’s first release of 2020, and it follows the release of three singles in 2019. Rose, a Flemington, New Jersey native, moved to Nashville almost eight years ago. After spending much of her time focusing on songwriting, Rose decided to begin releasing her music about a year and a half ago. Undiscovered Nashville discovered the singer-songwriter at a show during CMA week last year. We are thankful for that because we were able to connect with Emily for an interview.
What made Emily Rose decide music was her career path?
Every singer-songwriter has a path to follow, and a moment when they decide this is what they want to do with their life. Rose said, “My first show with a band was on this live radio show called Heartland Hayride. It was a small local radio station, but through that, I met tons of amazing musicians and local artists. I got hooked up with a Conway Twitty tribute band, which was weird, but I loved it. The band was called Twitty Fever.”
Emily’s time in Twitty Fever was an invaluable experience for the singer-songwriter. This experience would set Rose’s sights on Nashville. The singer-songwriter said, “The guys in the band were all pros. They were all a little older than me and more seasoned. Many of them had been to Nashville or had done the Nashville thing. I learned a lot from them. Through that experience, I knew I wanted to do this all the time. I wanted to perform on stage. They told me if you’re going to do this, check out Nashville. I was in high school and didn’t know what to do. I was still impressionable, so I was like okay.”
The Nashville Experience
On a visit to Nashville, while Rose was still in high school, she felt at home in Nashville. Rose said, “When I first visited Nashville, I thought yes, this is where I have got to go. You could feel the energy, and I thought these are my people. In high school, you think you know who your people are, but a small town may shelter you. You realize there is so much more out there, and I think I found where I belong.”
As a singer-songwriter moving to Nashville, you have preconceived notions for what the music scene is like here. However, most of the time, those ideas are wrong. Rose said, “I was expecting Nashville to be more of how it used to be. From what you hear, everything has changed so much in the music industry. I was expecting it to be more like; you could go to any label and knock on the door. However, in a better way, I wasn’t expecting everyone to be so welcoming and helpful.”
Emily Rose Gives Thanks
Emily Rose moved to Nashville right out of high school, and I applaud her willingness to take the chance. The singer-songwriter said, “When I moved to Nashville, I only knew my SESAC rep and one guy from that Twitty Fever circuit, who went to Belmont. It was hard, honestly, some days I still can’t believe I made it. My SESAC rep set me up with co-writes. My friend from Belmont knew some people who played downtown. That is how I met people and made friends. If I hadn’t had people who helped me, I wouldn’t have made it. So I am always looking to help others because it made such a difference for me.”
Emily’s Growth as a Songwriter
It is interesting to hear what a singer-songwriter felt about the first song they wrote. When I asked Emily about her first song, she laughed. Rose said, “It was horrible and weird. I couldn’t even tell you the name of the song. At the time, I didn’t even know how to play guitar yet. When I first started playing guitar, I would put one finger down on a string and strum a chord. The song was so angsty, but I was in 8th grade, so that makes sense.”
It may sound cliche, but Taylor Swift impacted many young women, including Emily Rose. The singer-songwriter said, “Taylor Swift was a big influence on showing young girls such light into songwriting. I think her songwriting influenced me. That’s where I started getting better at playing the guitar. I would go on Ultimate Guitar Tabs to figure out how to play her songs. Then I started writing actual songs with actual chords.”
Everyone who moves to Nashville will tell you, co-writing helped improve their writing. Rose said, “It has taken me since 8th grade to learn how to write songs. It’s a process. Co-writing was new to me when I moved here. My first co-write, set up through SESAC, was with Mindy Campbell. She asked me if there was a place I liked to write, and I had her drive out to the middle of Percy Priest Lake. She had no place to plug up her laptop, and I was writing with a pen and paper. It’s funny to think back on how far I’ve come.”
Emily Rose: Becoming an Artist
Emily Rose spent most of her time thus far in Nashville, working hard as a songwriter. However, an epiphany led her to pursue being an artist as well. Emily said, “About a year and a half ago, I was writing so much and not getting anywhere. I had no bites on a publishing deal. I had a full-time job managing a restaurant, which was the hardest work I have ever done. At the time, I was only twenty-five years old, and I was about to give up music.”
Emily’s story is not uncommon, as this writer speaks from experience. However, Emily didn’t give up. Rose said, “I thought, what am I doing? I am over here doing all this hard work, but it showed me that I could do anything. That’s when it clicked in my brain. No, you moved here to make music! I shouldn’t give this up. It’s in my heart and soul.
Emily Rose realized she had more to do in Nashville. The singer-songwriter said, “What’s the best way I can have control over my destiny if I go back into music full time? The answer was to release my music and to tell people what I had to say. It was a way to control my destiny. I am my biggest critic, but if I keep going, there is no way I can fail. You never know what opportunity is coming next.”
The Passion of Songwriting and Performing
The best songs are ones that make you feel something. Rose said, “My songs are inspired by what I know, and I think being honest is the best way to make art. My favorite thing about songwriting is when you have an idea, you put
music to it, and it works. There is no greater feeling than that. I also love hearing other people’s stories or their thoughts on an idea. I think songwriting is such a great form of therapy. Outside of having a great song, I have come out of writes with a different outlook on life, which I can then apply to my own life.”
Emily Rose was a performer before she wrote songs. The singer-songwriter said, “Songwriting is fun, but its the work part for me. Songwriting never came as naturally as performing. Where I truly get my rush is being on stage and playing with a band. It’s incredible to have all these things come together: the steel guitar, the bass, and the drums. It’s awesome feeding off each other’s energy. There is nothing else like getting to be on stage and singing. It’s my favorite part about all of this.”
Emily Rose Releases “Dance in the Kitchen”
“Dance in the kitchen” is the singer-songwriters first release of 2020. Emily co-wrote the song with Donnie Skaggs and Ed Hill. Rose co-produced the single with Gideon and Gabe Klein of Shuffle Brother Music. Rose said, “I am excited about this song because I love 90s country and Texas country. I love to dance, and that’s the music I play when I want to have fun and feel good.”
Rose describes the inspiration for the song, “One of my ideal date nights would be a night in listening to those records. I would open a bottle of wine and try my best to get my husband to dance with me in the kitchen. We would just fake our way through two-stepping.” She continued, “I wanted to have a song that would do that for other people. I wanted to have one of those songs that make you feel good and make you want to dance. It’s just a fun, lighthearted song, which I feel we need right now.”
If the World Was Normal Right Now
Plans are on hold for many in the music industry. Emily Rose had planned a mini-tour for this year, but she had to settle for her live stream series, “Live in the Kitchen.” However, Rose said, “The live streams have given us a different experience. To hear artists tell their stories behind the songs is not something we usually get from bigger artists.”
For the time being, listen to Emily Rose’s new single on Apple Music, Spotify, or wherever you listen to music. If you find yourself at a party with Emily, be ready for a game night. Emily said, “I am over-competitive when it comes to board games, and I will be the person at the party who suggests playing a game.”
Emily, that sounds like a good time to us, as long as it’s not Monopoly. It’s always fun in the beginning, but hours into you are begging someone to win.
Photo Credit: James DeMain Click here to listen on Apple Music or Spotify
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