The landscape around music and mental health has shifted for the better. As we enter a new age of pop music, singer/songwriters have made these honest and vulnerable topics staples in their music. When talking to friends or family about mental health, sometimes it can be difficult to share those vulnerabilities and many people turn to music to relate to and find solace in what may seem to be a solitary feeling.
Chatting with Em Beihold felt like chatting with a friend. Our discussion reflected her music, the conversation was honest and real like her lyrics, natural and bright, like the music.
This La La Land native has achieved success and so quickly into her ever growing career. Her first album Egg in the Backseat was released last summer, with a collective 365.8 million streams and includes the smash single โNumb Little Bugโ. Collaborating with artists such as GAYLE, Stephen Sanchez, and Eric Nam, Em has cemented herself as a staple to this new decade of pop stars. Opening for acts such as The Jonas Brothers, AJR, and Lewis Capaldi, Em is fresh off her first headlining โMaybe Life is Good Tourโ and has much to share about her journey on the road and off and what making music these past few years has meant to her.
How did the remarkable success of โNumb Little Bugโ shape your approach to your music career?
I think it was very special that โNumb Little Bugโ did what it did so quickly and I feel extremely grateful for it. I also think a lot happened before I was even ready to know who I was, you know? I feel like being an artist thereโs a lot of groundwork that needs to be laid and a lot of assurance; kind of who you are as an artist, what your visuals are, your branding, and stuff like that. I feel like thatโs something thatโs been catching up to the level that โNumb Little Bugโ brought me to, which has been a journey Iโm very grateful to be on but definitely different dealing with the virality of the song.
A lot of your music, not just โNumb Little Bugโ, touch on the topic of mental health and self discovery. I feel like that really has become part of your brand.
Yeah, definitely. Writing music has always been my form of journaling ever since I was very young. So even before I knew people were going to listen to it it was just sort of the way I would sort through emotions.
How do you hope your songs resonate with listeners with similar experiences with self discovery and mental health?
I hope that my songs help people feel less alone. I feel like sometimes I have conversations with people my age and weโre kind of you know, close to college when the pandemic happened. Structure is gone in our lives, weโre very confused and even if youโre doing what you want itโs just like life feels very different. The pressure feels very different and growing into adulthood is hard for everybody. Sometimes when Iโm having these conversations Iโm thinking of songs that I wrote that I want them to hear because I feel like it proves that theyโre not alone and weโre all feeling similar things at this stage in our lives. I have some friends that are working high up jobs and they thought achieving a high level of success would make them happy but it doesn’t necessarily. I think itโs sad that so many people feel that way but also kind of cool to realize that all these intense feelings you have arenโt only in you. I try to do that with your music.
In terms of your music, youโve been able to blend the stuff that weโve been talking about now โ heavier life things โ with upbeat melodies and lyrics. How do you find that balance between catchy melodies and meaningful lyrics?
Itโs not even a balance I seem to find, itโs kind of my natural way of songwriting. When I was writing โNumb Little Bugโ, I wasnโt like โLetโs make this sound happyโ it just kind of poured out like that. But I would say I have a lot of influence from Regina Spector and Sara Barilles as well and they have a lot to do with my writing style. And again, music has always been my form of journaling so I think the way those meet is how I write.
Iโm sure the producers youโre working with are also able to bring the vision to life! Whatever it may be.
I think something thatโs also been kind of interesting about this headline tour that Iโm on currently is how diverse the audience is. Thereโs a lot of little girls who I think just like the music but they donโt necessarily know the depth of the emotion it talks about. And then thereโs like, college kids and people in their forties and up who actually relate to the lyrics of the songs. Itโs kind of funny to see the different responses because some people are there because theyโve dealt with severe anxiety and some people are there because they want to dance. I think thatโs kind of a cool thing!
A lot of parents have told me โMy daughter started listening to you first and then I started listening and weโre fans for different reasons.โ You know, you see the parents also dancing. They donโt look dismayed, they look like they’re having a good time and I just think thatโs cool.
What has been your favorite memory from being on tour so far?
Ooh. Honestly, Iโve loved all of the VIP experiences and getting to have a little Q and A with the fans and talk to them…
If you want to read the full interview with Em Beihold and hear more about how she felt opening for the Jonas Brothers, future aspirations, and her favorite song to dance to onstage, head over to issuu to read the full interview.
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Keep up with Em Beihold: Instagram // TikTok // Spotify // Website
