A Quick Chat with エミエミ (emi emi)

A QUICK CHAT WITH エミエミ (emi emi)Congrats on the release of your debut EP! Can you tell us a bit more about the EP’s themes / meaning?
ありがとう! Thank you! Metaphorically and thematically speaking, the EP is all about being silly and having fun, about giving things a go and showing appreciation towards the people and communities that help to pick you up and push you forward. Though you mightn’t derive this meaning from a translation of the lyrics…which range from talking about online flirting, to eating snacks, to wanting to leave a club late at night because you’re sick of the loud music and sticky floors.

How did the エミエミ (emi emi) project first come together?
Not long after COVID I was approached to perform in a “Tokyo Punk” themed band out at MONA, as part of a curated Japanese dinner service. I’d played in a few bands before but mostly as a keyboardist and backing vocalist. As part of that show I sang lead vocals on a bunch of songs in Japanese, which was a really fun and unique experience. My dad is Japanese but my language skills have always been pretty poor, so it was a nice way to practice speaking and singing in a fun and low pressure environment. After that ended I approached my friend Jack Mclaine, and my partner Charlie Pyecroft to see if they’d be interested in co-writing some J-pop inspired music. Some of the first songs we wrote together are on this EP! Shortly after Charlie and I started performing the songs as a duo,  Eri Mullooly-Hill Konishi and Risa Muramatsu-Ray, who were both part of Tokyo Punk, came onto the project as dancers, which added a whole new personality to the project. I don’t really know where the last three years went but we’ve kind of just been going since then!

What’s your favourite show you’ve played so far?
We had a really wonderful time at a Festival Called PANAMA in 2024. It’s a beautiful festival held in the forests of the Lone Star Valley in Northern Tas and we played two shows that year, one in the late evening and one around lunchtime - so got to perform to a good mixture of families, kids and adults on the sauce! Eri was three weeks away from giving birth, Risa brought her three kids along, and me and Charlie led a songwriting workshop for all the kids at the festival - it just felt really nice and special to be all together in that environment and we were very well looked after. I was relieved Eri didn’t give birth on stage - though that would have been a performance to remember!

Which artists are on your high rotation playlist right now? 
KANA-BOON, Paramore, Medhanit, Abby Wallace, Ninajirachi, Hoshi no Gen and Zara Larsson. Bit of a mixed bag but damn I love all of these artists! 

What TV show are you bingeing at the moment? 
I just finished Season 3 of Colin from Accounts (hilarious, emotional, great writing, good jokes, no notes) and am now watching Last Seen as they drip feed the episodes. It’s a great thriller, I’m really enjoying it - but at the same time, I can’t believe this is how we used to consume all television…one week at a time…my housemate had to confiscate my phone when I was looking up the plot summary for how the book its based on ends (I have zero self control). 

What was the first gig / concert you ever went to?
The Wiggles! I was a devoted fan. But in terms of when I was a bit older, it was probably Falls Festival at Marion Bay (I worked at a sushi stall there for many of my teen years, in exchange for a free ticket). Those were some of the best live shows - Bluejuice, Tkay Maidza, Hiatus Kaiyote, Anderson Paak, Childish Gambino - I feel so lucky I got to see those when I was so young, I didn’t know how good I had it!

Plans for the rest of the year?
Launching the EP with a live show in Hobart in October, alongside some great supports Honomo no Gaijin, Yulan and Blaise and G.O.M.s (Girls on Mics). After that, I’m going to take a break - seeing Hilary Duff and Lily Allen in Brisbane (unparalleled 2000s pop hype) then heading to Japan for a few weeks. I’m looking forward to getting back into writing and working on other creative things in the new year, like sound engineering and DJ’ing, and playing keys for my friend’s band Soupy Mood.