Emmy the Great

Moss was born in Hong Kong to an English father and a Chinese mother. Interested in music from a young age, she used to go by train to her nearest Tower Records shop so that she could buy the only non-Chinese music they had and, as a result, she developed a liking for bands such as Weezer, The Smashing Pumpkins, and The Lemonheads.{{cite news|url=http://musicremedy.com/e/emmy-the-great/album/first-love-6437.html%20Music%20Remedy%20Interview%20with%20song%20explanation|date=15 February 2009|access-date=2011-01-18|publisher=Music Remedy|title=Emmy the Great to release First Love|archive-date=18 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318073728/http://musicremedy.com/e/emmy-the-great/album/first-love-6437.html%20Music%20Remedy%20Interview%20with%20song%20explanation|url-status=dead}} A British citizen through her father, she moved with her family to London at the age of 11.{{cite news|url=http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/815775-discover--emmy-the-great|date=18 December 2009|access-date=2006-05-04|publisher=DrownedinSound.com|title=DiScover: Emmy the Great|first=Sean|last=Adams|archive-date=29 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929234100/http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/815775-discover--emmy-the-great|url-status=dead}}

Her first credited appearance was as a singer on the Lightspeed Champion album Falling Off the Lavender Bridge.{{cite web|url=https://www.songfacts.com/facts/lightspeed-champion/galaxy-of-the-lost|title=Galaxy of the Lost by Lightspeed Champion - Songfacts|website=www.songfacts.com}}

Her first recordings under the name Emmy the Great came in 2006, when she released a series of free demos over the internet while studying contemporary music at the University of Westminster{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/jun/12/arts-advice-bme-students|title=How to crack the arts as a BME student|first=Coco|last=Khan|newspaper=The Guardian |date=12 June 2017|via=www.theguardian.com}}

Moss began writing her debut album, First Love, in "dilapidated studios" owned by The Earlies in rural Lancashire{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7853618.stm|title=Talking Shop: Emmy The Great|publisher=BBC | date=10 February 2009|access-date=2016-03-11}} and was released in February 2009. It spawned the singles "We Almost Had A Baby" and "First Love". The album was received with generally positive reviews, while The New York Times compiled their list of "Best Albums of the Year 2009" and ranked First Love at No. 7.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/arts/music/20caramanica.html|date=18 December 2009|access-date=2009-12-18|work=NYtimes.com | title=Sumptuous Hip-Hop, Nashville Punk | first=Jon | last=Caramanica}}

Her second album, Virtue, was released on 13 June 2011. The album's lead single "Iris" was released as a digital download on 29 April 2011. Speaking of the album's recording process, Moss said that, "It's been a very strange few months, and I can’t wait to make a record of them".{{cite web|url=http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/emmythegreat|title=Emmy The Great|work=PledgeMusic|access-date=2016-03-11}} Both albums are released on Emmy's own label, Close Harbour Records. After signing to the British label Bella Union, her third album Second Love was released in 2016.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/mar/13/emmy-the-great-second-love-review-emma-lee-moss-algorithm-hyperlink-dance-w-me-lost-in-you|title=Emmy the Great: Second Love review – a benchmark smashed|first=Emily|last=Mackay|newspaper=The Observer |date=13 March 2016|via=www.theguardian.com}}

Moss has collaborated with several other artists, most notably Dev Hynes and Fatboy Slim (the latter as part of the Brighton Port Authority project). She has also worked with alternative rock band Ash{{cite web|url=http://www.myspace.com/emmythegreat/blog/518827565|title=Emmy the Great's Blog: Ash are Amazing|publisher=Myspace|access-date=2016-03-11}} on an acoustic studio re-recording of the single "D" – "Tracers" and also performed with them on their A-Z tour. Moss recorded a cover of Ash's song "Burn Baby Burn" which was the B-side to her single "First Love".{{cite web|url=http://www.forfolkssake.com/news/3472/emmy-the-great-defends-bbc-6music|title=Emmy the Great defends BBC 6music|date=26 February 2010 |publisher=For Folk's Sake|access-date=2016-03-11}} Moss and Ash singer Tim Wheeler collaborated on a Christmas album, This Is Christmas, in 2011. In 2013, she announced on her Facebook page that she had contributed vocals and lyrics to Gabriel Bruce's debut album.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/emmythegreatofficial/posts/10151535744434333|title=Emmy The Great - Hello, I am so excited that Gabriel Bruce... - Facebook|work=Facebook.com|access-date=2016-03-11}}

