Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Emily Mitchell has honed a diverse sound that was born out of folk-rock and influenced by pop-punk and various pop and rock styles. And the singer refuses to be bound to one genre as she pursues her solo project.
The singer, who grew up in small town upstate New York, moved to Albany to study and got into a band but really found her musical identity when she started writing and producing her own music.
The latest offering of this is brand new single I’d Like To Believe, which was released today. The track has a little bit of a My Chemical Romance’s Welcome To The Black Parade about it, starting slowly and developing and increasing in heaviness throughout.
It opens up with light piano and backing instrumentals, then Emily’s vocals “Sometimes looks can be deceiving, And I don’t want you to see me, I’m not OK, I’m a little different and I’ve been this way for years” come in over the continuing piano. The vocals pick up intensity with strings and little ripples of drums in the background, then end with “I’d like to believe that’s true.”
The heaviness picks up as guitar chords come in under the vocals “I can’t help it, I know that I’m reckless and selfish, Can’t fathom the feeling that someone might love me back, My friends have always been so understanding, But I’ve done a full 360.” Then it kicks into Emily’s higher pitched vocals as the intensity increases further, then a big crescendo of strings, guitars and drums bring it to a big rocky ending. Give this delicious track a listen below:
You can also listen to Emily’s new track on our weekly new music playlist, where it features alongside a load of great new music from new bands from all over the world. Give it a listen and subscribe here:
The new track follows Emily’s debut single Heed the Signs, which is a little more laid-back and has more of an indie-folk feeling about it. Give it a listen below:
We had a chat with Emily as she was preparing to release the new single to find out more about her and her music. Read on below…
GR: Who is Emily Mitchell? And tell us about going it alone as a solo artist.
EM: “I’m a singer songwriter originally from a small town in upstate New York called Tupper Lake. I spent a few years in Albany, NY to study Music Industry and songwriting at The College of Saint Rose. I’ve been in Brooklyn for the past two years now and I have a hard time imagining myself anywhere else. I spent a few years in a band called ‘Morning People’ and even though it was a lot of fun, I really struggled to get my own artistic identity out there through that band. Once it dissolved, I started producing my own music and I haven’t looked back since.”
GR: You just released I’d Like To Believe. What should people be expecting from the song?
EM: “I’d Like to Believe is a pop/punk ballad that explores the issue of acceptance while maintaining the spirit of hope. I’ve always been afraid to share the deepest and darkest parts of me with the people I am close with because I am afraid that they will turn around and run away from me. It’s happened in the past and I know that it will happen in the future.
“I think that it’s something that a lot of people can relate to. I have this feeling though that whenever I get to an end point – whatever that may be – that every up and down will all have meant something. Or at least that’s what I would like to believe.”
GR: How would you describe your sound to people that haven’t listened to you yet?
EM: “The genre of my music can be a little hard to define, as my goal is always to put the song itself in the forefront. I will let the song inform the direction of the production rather than a specific genre. My songs fall somewhere between indie folk rock and pop punk. My last song definitely falls indie folk, but this song and the others that will be out soon are definitely much more on the pop/punk side – which I have been stoked about.”
GR: What influences you to write music? Any key themes or topics that you write about?
EM: “I’m a huge empath. I think what influences me most are not only my personal experiences, but my observations of the human condition. I think that we as humans are sometimes obsessed with sadness. It’s fair enough – it’s a huge part of life. I try to go past the surface level of those feelings (the stuff that no one wants to talk about). A lot of my writing centers around that, but I also try to bring the idea of hope back into it.”
GR: Which bands/musicians are/have been your strongest musical influences?
EM: “This is always a tough one to narrow down for me. I draw influence from all over the place which has led to my current songwriting style. I would say that my biggest lyrical influences are Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes), Taylor Goldsmith (of Dawes), and Gerard Way (of My Chemical Romance). They’re all such incredible story tellers in their own unique ways, and I’ve tried to apply that to my own writing.
“I’ve also been heavily influenced by bands like Green Day and even Coldplay. They get such a bad rep but their production value is incredible. Even though I’d LIke to Believe is definitely pop/punk, you can hear that pop rock influence for sure.”
GR: What have you got coming up in 2020?
EM: “I am currently working on recording a bunch of songs – a few of which will definitely be out this year. I’m hoping to get a band together once it is safe to play shows post COVID-19 so that we can get this music out in front of a live audience!”
GR: Anything else you’d like people to know about you/your music?
EM: “I just hope that people can connect with my songwriting. I try to stay honest and authentic – and I hope that it shows in I’d Like to Believe.”
You can follow Emily Mitchell on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and check out her music on Spotify, Bandcamp and Apple Music.
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