Emily Erhart is Making Music From the Heart
Emily Erhart is from Lindsay, Ontario, and is currently a student in her 3rd year at the University of Toronto. She has been performing live since she was 16 years old, starting with covers then performing her original songs in her first year of university. Here, she talks about her music and the upcoming EP set to release this month.
A: Thank you so much for taking the time, I know coordinating was a bit difficult.
E: I know, it’s been crazy!
A: So could you first tell me about when you started developing an interest in both playing instruments and songwriting?
E: So I have been playing [instruments] my whole life; I’ve just grown up with it since my mom is also musical, and I was involved in my choir as a kid. When I was a little older, I started playing a saxophone in school. Around that same time (age 13), I started taking supplemental lessons for piano, but I’ve been playing piano since the third grade.
By the time I got to high school, that was when it got more serious, [where I started] joining more musical clubs (age 15).
A: So you mentioned saxophone and piano just now; what are some instruments you play currently?
E: Because I am recording my EP, I’m mostly sticking to my guitar and vocals. My saxophone still features on the EP, and I continue playing piano every now and then, but just not as much.
A: All right, awesome. When it comes to your music, who would say are your main sources of inspiration, and how have they impacted your songwriting?
E: One of those inspirations is City in Colour; he’s a Canadian singer-songwriter. I just really like his style, it’s deep and personal, and I love his acoustic work—it’s pretty interesting, and he’s not afraid to make [the] music he wants to make, even if it wouldn’t equate to the most popularity. With my music, I’m really going for that kind of sound that’s acoustic and personal.
Another one that is inspirational to [my] music is Bon Iver. Even though our styles are different, his music is very complicated and he takes risks; it’s very inspirational to me that he does because I want to as well, and though I don’t take risks at the moment, it’s something I’d like to do.
A: All right! Next question: based on the artists that inspire you and their styles, what would you say your style of music is, meaning what genre? Has your sound developed in a way that your music could fit into one genre, or is it a sound you would say has a lot of flexibility, as in it can be a lot of things at once?
E: So this is a great question, and a lot of people I know have asked me lately when I mention I’m recording my EP. It’s kind of a mix between pop and folk. I listen to both a lot, so that definitely has influenced my music. I am open to multiple styles and sounds though, and would experiment with those as well because I don’t want to be held by one genre of music. It’s not about the genre for me; it’s more about how people connect to it, and that it’s honest and the kind of music people can connect to.
A: That’s great! When it comes to writing an original song, where do you draw inspiration from, what’s the process like, and maybe you can give an example of music you’re currently working on.
E: Usually, what happens is I will note down an idea from an experience or something I thought of and I write 1-2 sentences about that idea. I think about little moments that happen to me that correlate to create one song, or take one idea and expand it as much as possible. For me, there’s no set way; I usually have to be inspired by something.
For a couple songs on the EP, I would be on the way home from doing something, have no clue where I got the idea from, and start writing out the lyrics as soon as I could. I would say 50% of the songs were written this way, while the other half was planned. It felt right to have that spontaneity for some of the songs.
A: I totally relate to that! When it comes to writing, I’ve gone through that process too, and it always felt more right to have some ideas come randomly.
E: For sure!
A: But that’s awesome you do that. So, when it comes to songwriting, do you have a strategy for getting out of a writer’s block, or have you experienced that enough times to know how to deal with that [writer’s block]?
E: I think that’s a really good question; sometimes I won’t write for weeks, and the ideas will just be on and off, and again just going through periods where I write nothing. Sometimes I won’t get inspiration, and I’m not sure why. I was in Italy for the last 4 weeks, and I was hoping to get ideas while I was there since I was meeting new people and seeing new places, but I actually wrote very little. I felt overwhelmed because I wasn’t sure what to write. It was only on my last day in Siena that I finally started writing stuff out, which was after 4 weeks. I think you just have to be patient and not beat yourself up if you don’t come up with something; what I would try to do was to force myself to write, to at least get the juices flowing, regardless if I actually used that idea or not.
A: With that said, considering your upcoming EP, what was the most rewarding part about working on it? Because at least in my understanding [regarding music], it’s easy to lose the drive to continue pursuing it. What made you keep going forward and work on your music?
E: I think in my case, I’ve always been connected to music in my life; whether my life is going really well or if I’m struggling with something, music has always been a part of the experience and something that I turn to. For me, there are some days when I don’t want to practice or play certain things, but music has always been a coping mechanism at the very least. I don’t think I will ever be at a point in my life where I won’t be motivated to play music because it’s always been a natural thing for me. I was motivated to record the EP and my music for a very long time, and actually my friend surprised me for my birthday by purchasing time in a recording studio, which was something I always wanted to do but never had the initiative to do. It was definitely up in the air, but having my friend’s support really was that step forward for recording the EP. I realized I have a lot to share and things to say, so I thought, “Why not share that with others?” whether it’s one person or more to connect my music to. I think it is so rewarding as a musician to connect with people, which is a big part of it for me, and definitely keeps me motivated.
A: I remember listening to one of your original songs, and I thought it was great BGM when I was doing work.
E: Oh thank you! Yeah, even something like that, having my music as something to listen to while you study is also something I’d like my music to do for people, to get it out there.
A: What would you say is the most enjoyable part about working on the EP?
E: I think getting to take an idea I’ve had for a long time and make it something concrete, like having an idea for a painting and finally being able to do it, has to be an enjoyable part for me. I’m also just really excited to share it with friends and family, and get feedback on what I present.
A: Finally, if you can tell us, what will the name of your EP be?
E: The name is just self-titled, ‘Emily Erhart’. It’s going to be the very first thing I’ve ever released, so I just wanted to keep it simple to start. In the future, I definitely will come up with new titles. Though, I think most artists that debut have self-titled EPs.
A: I think that still has an impact, since it’s very personal, and would be a great way to start.
E: For sure.
A: Anyways, thank you so much for your time today!
E: Thank you for taking the time to interview me, it really means a lot.
A: I was really happy to do this and make the timing work; thank you Emily!
E: Thanks Alisha!
You can find Emily on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/erhartemmusic/) and on Instagram (@em_erhart_22)!
By Alisha Rao