Author Archives: Emma Swift

About Emma Swift

Songbird. Wandering heart. Enthusiast.
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Robyn Hitchcock & Emma Swift to release debut 7 inch for Record Store Day 2015

April 10, 2015

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When British psych folk veteran Robyn Hitchcock found himself standing next to Americana songbird and radio sweetheart Emma Swift at an Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell concert in 2013, a new portal in sadcore music opened up. That Christmas found them living and rehearsing in the tiny kitchen of a damp English sea-side flat once inhabited by Charles Darwin. Drawn together musically by a penchant for songs of desire and desolation, Robyn’s crystalline guitar-playing and Swift’s yearning harmonies evoke a psychic landscape where ghost trams lumber through the desert and desperate cacti grow beneath the sea.

The pair are excited to release their debut recording on April 18 on limited edition 7 inch vinyl through Yep Roc Records. Side A, ‘Follow Your Money’ is a new track penned by Hitchcock. Side B is a lovingly recorded cover of Neil Young’s ‘Motion Pictures’.

Robyn Hitchcock and Emma Swift will celebrate Record Store Day with an in-store performance at Zardoz Records in Hamburg, Germany.

 

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Emma Swift on the red carpet at the 2015 ARIA Awards

December 1, 2014

Emma Swift ARIA Awards

Thanks to red carpet photographer Dan Boud for sending through this great picture of Emma at the ARIA Awards in Sydney last week. Emma’s debut mini album was nominated for ‘Best Country Record’.

For overseas visitors to this page, the ARIA Awards are Australia’s equivalent of the GRAMMYs.

Emma would like to thank Fables By Barrie for the fabulous western dress and Bridget from Escape Hair in Newtown for her brilliant back combing skills. You know what they say: the higher the hair the closer to God.

 

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Emma Swift & Chris Pickering added to the line-up for Queenscliff Music Festival

October 31, 2014

Queenscliff Music Festival

Emma is excited to share that she’ll be heading to regional Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula for the Queenscliff Music Festival this year to perform alongside a stack of Australian artists including Luluc, Dan Sultan, Dyson Stringer Cloher and Husky. 

Emma will perform a one hour set with Chris Pickering and a full band on Saturday November 29.

The festival begins on Friday November 28th.

For more details visit  the Queenscliff Music Festival website.

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More great international reviews for Emma Swift’s debut mini-album

October 21, 2014

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Following her recent ARIA nomination in Australia, Emma Swift continues to receive international praise for her debut mini-album, released on August 1 by Laughing Outlaw Records.

In the UK, For The Country Record described the six-track collection of songs as “artful, soulful, creative, and the kind of sad that is so hard to find.”

In the United States, the Adobe and Teardrops blog compared Swift’s songs favourably to Sturgill Simpson’s latest effort Metamodern Sounds in Country Music — “Swift’s approach reminds me of Sturgill Simpson’s latest opus – proving their traditional chops allows both artists to push the boundaries of the genre over the edge without you even realizing. Emma Swift is absolutely a keeper. Maybe we can convince Australia to let us have her as our next national treasure.” ‘

Also in the United States, Bucket Full of Nails declared the mini-album “vinyl worthy” —  “The loping waltz of opener “Bittersweet” harkens back to days when country was country, where drinks were served in bars, not in plastic cups on a beach or at a tailgate. More Kitty Wells than Carrie Underwood.”

Emma is looking forward to touring the record in the US and the UK early next year.

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Emma Swift nominated for ARIA Award for ‘Best Country Record’

October 10, 2014

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Emma Swift has been nominated for ‘Best Country Record’ at this year’s ARIA awards.  Recognising the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres, the ARIA Awards is the music industry’s annual night of nights.

Swift’s self-titled debut record – out through small independent label Laughing Outlaw – has received extensive critical acclaim since its release on August 1.

Emma  is up against Keith Urban, Adam Brand, Kasey Chambers and The McClymonts.

“It’s the most surreal, unlikely thing that’s ever happened in my music career,” said Swift.

“I’m pretty left-of-mainstream, I’ve never played Tamworth, I don’t own a hat and my favourite country singers are Gram Parsons and Lucinda Williams.”

