A
beautiful country-pop ballad about Emma raising her non-speaking autistic
daughter, and her battle with the EHCP system to get her access to the correct
form of education.
(July
18, 2025) Country-pop singer-songwriter Emma King releases the single ‘Better
Than It Was’, a lyrical response to two years of navigating the
labyrinthine structure of the UK’s SEND (Special Educational Needs &
Disabilities) system for her daughter. The single is taken from her upcoming
album Pocketful Of Sun, released on August 22nd 2025.
Emma’s
remarkable journey has taken her from Northern England to Tennessee, touring
Europe and receiving 5-star album reviews along the way. Having lived in
Tennessee for 8 years, Emma became a regular of Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe and
represented the UK at Nashville’s CMA International festival, appearing on
radio stations across the country including the legendary WSM (home of the
Opry). Returning to her hometown of Hull in England and releasing her eponymous
debut album, Emma received unwavering support from the BBC including Radio 2
and live performances on BBC Radio and rave reviews.
"A
sound that sits mid-point between the gospel soul of Aretha Franklin and the
dirty blues of Fleetwood Mac - really something special" The Blues
Magazine
“A
well-rounded and beautifully sung collection of rootsy pop songs” The Crack
“A
stunning debut”
RnR Magazine
The
new album, Pocketful Of Sun, is a musical love letter to the country
sounds Emma was drawn to in her childhood, such as the cheeky mischief of The
Chicks and the country guitar-rock of Sheryl Crow. On it she reflects on her
thoughts on the music industry, her hometown of Hull, friendship, relationships
and, significantly, the joys and challenges of motherhood.
Emma’s
4-year-old daughter Eloise was diagnosed autistic at age 2 and is entirely
non-speaking. The journey to achieve a safe and appropriate education was so
fraught with struggles, inequalities and emotional turmoil, that it is a wonder
that those very few late-night hours to record the album’s vocals ever took
place.
Taking
the shape of an Americana-tinged stadium ballad, ‘Better Than It Was’is
an inspiring piece of music that gives space for Emma’s voice to convey its
delicate power and authenticity. Beginning with the point of view of a child,
the song describes the world’s unfamiliarity and the feeling of sensory
overload (“All the sounds wash over me…all the lights are blinding
beams”).
Speaking
on the process of creating the video and including Eloise, Emma
comments, “I knew I wanted Eloise to be part of the visual imagery of this
song. It was a reminder of how much you have to prepare when you have an
autistic child. We spent a long time scouting out a secluded location that
wouldn’t be overwhelming for Eloise but also had the stark beauty we wanted. I
always want to encourage Eloise to be who she is truly is - that includes her
stimming and tip-toe walking - all of which you can see as the song unravels...
The biggest highlight of making the video was seeing Eloise paddle in the
ocean, something we’ve been working towards for four years, and that made the
filming all the more magical!”
Having
been through authority appeals and court tribunal processes, it has become
Emma’s mission to fundraise and advocate for the autistic community and to be a
voice for those who don’t yet have one. This is a song filled with the
confidence in its subject that can only be born of experience, and it will
carry its message long after its final chords fade out.
To learn more about Emma King visit her
website and follow her on her socials:
June
13, 2025
- Country singer-songwriter Emma King has announced the release of her
fourth album POCKETFUL OF SUN on August 22nd 2025. The title
single, out now, is available to stream now on all DSPs (Preferred music
platform HERE), with an accompanying
video available to view on YouTube.
Emma
King’s remarkable journey has taken her from Northern England to Tennessee,
touring Europe and receiving 5-star album reviews along the way. Having lived
in Tennessee for 8 years, Emma became a regular of Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe
and represented the UK at Nashville’s CMA International festival,
appearing on radio stations across the country including the legendary WSM
(home of the Opry).