In 2011, Moss performed with Elizabeth Sankey of Summer Camp as a "super duo" singing "I've Never Had Sex" at the London Word Festival in 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/emmy-the-great-9-1294894|title=Emmy the Great and Summer Camp 'superduo' perform - video | NME|website=NME |date=2 May 2011}} Later that year, a portrait of Emmy the Great painted by British artist Joe Simpson was exhibited around the UK including a solo exhibition at The Royal Albert Hall.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/photos/musician-portraits---joe-simpsons-paintings-of-rock-stars/249522/1/1 |title=Musician Portraits - Joe Simpson's paintings of rock stars |website=New Musical Express |date=14 October 2011 |access-date=2016-03-11}} On 31 October 2012, Moss teamed up with Kate Nash on Halloween in a re-enactment of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode (Once More with Feeling) with herself as Willow.{{cite web|title=Kate Nash marks Halloween by recreating Buffy The Vampire Slayer |url= https://www.nme.com/news/nme/66944#| work=New Musical Express |access-date=16 August 2013}}

In 2013, Moss recorded original songs for the soundtrack for Sony Pictures' Austenland, which appeared in the film alongside an original score by Ilan Eshkeri. In 2015, she wrote the end song for Mystery Show, a podcast by the broadcaster Starlee Kine.{{fact|date=September 2022}}

In 2017, she wrote original music for Strangers, a series by the filmmaker Mia Lidofsky,{{cite web|url=https://www.emmythegreat.com/about|title=ABOUT|website=Emmy the Great}} as well as the original songs for comedian Sara Pascoe's stage adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/theatre-review-pride-and-prejudice-at-the-nottingham-playhouse-g9dqb2993|title=Theatre review: Pride and Prejudice at the Nottingham Playhouse|first=Ann|last=Treneman|date=21 September 2017|via=www.thetimes.co.uk}}

Moss has written for The Guardian, Vice Media and for music magazine The Stool Pigeon. An article of hers, based on her time in Omaha with Lightspeed Champion, is featured in the Stool Pigeon compilation book Grace Under Pressure.{{cite web|url=http://thestoolpigeon.bigcartel.com/product/grace-under-pressure-book|title=Grace Under Pressure Book|publisher=The Stool Pigeon Shop|access-date=2016-03-11}} Her writing style has been praised as poetic.{{cite web|last=DeSantis|first=Harrison|title=Emmy the Great – Virtue|url=http://culturetechreview.blogspot.com/2011/06/emmy-great-virtue.html|work=Culture And Technology Review Online|date=18 June 2011 |publisher=The Culture & Technology Review Online|access-date=18 June 2011}}

During the writing of her second album Virtue, Moss' atheist fiancé underwent a religious conversion and left her as a result, moving abroad to serve as a Christian missionary.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/08/emmy-the-great-virtue |title=Emmy the Great: The end of the affair | Music |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=2020-04-12}} Her song "Trellick Tower" is thought to have been inspired by this.{{cite web|last1=Simpson|first1=Dave|title=Emmy the Great – review (Sheffield Cathedral)|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/07/emmy-the-great-review|website=The Guardian|date=7 June 2011 |access-date=8 March 2015}} She has since dated collaborator Ash frontman Tim Wheeler.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/08/emmy-the-great-virtue|title=Emmy The Great: The end of the affair |work=The Guardian|date=8 June 2011 |access-date=2019-09-26}}

