A ROUSING INTERVIEW WITH THE INCREDIBLE EMMA RUGG!!...
1. HI EMMA, HOW R U AND WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UPTO LATELY?
I'm okay thanks, I've been recording my album and planning for the release which has been hectic but in a sort of fun way. I've been writing new material and promoting the launch of the album. I went on Look North the other week and recorded a song at the Ferens Art Gallery which was a good experience, I enjoyed doing that. I've also been busy setting up my own label and planning the singles from the album.
At the moment I'm concentrating on the first single (Prelude To The End) and the B sides for that so I'm writing some new material which is exciting because it's all heading in some type of new scary direction. Hmm, what else have I been doing? Oh yeh, I've bought a new guitar and am finding it quite hard to leave it alone, I would say that it's as close to my dream guitar as I'm gonna get for quite some time so it's easy to be inspired at the moment and I'm writing lots.
2. SO YOUR DEBUT ALBUM IS NOW IN THE CAN... SELL IT TO US!...
Ok, right then, my debut album - 'Isolated Impression' is a collection of 10 personal favourites that I recorded with Producer John Spence at Fairview Studios in Willerby at the backend of last year. It's being released on the 25th of April with a launch gig at the Hull Adelphi and at the moment, the release is receiving it's first critical acclaim which is really exciting. The album being released under my own independent label - Indreams Records and also includes the forthcoming singles 'Prelude To The End' and As You Go'.
I had so much fun recording that album, it was great going through the whole process of creating it from start to finish, from saving up the money busking, to mixing down, tweeking everything, writing all the extra guitar parts and backing vocals. All in all the full process will take 11 months so it's been a bit of a mission really, it was nice to be there for all the mixing, and of course the singing and stuff. (there would be no point recording an album if someone else did all the work, hehe !) Anyway, it's all very special to me and I'm very pleased with the end result.
I guess the only wish for people who buy the album is just that they listen to it in it's entirity, even if it's only just once. I hope people will be able to connect with the music emotionally, it took a long time to get the order if the tracks right, I guess I just hope that everyone enjoys listening to it as much as I enjoyed recording it.
3. WHAT INSPIRED YOU IN THE BEGINNING TO SIT DOWN AND WRITE THE TYPE OF SUBTLY AFFECTING EMO-ACOUSTIC SONGS THAT YOU DO?
Life and experience, the way I felt at the time I guess. I think far too much so songwriting vents my desire to loom over everything, it was (and still is) the most inspiring and moving thing I felt I could do at the time, it's my way of dealing with stuff. My guitar gets everything taken out on it now. It's a release.
4. DO YOU MISS THE DAYS OF BUSKING IN HULL?
I miss it in the way that I used to talk to a lot of interesting people, I got to stand back and observe everyone else rushing about which was interesting and sometimes quite amusing. The expressions on peoples faces when they look at you and you're busking ! Some of them look at you like you're dirt, most people are really nice though but I don't miss standing in the freezing cold for hours on end and being called every crappy name under the sun for doing what I love, I don't miss that at all.
I had some good days busking, some memorable stuff went on. It rained once really heavily and everyone rushed into the arcade and waited for it to stop so I stood and played them all some music, it was really packed in there and everyone just started talking to each other and having a bit of a get together as there was nothing else to do but wait for the hurling rain to stop, erm, hurling ! Anyway, that was a nice day because I like to observe the way that other people react to things, and the way people are.
This man came up to me and asked me why I was busking, so I told him and he gave me a �10 note which was really really kind, I got given CDs from people who came to see me often, I met some really nice people and have some very fond memories of all the busking stuff, it was cool.
5. WHAT HAVE YOU GOT PLANNED IN THE PIPELINE?
Lots more live stuff because I do want to start playing lives tons more and I would like to get together a band also to see what the songs could sound like. Also the single (Prelude To The End) is set to be recorded soon so I'll be writing the B sides for that shortly, at the moment I'm still planning for the album release.
6. AND A FEW QUICKIES...
BEST MOVIE = True Stories (Directed by David Byrne)
FAVE PLACE = I've grown quite attached to being in the studio, so my favourite place would be just there, recording. You sometimes forget about the outside world when you go in there, when you open the door to leave, it's like time starts again.
MIDDLE NAME! = well its somewhere between the begininng and the end isn't it ! hehe, my middle name is Jane.
TOP TIP = if you want something doing right, do it yourself. Never depend on anyone else to do anything for you, be independent. Life is what YOU make it.
RAW TALENT? =
I like loads of local stuff, we a fortuneate that where we live is musically vibrant, we should be happy that we are in good company.
There are no excuses...
www.emmarugg.com