EMMA LOUISE
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Sunday, May 19
Heritage Hotel
Tickets: 1300762545 or oztix.com.au
Emma Louise’s debut album Vs Head Vs Heart has been winning the hearts and minds of reviewers, but the Queensland singer wouldn’t know about that.
‘‘I think people are liking it but I try to stay away from the reviews,’’ she says.
‘‘Regardless of the positives that people are saying, if I hear, it might be one line in a review where it’s bad, but I find myself overly focusing on that so I have learnt to stay away from the whole thing of whether the album is doing well.’’
In 2011 the then 19-year-old Emma Louise launched herself on to the music scene with the infectious single Jungle.
Since then she has released an EP, Full Hearts and Empty Rooms, and toured with Missy Higgins, Gurrumul, Boy & Bear, Josh Pyke and Bob Evans.
Now, with the release of Vs Head Vs Heart, she is headlining her own 21-date national tour.
Emma Louise says her life has changed markedly in the two years since Jungle first got her noticed.
‘‘It’s definitely a lot busier – in a good way,’’ she says.
‘‘Before all this I was busking once a weekend and had a few residencies at bars and cafes during the week and the rest of the time was spent writing and just having lots of spare creative time.
‘‘I had never gone overseas before last year when we went to America, so I’m just pretty grateful that music has meant I am able to do that. It is definitely hard work, but there is a lot of good in it.’’
After months in the recording studio and rehearsing for the tour, Emma Louise is glad to be out on the road playing to live audiences.
‘‘It’s been really good, really nice crowds and I’m enjoying playing the new stuff,’’ she says.
Having grown up in Cairns, Emma Louise says it was important for her to take this tour out to regional centres as well as the capital cities.The singer is particularly looking forward to playing her home town.
‘‘That’s always a good show because there are so many friends and family, old school friends and stuff. It’s kind of like, ‘Hey, look what I’m doing now’,’’ she says.
‘‘That’s always good, especially with my old teachers and stuff because I think I was a bit of a ratbag at school.’’