• First Love (Close Harbour, 2009)
• Virtue (Close Harbour, 2011){{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/emmy-the-great/56043|title=NME News Emmy The Great to release second album 'Virtue' in June - NME.COM|date=11 April 2011|work=Nme.com|access-date=2016-03-11}}
• Second Love (Bella Union, 2016)
• April / 月音 (Bella Union, 2020)

• This is Christmas (Infectious, 2011) with Tim Wheeler{{cite web|title=Tim Wheeler & Emmy The Great release 'This Is Christmas' today|url=http://www.music-news.com/shownews.asp?H=Tim-Wheeler-and-Emmy-The-Great-release-This-Is-Christmas-today&nItemID=46078|access-date=21 November 2011}}
• Austenland Original Movie Soundtrack (Madison Gate, 2011) with Ilan Eshkeri{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2013/08/review-austenland-starring-keri-russell-bret-mckenzie-jennifer-coolidge-94916/|title=Review: 'Austenland' Starring Keri Russell, Bret McKenzie & Jennifer Coolidge|first1=Cory|last1=Everett|date=12 August 2013}}

• Acoustic Bonus CD – Live at 12 Bar, London (Rough Trade Shops, 2009)

• Take Me I'm Free {{small| self release}} (2006)
• My Bad (Moshi Moshi, 2008)
• Chris Moss EP {{small| Internet release}} (2007)
• Edward (Close Harbour, 2009)
• S (Bella Union, 2015){{cite web|url=http://bellaunion.com/2014/11/emmy-the-great-has-a-new-ep-coming-titled-s/|title=EMMY THE GREAT has a new EP coming titled 'S'|work=Bellaunion.com|access-date=2016-03-11}}
• 再來的愛 (Plumeria, 2018){{cite web|url=https://www.emmythegreat.com/blog/2019/2/26/-ep-out-now|title=再來的愛 EP Out Now|work=emmythegreat.com|date=26 February 2019 |access-date=2019-06-22}}

• "Secret Circus/ The Hypnotist's Son" (Drowned in Sound, 2007)
• "Gabriel" {{small| 7"}} (Moshi Moshi, 2007)
• "We Almost Had A Baby" (Close Harbour, 2008)
• "First Love" (Close Harbour, 2009)
• "A Woman, A Woman, A Century of Sleep" {{small| complimentary download}} (2011)
• "Iris" (Close Harbour, 2011)
• "Paper Forest (In the Afterglow of Rapture)" (Close Harbour, 2011)
• "God of Loneliness" (Close Harbour, 2012)
• "Swimming Pool" (Bella Union, 2014)

• "Gabriel" 7" (Moshi Moshi, 2007)
• "The Easter Parade" (2007)
• "We Almost Had a Baby" (2008)
• "First Love" (2009)
• "MIA" (2009)
• "Iris" (2011)
• "Paper Forest" (2011)
• "God of Loneliness" (2012)
• "Zombie Christmas" (2012)
• "Swimming Pool" (2014)
• "Algorithm" (2016)
• "Constantly (English version)" (2016)
• "Constantly (Chinese version)" (2016)

{{Reflist}}

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• {{Official website|www.EmmyTheGreat.com}}
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• {{URL|Last.FM/music/Emmy+the+Great|Emmy the Great}} statistics, tagging and previews at Last.FM
• {{YouTube|LmTmNtj5cZI|Exclusive Interview with Virgin Red Room}}

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Category:1984 births

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of the University of Westminster

Category:Anti-folk musicians

Category:British Asian musicians

Category:English people of Hong Kong descent

Category:English women singer-songwriters

Category:English singer-songwriters

Category:Hong Kong people of English descent

Category:Singers from London

Category:21st-century English women singers

Category:21st-century English singers

Category:Bella Union artists

Category:Noah and the Whale members

Category:British women punk rock singers

Category:English women rock singers

Category:Moshi Moshi Records artists