Em teases her sophomore album with contemplative indie-pop gem ‘Lucky Star’

With a reputation as one of Aotearoa’s leading audio engineers, the AMA-nominated Emily Wheatcroft-Snape is now making waves with her solo project, Em.

Today sees the release of Em’s new single Lucky Star, which is the second single from her upcoming album Move (out Friday November 7).

Listen to Lucky Star HERE
Pre-save Move HERE

Em has also recorded a special live piano version of Lucky Star with Arahi at Play It Strange, which will be available on Bandcamp only from Friday August 29 HERE

A contemplative indie-pop track, which is sad yet uplifting all at the same time, Lucky Star is bound to resonate with music lovers, who have been impacted by the loss of an icon.

“It was inspired by the death of a famous musician,” explains Emily. “It reflects on who I was as a music loving young person and how that has informed who I am today. Tapping into the collective that crosses genre, culture, and generations who know the feeling of losing an idol that profoundly affected their lives. Acknowledging the shared grief of losing that person and the impact they had on the world.”

While Emily is a well-known figure in Aotearoa’s music scene, with several AMA nominations to her name and countless production and engineering credits (Fazerdaze, Louisa Nicklin, Tiny Ruins, Te Kaahu, Teeks, Lorde), she says Lucky Star helped her to hone her songwriting craft and well as her production chops.

Co-written with friends and fellow artists, Amy Boroevich (AKA Hina) and Arahi Whaanga (AKA Arahi), Emily says that the making of Lucky Star was a journey in itself. She explains that she took the base of the song into the studio with Arahi, where they developed the sound further. However, after recording drums and synths with Jeremy Loh, friends pointed out that the chorus was similar to another song.

“I decided to do a full rewrite. I have been pushing my songwriting practice in the last couple of years, rewriting verses if I’m not happy or workshopping specific lyrics. Changing out an entire chorus is not something I’ve done before and I was terrified I wouldn’t pull it off. I was so relieved when I was happy with the new idea I came with, and with refinement help from my friend Amy. I can’t imagine the song any other way.”

“Lucky Star balances authenticity in my songwriting while pushing myself in my production craft. This balance is the epitome of the ‘Em sound’, regardless of how specific song aesthetics change over time,” she adds.

Lucky Star and the already released single Love to Be, which landed on Spotify’s coveted New Music Friday AU/NZ playlist are both on Em’s upcoming second album, Move, which promises to firmly establish the multi-talented artist, producer and engineer as a driving force in Aotearoa’s indie music scene.

To celebrate the Move album release, Em has been posting a “Behind The Song” series of each track to her YouTube, which can be viewed HERE