Emma was born in a small town, deep in the heart of Texas, where she learned how to sing staying up late at night watching CMT music videos and dancing around her room to Patsy Cline albums, (forever a horse-loving Texas girl at heart).
Her family moved to Maryland when she was 11, where she began learning to sing classically, and had many opportunities to grow as a musician. One of those was the chance to perform side-by-side with world-famous opera singers in the Baltimore Opera Company's "Carmen," at age 13. From there, she took up dancing and acting as well, and auditioned for role after role in local community theater productions, while teaching herself guitar and piano and learning how to write her own music.
At 16, Emma moved to Greensboro, North Carolina, where she fronted an alternative pop rock band, went on to UNC-Chapel Hill (Go Heels!!) and earned a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After a few years living and working in the corporate world, music kept calling her back, and Emma finally quit her job to dedicate herself once more to her first love.
Her years of classical vocal training and contemporary music experience have combined to give Emma the unique ability to master the “rules” of her craft though, as with most artists, she chooses to break most of them to achieve her truly distinct sound. Her original music is wistful, poetic, and emotive, many times with room for soaring, soulful vocal improvisation. Influenced by a wide array of artists from Sara Bareilles, Brandi Carlile and Patty Griffin to Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac, her music resides somewhere at the intersection of the realms of contemporary folk, soul and pop.
Emma loves nothing more that to getting to know her audience, taking requests when she can, and playing the songs they want to hear. Music is a connecting force, and should be therapeutic for both the musician and listener in her eyes- so coming to see her play is an interactive experience- if you come out to her show, don’t be shy- introduce yourself!
Currently Emma plays music full-time, writing, recording, gigging and collaborating with the wealth of other talent native to North Carolina. Check out her duo project “The Ghosts of Liberty” with her husband Tyler at www.theghostsofliberty.com, and email her at emmaleebooking@gmail.com for inquiries.
Emma and Tyler live in Oak Ridge, NC with their rescue Pitbull, Emmit. (Adopt, don’t shop!)
"Through all the tumult and the strife, I hear the music ringing-
it finds an echo in my soul, how can I keep from singing?"