The
sunflower-strewn fields of Emma King’s new single ‘Pocketful of Sun’ have a
deeper meaning than just a hopeful nod to the British summer. Emma’s autistic
daughter Eloise has played her part in the song’s inspiration, and the
sunflower has become a symbol of empathy and inclusivity for those with hidden
disabilities. The title track from the forthcoming album, the song sums up the
infectious joy of childhood and, rather than deal with struggles and
inequalities (as does its sister song ‘Better Than It Was’), celebrates the
raucous energy of youth. Its sing-along hook “I’ve got a pocketful of
sun...I’ve got enough for everyone” invites us on an irresistible journey of
guitar riffs, americana licks, and vocal power.
More
than just a nod to the uplifting atmosphere of Emma’s trademark soulful
Americana-country sound, the true inspiration for ‘Pocketful Of Sun’s title
refers to the journey she has been on both as a musician and as parent raising
Eloise. Diagnosed autistic at age 2 Eloise is entirely non-verbal yet, amidst
all the challenges the family faces, the unconditional love felt by Emma has
been deeply inspirational, precipitating the desire to have her upcoming album
exist as a call to action as much as a tribute to her darling daughter.
A
musical love letter to the country sounds Emma was drawn to in her childhood,
such as the cheeky mischief of The Chicks and the country guitar-rock of Sheryl
Crow, other tracks on Pocketful of Sun give us a glimpse into Emma’s
years on the road in Nashville (‘18 Hours’), her thoughts on the music
industry (‘Sweetest Song’) and a moving reflection of her hometown of
Hull (‘Guess It Was Ours’).
Renowned
for her captivating and high energy live shows, Emma has supported artists such
as Jo Dee Messina, Deanna Carter, Thompson Square, Brett Michaels, Sohie Ellis
Bextor, The Drifters, Old Dominion, and Exile. Upon her return to
England Emma received unwavering support from the BBC including Radio 2 and
live performances on BBC London, HMV’s recommended release, plus rave reviews
from national media including Maverick Magazine.
LIVE
DATES
Friday
20 June 2025 - FortyFive Vinyl Café, York (29 MicklegateYO1 6JH) with
Hannah White EVENT
Saturday
11 October 2025 - Wrecking Ball Arts Centre, Hull (15
Whitefriargate, HU1 2ER) EVENT £10
Tuesday
21 October 2025 - Green Note, London (106 Parkway, NW1 7AN) TICKETWEB £13.20
ABOUT
Emma
King’s remarkable journey has already taken her from Northern England to
Tennessee, touring Europe and receiving 5-star album reviews along the way.
From
the grass roots of Hull, East Yorkshire and learning from her parent’s
love of Fleetwood Mac & Elvis, Emma developed the deep, soulful Americana
timbre that has now become a trademark of her sound. What made it even more
impressive (and still does!) is how such a huge sounding voice comes from such
a petite frame… 300+
gigs later and while still a teenager, Emma’s calling became apparent when she
spotted American legends like Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson on late-night TV
and soon declared her musical future to be America’s homes of Rock ‘n’ Roll:
Nashville & Memphis. For Emma, she knew that musical growth meant travel,
and started to look outside of the city that had primed her for what was to
come.
When
Emma turned 17 she won a scholarship to the Brighton Institute of Modern
Music awarded by Carleen Anderson (Brand New Heavies, and God-Daughter of
James Brown).
It
was here that Emma King and The Heartsets was formed, featuring Emma and
4 young musicians from Brighton, all busting out Country-tinged Americana.
After
multiple tours to Germany, and inspired by Emma’s ambition and plans to tour
America, the band followed suit and together they began self-funded trips to
Nashville, TN. The group’s instant likeability (and British accents!)
eventually hit upon a management & record label team in PLC Records that
took on and settled the whole gang in a traditional ‘band house’ in Manchester,
Tennessee, heralding the start of a new adventure.
Eventually,
Emma and co-writer/producer Ritch Spence moved back to the UK to release,
on May 27, 2016, eponymous debut album (tagged POP). The record received
national radio play (BBC Radio 2 & BBC London), was an HMV recommended
release, and was supported by Abbey Road Studios (where it was mastered),
BASCA, BPI, and Blues Magazine where Emma shared a covermount with
artists such as Joe Bonnamassa.
