Artist Spotlight: Emiko
With a candid and honest pen, singer/songwriter Emiko takes a snapshot of his experiences on his debut EP ‘Piece of Mind’. Find out his 2020 plans, which track he’s enjoying playing live, and the importance of timing.
Luciano: The opening track ‘Youth’, has as a theme of being fearful of losing time. How’s your relationship with it?
Emiko: I have a very love-hate relationship with time, I get frustrated because time moves in its own time. (haha) not on our time. Which is funny because we should be more like Time itself. Remembering to move at our own time and pace. However, though I have learnt that good things always seem to happen at the perfect timing. When I look back at the different moments in my life where something in my life was not going right, it was because my awakening moment was not ready. Time puts you through experiences at earlier stages in your life so that you are prepared for when your true moment is actually manifested.
How did the collaboration with Baker Aaron come about on ‘Pride’?
I was a fan of his work, I had also heard his productions on some UK artists and so we eventually reached out to each other! It was a no brainer, he sent me an idea and I instantly started writing to it, which later became ‘Pride’.
Speaking of ‘Pride’, you mention in the song that “Everything is going to be alright”. What are some of the challenges that you faced during the creation of the EP?
Creating it! I learnt that in order to be able to choose the right songs for my EP that would honestly reflect the message I was trying to convey, I had to let life happen first. The happy moments, the doubt, the fear, and the guilt, all of these experiences help make an individual stronger, but also wiser. I felt I had more to say after certain experiences, so it meant being patient.
Now to my favourite: seeing this song live was amazing. Despite being so young, how did a song like ‘Old School Lovin’’ come to fruition?
It's a strange one because I knew exactly what I wanted to say when writing the song, I wrote it very fast. I’m from a generation that was born in the late nineties, old enough to be influenced by the society of my past, 90’s/80’s movies, cartoons, music, but also old enough to be very consciously aware of my present society. Being a developed child in the early noughties. I feel like in the last 3 decades love as a subject has changed in so many different ways, divorces occur now more than ever, love is no longer at the centre of popular music.
In some ways, you can say that love is no longer seen as long-lasting but rather a fantasy. My generation can be very pessimistic about love, which is understandable given our current climate. I wanted to write a love song that reflected the times. Hopeful yet still viewed to be a fantasy, don't fall in love they say; issa trap.
What’s your favourite song on the EP and why?
I don’t have a favourite song on the EP! they’re all special to me in a very unique way, although I would say that at the moment I particularly enjoy performing ‘Old School Lovin’. I love acoustics, I can get my words and messages out in a very heartfelt and present way. Everyone seems to love that song.
What kind of message do you want to express with your music?
That life can teach us lessons, and music can help with the healing, a message of unison: living in London, sometimes I feel like everybody is layering up! Not because of the cold, which is a key essential to living in London, but we put on emotional and mental layers, shielding our authentic self as a way to protect us from this very fast moving, free-for-all city.
Sometimes it's great to peel off our layers and just be.
Feel free, or escape the hustle and bustle of our city. I try to create that experience through my live performance. I want the audience to feel like they can brave the world. The streets are cold!!
From your first release in 2018 to this moment, what’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career so far?
Keep going, blood is your paint of warfare, be your own best friend.
What can we expect from you in 2020?
More visuals taken from my debut EP, a headline show, festivals, more live performances, and collaborative tracks!