J Records Emily King
Monday, October 09, 2006
Shelia Goss: Why did you start singing?
Emily King: My parents are professional singers. I've always been around it. They put me in their shows. My parents have been my biggest influence.
Shelia: Did you write the songs on your album "East Side Story"?
Emily K.: Yes, I did. I'm a self-contained writer. It was a huge collaboration with Chucky Thompson. Chucky was a "hit man" with Bad Boy. He did Mary J Blige's "My Life" and worked with Faith Evans. He's an incredibile producer.
Shelia: You're on J Records right?
Emily K.: Yes.
Shelia: How did you get discovered?
Emily K.: My mother had a friend at Sony music publishing and one of his writers was Chucky. I brought a demo to my mom's friend and he ended up playing it for Chucky. Chucky and I met the following week and we hit it off. We started going up to different labels. I would bring my guitar, sing and play to the executives. One day we made it to Clive Davis. I sang and got a great respond wand we've been working every since. .
Shelia: Congratulations.
Emily K.: Thank you...I'm excited.
Shelia: Before meeting up with Chucky, were you looking for a record deal or just writing and singing with hopes of pursuing a record deal later?
Emily K.: I was really prepping myself. I got out of high school at 16 and had been doing gigs and playing in coffeehouses. I made a demo and thinking positive, I knew somebody was going to hear it.
Shelia: How do your friends feel about your record deal?
Emily K.: They feel good. They're excited. They want to see me on MTV or BET one day.
Shelia: Have you filmed the video for your single yet?
Emily K.: We're actually in the process of putting that together. It's going to be exciting.
Shelia: Besides Clive Davis, who is someone you met recently that you were like in awe of?
Emily K.: I opened up for Common. I'm a fan of Common and he's such a cool dude.
Shelia: When will your album be coming out?
Emily K.: The single will be out soon and the album(East Side Story) will be out at the top of 2007.
Shelia: How many more songs do you have to record?
Emily K.: The album's actually done. There's 12 songs on the album. I had a lot of interesting collaborations. It was good.
Shelia: Is there more fast paced songs verses slow paced songs or mixed?
Emily K.: We mixed it up. We want to give you that roller coast ride. I want people to play it straight through.
Shelia: For those readers who may not have heard of Emily King, what singer would you compare yourself with?
Emily K.: That's a tough one. I get a lot of comparisons. Sometimes people say Teena Marie, Alicia Keys or Norah Jones. I'm honored to be compared to them but I'm trying to bring my own thing and I hope people like it. Everybody is unique.
Shelia: What do you do in your spare time when you want to relax and unwind?
Emily K.: I like to crotchet. I knit. I cook. I like to bake. I oil paint. Anything creative. I like hanging out with people and friends, going to the movies and playing pool. There's always something to do here in NYC.
Shelia: What was the last good movie you saw?
Emily K.: Snakes on a Plane
Shelia: What artists do you listen to the most?
Emily K.: I listen to singer/songwriters, but I listen to a lot of different things.
Shelia: Pick three songs from your CD and tell me about it.
Emily K.: Color Blind: It talks about how I feel about life; how I was raised. I'm interracial and it deals with that.
You & I: I wrote it and it was effortlessly. It has a really pure love message in it. I enjoyed singing that one a lot.
It Was You: Definitely a favorite. I wrote it a time ago. I wrote it about my parents actually getting divorced.
Shelia: Last question. How does it feel to be on the label headed by one of the most respected men in music--Clive Davis?
Emily K.: It's mind blowing.
Be on the look out for Emily King's new CD release "East Side Story" on J Records.
Interview by entertainment writer Shelia M Goss. She's also the national bestselling author of My Invisible Husband. To read more interviews or find out more about this writer, visit her website www.sheliagoss.com.
