An interview with Emerson Snowe
You recently published your new song “Frankenstein”, would you like to tell us the story of this song? Do you feel a little bit like this character? Is this song a clue for a new Ep?
Sure, it feels good to finally have it out. The song was written fairly quickly, then I left it for a few months. Eventually when a few friends told me which songs out of a couple hundred I had written those previous few months, I put a list together. Frankenstein was one of the tracks on the list - so I went back and gave it some retouches. Yeah, it will be apart of a release, an EP. It’s definitely the simplest song out of the one's coming out.
How your musical project started?
I came up with Emerson Snowe when I was 15 years old. It was a way of showing friends my music and to get an honest opinion from them, rather than saying it was my own work. I moved to a new city and did shows under the moniker, then I became apart of a band and Snowe got put on the back-burner. Each year though I would try and do at least one Snowe show.
What are your influences and inspirations?
When I was starting the project I was heavily influenced by the ‘Illinois’ album by Sufjan Stevens and ‘I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning’ by Bright Eyes. Since then it’s gone through whatever I am influenced at the time, for example songwriting by Bradford Cox and his emphasis on the last syllables of his vocal delivery - the simplicity in songwriting of Lou Reed - the power of Patti Smith's live performances and living inside your art. It’s all one thing.
We love the drawings of your songs covers! What is your relationship with the art world?
Thanks - but I don’t have any relationship with the art world - nor do I think I will. Maybe in the future it would be nice having another show - I was apart of a group exhibition a couple years ago. I started doing those line drawings a few years ago, I like having the backdrop of the line faces with myself in them. A continuation from the first EP cover, and single artworks - because everything is just a continuation of my previous work.
Tell us three very significant books for you.
‘Significant’ makes this question a bit more complicated. I guess ‘Just Kids’ by Patti Smith has always been maybe the most influential books in my life. Recently i’ve read a lot of Otessa Moshfegh books, my first being ‘My Year Of Rest And Relaxation’. I’d say that ‘Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim’ by David Sedaris is important to me, because that paved a lot of ground with using humour in my work alongside supreme honesty and almost sadness. ‘I Dreamed I Was A Very Clean Tramp’ by Richard Hell is great too.
Where do you live? Which is the relationship with your city? how does it influence your work?
At the moment I live in Berlin - as far as a relationship goes I guess it’s nice being in a new atmosphere. Although I would say that my songwriting is just as prolific. I don’t go out to bars, which in turn means I don’t interact with new people.
Five albums you would recommend to Socks readers.
Here are some of the most influential albums to me.
WORDS OF WISDOM AND HOPE - Jad Fair and Teenage Fanclub ALBUM - Girls ILLIONOIS - Sufjan Stevens HORSES - Patti Smith CONEY ISLAND BABY - Lou Reed
Photo by Miriam Marlene Waldner
