Inside The Bubble: Exclusive Interview With Emma Longard

A remarkable talented young musician that is currently on the rise is German-born Emma Longard. On the more sophisticated side of the game, Emma brings a deeply rich component to her records. Longard has just released her second EP titled Quieter part 1. We fell in love with the piece instantly. The album is a sweet bundle of expression feathers tied together with the twine of piano wire. Longard is an extremely talented vocalist, but she’s also an expert instrumentalist. We caught up with Emma to ask her about her music and career.

The Artist

Bubblingbox: How would you describe yourself as an artist?

Emma: I am a singer and a songwriter and am influenced by great vocalists on the one hand and all aspects of telling a story through song on the other hand. So, sometimes I like to let the words speak the way they feel most impactful, quietly or softly and sometimes I like to just sing my heart out because it’s fun and makes me feel alive. I was classically trained as a kid and found my way to Motown, Elton John, and the great American songbook as I got older. Though English is not my mother tongue, the music I loved was always in English and is inseparably connected to my artistry today.

Bubbingbox: We understand you’ve partnered with Los Angeles-based label HRDRV, do you live in Los Angeles or are you based in Germany?

Emma: I live in Germany but have been to LA to write a few times before the pandemic. That’s how I got together with HRDRV.

Bubblingbox: Most of your songs are piano-driven, what made you want to play the keys? Who were the artists that influenced you to do so?

Emma: Apart from singing, I started playing the violin as a child and had lessons for about seven years. As I started writing my own songs, an instrument that I could play whilst singing made more sense. Elton John and later Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Alicia Keys, and Brian McKnight were the ones who inspired me to really get into it. Most of how I play these days is self-taught.

The EP

Bubblingbox: Quieter is an amazing EP with two parts, tell us about the concept of the project and the decision to make it that way?

Emma: Thank you! After having released an EP and an album with major partners I was exhausted of how to market yourself as an artist these days in the online world. I felt like making music with a soul and a purpose was getting more difficult because it was in such contradiction to how loud and omnipresent labels want you to be on social media. So I went back to what I really wanted my music to be about and to sound like, to simply let it breathe. The word “quieter” just sums it all up, both in regards to the sound as well as the intention and concept. While the EP Quieter Pt. 1 has a story to it from start to finish, the second EP will represent the feeling of sitting back and trusting you don’t have to be loud to be heard.

Watch the “Quieter” official video below.

Bubblingbox: As live shows resume, where are you planning to focus your resources? Where can people expect to see you perform live?

Emma: I don’t see live shows picking up any time soon in Germany honestly, but who knows how quickly we can expect venues to re-open once people get vaccinated.  For now, I have a few online concerts planned, one of which is going to be with an orchestra and very “Night Of The Proms” for me.

Bubblingbox: Have you been working with other musicians we might know of? Have you considered producing collaborations with anyone on current/future projects?

Emma: Sure, I have worked with many other musicians, mainly as a songwriter, some of which you might know. I’ve written with Lukas Graham back when I was signed to EMI Publishing and this song will be on Quieter Pt. 2.

Bubblingbox: What are your short-term goals in terms of your career?

Emma: For now, I’ll focus on the writing and production of the next songs and my main goal is to make the second EP, Quieter Pt. 2 as good as I possibly can. After the release of it later this year, there’ll be a longer period of getting the new songs out into the world, shooting some visual material, and hopefully playing gigs.

Bubblingbox: What do you want your fans to know about you?

Emma: I am most grateful to anyone who listens to my music and I hope that my songs give them something they need at that moment in time. That’s why I do what I do.

We would like to thank Emma Longard for giving us this interview. We look forward to the second part of this wonderful album. Below is a link to the EP Quieter Pt. 1.