Roots/Rock
11 track set Electric Soul Therapy (28 Sept 2018), Contemporary Blues 4
track EP The Sun and the Blues (26 July 2019) and 11 track POP release Deleted
Scenes (26 June 2020) followed.
In
April 2025 Emma and her husband, as parents with a young 2-year-old daughter
with Autism, non-verbal and Pika conditions, raised money for National Autistic
Society on World Autism Day.
To learn more about Emma King visit her
website and follow her on her socials:
“Spine-tingling… Emma King’s
Sun Studio recordings sound exactly like you are sitting in on a session from
the 50s”– Sean Magee, Abbey Road Studios
Country-blues
singer-songwriter Emma King is to
release a special 4-track 10” vinyl
(also available digitally) on July 26th 2019 titled THE SUN AND THE BLUES. Recorded between 2014-2018 live to tape,
‘The Sun And The Blues’ showcases four of Emma King’s best live recordings at
America’s homes of Rock ‘n’ Roll: Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee.
Tracked live to analogue tape
by Grammy award-winning engineer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price),
Jake Niceley (Alison Krauss, Osmond Brothers) and Dustin Richardson (Milk
Carton Kids), Emma and her band capture the heart and soul of these original
songs, recorded and produced in a way that is faithful to the legacy of these
historic studios.
Sun Studio is the famed
Memphis recording studio founded by Sam Philips where Elvis Presley and Johnny
Cash made their first ever recordings. The ‘Birthplace of Rock’n’Roll’ was made
available to Emma for a private evening session in 2014. The House of Blues
Studio, started life in Memphis but eventually relocated to Nashville, TN and
in 2009 brought one of its most-loved buildings (Studio D) in its entirety on a
truck down the I-40 motorway!
The recordings have been kept
as authentic as possible, these are full live takes performed by musicians all
in the same room. As a bonus for those who order online, Emma has also included
a digitised version of her track ‘Devil City’ which was recorded live-to-vinyl
at Jack White’s Third Man Record Store Booth in Nashville, TN.
The Sun And The Blues was cut
to vinyl and mastered at Abbey Road Studios, London.
Biggest musical influences: Elvis Presley,
Eurythmics & Fleetwood Mac
I first came across Emma King and the Heartsets via Myspace, Maverick Magazine and saw
them live at The Half Moon, Putney supporting Tia McGraff and The Stories.
The power of Emma’s voice has taken her from
Kingston-Upon-Hull to touring the US and Europe, receiving 5-star reviews along
the way.
In her teens Emma was a gigging musician and her
love of country music developed thanks to catching legends such as Cash and
Haggard on late night television.
Emma King’s career began in earnest when she
received a scholarship from James Brown’s god-daughter Carleen Anderson (Brand
New Heavies) to study at BIMM Brighton. She built up her musical chops
performing in England and Germany and self-funded a move to the US for a five-year
period. This work paid off, leading to some incredible experiences such as
playing in Sun Studios in Memphis using vintage tape machines, Elvis’s
microphone and Jerry Lee Lewis’s piano.
She has appeared on the PBS network, BBC Radio
2, ITV, performed live for the prestigious WSM radio station and supported acts
such as The Drifters.
After meeting them at the Brighton music
college she formed a Country/Americana 5-piece band (Emma King (vocals), Ian
Harrison (lead guitar), Ritch Spence (piano & guitars), Toby Schwietering
(bass), Will Stanley (drums)) named Emma
King and the Heartsets. The gigging tradition continued playing in Europe (Germany)
and included self-funded trips to Nashville.
In 2010 they released a 13-track tagged “Alternative“
CD LIFE UNDER LIGHTS (PLC Records | Spotify) arranged by the band with
10 of the tracks written by Ritch Spence and Emma penning “On The Change” and “A
Place For Me”. The album received a 5 STAR rating in Maverick Magazine.