The awards take place in Sydney on November 26.

To read more about the awards and Emma’s unlikely nomination, read Bernard Zuel’s Sydney Morning Herald article here.

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Urban Cowboys: Feature story published in Time Out Sydney Magazine

September 30, 2014

Emma Swift Time Out Magazine

Renowned Australian arts and culture journalist Andrew P. Street has featured Emma in a story for Time Out Magazine on Sydney’s thriving new country scene. Other acts featured in the article are Fanny Lumsden, Mustered Courage, All Our Exes Live In Texas and Oh Willy Dear. Pick it up at a newsagent near you for a limited time only!

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Added to rotation on Wrecking Ball Radio and the Americana Radio Show in North Carolina

September 25, 2014

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North Carolina based digital radio station Wrecking Ball Radio, hosted by Jayson Tanner, has added tracks from Emma’s debut mini-album to rotation this week. She’s keeping good company alongside Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, Tweedy and Justin Townes Earle. You can listen to Wrecking Ball Radio here.

Also based in North Carolina, the Americana Music Show hosted by Calvin Powers has added “Bittersweet,” “James,” and “Woodland Street” to rotation. You can listen to the Americana Music Show here.

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ALBUM OF THE WEEK at JBI Hi-fi’s Strand Arcade Store in Sydney

August 29, 2014

Emma Swift mini-album makes ALBUM OF THE WEEK at JB Hi-fi

 

Staff at Sydney music retailer JB Hifi’s Strand Arcade store have thrown their support behind Emma’s mini-album, making it their pick of the week this week. The record was released on August 1 through independent label Laughing Outlaw Records and is being distributed through Inertia.

“This teary masterpiece from Emma deserves our pick of the week,” said JB Hifi’s Areatha Bryant.

“It’s a shot of whiskey with a dash of Patsy Cline. Y’all just gotta love that cocktail. Embrace the heartbreak. That’s our motto. Well done Ms Swift. You nailed it.”

The album is available now at selected JB-Hifi stores as well as online via Laughing Outlaw Records, Bandcamp and iTunes.

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Tour news: Opening for Kasey Chambers in Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane

August 28, 2014

Swift HQ is thrilled to announce that Emma has been selected to open for Kasey Chambers at her album launch shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this September. Kasey Chambers has long been a champion of great Americana music in Australia and the shows will launch her latest album, “Bittersweet”. Yes, it’s the same name as the first track on Emma’s record. Synchronicity!

Details:

September 2, Lefty’s Old Time Music hall, Brisbane

September 3, Northcote Social Club, Melbourne

September 4, Newtown Social Club, Sydney

Tickets for the shows can be purchased on Kasey’s website.

Emma will be joined by Chris Pickering on guitar for all three shows.

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International praise for Emma Swift’s debut mini-album

August 6, 2014

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With high praise continuing to flow for Emma Swift’s debut mini-album in her home country of Australia, positive reviews and press are starting to come in from overseas, with the publication of  a fantastic review from the UK’s Three Chords and The Truth website, as well as radio play across more than 30 US radio stations via the syndicated International Americana Music Show and Georgia’s Just Off The Radar program.

David Hughes from Three Chords and the Truth UK described the album today as “a 6 track collection of divine entrancing pure country gold [that] will have you drooling for the half hour it takes to infiltrate your senses…. She has her pulse on the real thing as this pedal steel driven batch of sad songs, drizzled with soul and sung at a luring pace, oozes with golden class from start to finish.”

Scottish born, Brooklyn dwelling radio broadcaster Michael Park played ‘Seasons’ on The International Americana Music Show this week, alongside Canada’s Lindi Ortega and English guitar legend Richard Thompson.

Athens broadcaster Joe Silva included ‘James’ in his playlist for Just Off The Radar this week in an eclectic show that also included Bear In Heaven and Manchester Orchestra.

New York’s Grass Clippings blog featured ‘Bittersweet’ back in July in a section titled ‘New Nashville Sounds’ featuring Kelsey Waldon and Andrew Combs.

The album was recorded in Nashville and produced by Anne McCue and has been released in Australia by Laughing Outlaw Records.