Maverick Magazine (June 2009) Click to ENLARGE
In November 2010 Lee Williams from CMR
Nashville (and former BCMA president) lead a British Invasion to Nashville to celebrate the 44th CMA awards and to perform at The International Party on the night before the CMA Awards Tuesday
9th November at the Cadillac Ranch. Emma King and The Heartsets joined other UK
acts Raintown, The Hayley Oliver Band, Alan West Band, “the legendary” Sandy
Newman (Marmalade lead singer) and the David Bradley Band.
The majority of comments the band received
about their live shows were that people loved the fact they were animated and
lively on stage and were a cohesive unit. They were influenced by the Nashville
sound and the laid-back life of living in Tennessee with Ritch Spence choosing
to play acoustic rather than electric instruments. With US management (Jonathan
worked for many years in the music industry) their career progressed having
left UK terrain for Music City in search of longevity.
The band made 4 to 5 trips to Nashville to show
they were committed and had a passion returning to the UK working day jobs to
save money for flights. Emma was offered a record deal as a solo singer and
turned it down to carry on with the original band. A manager who had worked
with RCA Records and Show Dog Records (Toby Keith) got interested and arranged
showcases and another label got involved.
Whilst stateside (based in Tullahoma, TN; 1
hour from Nashville) the band caught the attention of music executives, got
offered work as a house band and continued to work/tour there for four years. During
this time Emma made quite a name for herself including becoming a regular
performer at the Bluebird Cafe and opened for acts such as Old Dominion and CMA
award winning Deanna Carter, her own soulful sound evolving all the time.
In
October 2011 they released a superb cover of Chalee Tennison’s "I Am Love". A wonderful and powerful song they
discovered it hearing whilst driving and wanted to put their own stamp on it. The
song aired in the UK on CMR Nashville, BBC Lancashire and BBC Cambridge. A
video followed filmed in the tracking room in Nashville, which sadly no longer exists
on YouTube, but the audio can be heard here:
Published on March 4, 2013 Official music video
for "So Alive" by Emma King.
Emma has previously worked with Grammy Award
winning engineers including Chas
Sandford (Stevie Nicks and Chicago), Milan Bogdan (KC and The Sunshine
band, Shania Twain) and Aaron Swihart (Peter Frampton). Her debut album was
independently produced, recorded at Snap Studios in London and mastered at
Abbey Road.
In 2016 she returned from Nashville to home
soil to release a 10-track self-titled debut POP album EMMA KING (Amazon UK - UK iTunes | British Songwriting
Co.) on May 27, 2016. Her sound was described as “an idiosyncratic mix of pop,
soul and roots, with a voice that brings comparisons to Joss Stone, Annie
Lennox and Christina Aguilera”.
Emma shared “It’s almost a souvenir of my last
5 years living in Tennessee; some people take pictures but I write songs to
relive my journey”.
Emma’s writing style is open and honest,
touching upon themes such as anger and loss, but with a sense of optimism
throughout. The experience of living abroad is a prominent theme; she describes
album opener ‘Devil City’ as being “about feeling completely lost in
unfamiliar territory; getting pulled back in every time you try to leave.”
Devil City [OFFICIAL VIDEO] published on April
26, 2016
She released her second solo album ELECTRIC SOUL THERAPY (tagged
"Rock"/ "Roots Rock") on Sept 28, 2018 https://listnin.co/EmmaKingEST.
Emma felt the pull of Intercontinental music making once more. It was
recorded both in the UK and the US, showcasing an evolved sound of Roots, Rock
and Soul, alongside the idiosyncratic charm and power of Emma’s voice.
Featuring Steely Dan’s fabulous Keith Carlock on drums, the album is
underpinned with a master-crafted authentic feel, and also features film/tv
composer Michael Whittaker on Keyboards, David Santos (Elton John, Billy Joel),
Chas Sandford and many more.
She shared her four top tips for
getting the best out of studio sessions. See feature at iSing Magazine
Published on Aug 31, 2018 watch the
video for single 'War Paint':
Keeping the raw emotional power of Emma’s
songs, many of the recordings feature live takes and the music oozes authentic
analogue warmth. To top it off, the record it was lovingly mixed down to
2-track tape and mastered at Abbey Road Studios, London.
