Amanda Emblem is a versatile entertainer. Her passion as a live performer and recording artist, spans twenty years of success and achievement. From Afghanistan to the Entertainment Centres of Australia, Amanda Emblem has travelled the world, opening for the biggest names in Rock Music, including Kiss, Aerosmith, Motley Crue and Robert Cray. She has lived a life entertaining others, touring endlessly within Australia and overseas as a civilian musician with the Australian Defence Forces before settling in the Mary Valley, in South East Queensland. Foremost Amanda Emblem is a songwriter and published recording artist, with an impressive catalog of music releases available on streaming platforms, her latest offering a full-length album titled The Wood.

With The Wood out now, we took some time to hear from The Amanda Emblem Experiment. Read below to learn more about The Amanda Emblem Experiment, the story behind The Wood, and what’s to come.

Hi! Let’s start with how did the artist name come about?

It was a combination of curiosity and ownership that convinced me to move forward with The Amanda Emblem Experiment. I’m an adopted person. Amanda June Emblem is my birth name. When I found out, it made me contemplate where I would’ve been had I used that name instead of random band names to promote my music. My birth name (Kylie Cowling) never excited me or anyone as far as band titles went. As such, I fronted bands called Kaleidoscope, The Cherries, Legless and Diva Demolition, always sharing ownership, only to be left in limbo when it all went pear shaped. So when my last band ended (badly) in 2017 and I had to reinvent myself yet again, I decided to be 100% in control and finally test my theory of using my birth name. So far the experiment is working very well.

What city are you from, and where are you based now?

I grew up in a town called Bendigo, in the state of Victoria in Australia, but now I’m based in the Mary Valley, South East Queensland in Australia. I live in a rural area on a large property, surrounded by Forestry, Rainforest national parkland and grazing properties. While I am quite isolated in comparison to the city slickers, I’ve never been so prolific or settled.

At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?

I was very young when I started playing guitar at primary school. Inspired by an older cousin at the age of thirteen, I joined my first covers band, playing bass and singing. I started writing songs about the same time, but it took a while to get to the stage of being a recording artist. I seriously have never wanted any other career, although I’ve had a few unsuccessful ‘day jobs’ along the way.

Has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound today? If so, how?

At first, I was into popular music, listening to radio hits and watching MTV. My first band made me widen my horizons, as we played music from all eras. In my teens, I discovered Led Zeppelin and that took me on a whole new trajectory. I joined a blues band in my early 20s, which was educational. My hometown was close to a city called Melbourne and there was a very strong rock scene. My cousin played in a successful band called Darkcide who covered ACDC, Status Quo and that had an influence in my early career. But today, you could say my music doesn’t much resemble any of those artists, besides the folky ballad songs from Led Zeppelin. I think moving away from the cities, my desire to play and perform harder rock has dissolved. I feel a part of my environment now, not so much rebelling against it.

How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?

It’s gentle music. My voice is sweet (so I am told) and my diction is super clear, so it’s easy to understand what I’m singing about. Most of my songs are written and performed on acoustic guitar, and my band members accompany and compliment my voice and guitar. We all sing, so there are a lot of vocal harmony parts. I’ve been labelled a folk artist, and I have elements of other genres, including rock, blues, country and even reggae. Often there is harmonica, flute and pedal steel to compliment my sound. My drummer plays a stripped back kit, and uses brushes and canes rather than drumsticks. To my ear the song is what wins in this musical environment.

Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?

I am a painter (oils on canvas) of semi-abstract pieces. It’s something that I love to kill time doing, but find it difficult to find time. I am an avid gardener. My side hustle is my market garden, and I am part of a local growers Cooperative, providing salad greens, spinaches and other veggies to my local community, which is very satisfying. This year, I should have a very large garlic crop.

Who are some of your main musical influences?

As I mentioned, I discovered Led Zeppelin as a teenager, and I still love their music today. Around about the same time that I discovered Pink Floyd who never fail to please my eardrums and brain when I go there. Right now, I am really digging the early early stuff. Harry Belefonte, Frank Sinatra, The Andrew Sisters, Ella Fitsgerald, Nina Simone. This music is so refined and clever. There’s a lot to discover about songcraft. I have deep admiration for the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac and Neil Young.

What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?

I would have to say touring overseas for the Australian Defence Forces to entertain our troops deployed overseas. I’ve done eight separate tours, many to the Middle East. Never have I felt so appreciated, and what I was doing as a musician was of value. Doing these tours makes me so grateful to be Australian, living in a beautiful safe environment.

What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?

Leadership. I’ve learned to take control. Running a band and having a music career cannot be a democratic process in the long run. Lead and the willing will follow. If not, do it alone.

Now onto your release, The Wood. What inspired this album?

Writing songs is my super power. I spend lots of time on my guitar, letting my creative brain open to the melodic and lyrical possibilities. So, there are always a lot of new songs whirring around in my head at any given time. People say albums are dead and I disagree. Not every song is a single, but it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be released. I hope to release many more albums.

What is the overall theme of The Wood?

There is a nautical/nature inspired theme evident within many of the songs, inspired by beach and boating adventures over the last few years, but there are a few diverse songs thrown in amongst them too. It’s a thought-provoking album with a variety of moods from fun to contemplative. Overall, I’d like to think there is a calmness and confidence throughout.

What was the creative process like when making The Wood?

The songwriting process was varied, but a majority was written (and recorded on my phone) during jams. My partner Jimmy (who is learning harmonica) often jam rather than watch tele or listen to music in the evening. When we can, we head up to our place near the beach and join our mates who also play instruments and jam for fun while drinking cocktails. I just throw new riffs at them and see what comes out. Songs such as ‘Storm in my Life’ and ‘The Wood’ were created in this way.

Two of the tunes, ‘Ancient Dingo’ and ‘Thousands of Songs’ were written with friend and band member Kelly King, who plays harmonica, flute and vocals. She sings lead on ‘Thousands,’ which is pretty cool. Getting her into the studio was harder than writing the songs because she’s a palliative care nurse in demand, whereas the studio could be my second home. I just love and thrive in the atmosphere, located high in the treetops of Gildora twenty minutes from where I live. Studio sessions were like a sweet summer breeze. So easy. My producer Andy is probably the best musician that I have ever worked with. He just gets me, he understands the songs, he is enthusiastic on every level and so very efficient. I put down 3-5 songs in a session, and he and I worked the songs to present back to the band, so they could get their parts right to record.

How long did it take to complete The Wood?

The songwriting took place over two years and the recordings started before the release of my last album, so approximately a year.

Is there a specific song on The Wood that speaks to you the most? If so, what is it called, and what is it about?

‘The Wood’ is a beautiful, laid back song with plenty of space (as well as being the album title); however, its theme is complex to articulate.
Where I live, inland to the beach is forestry land. The cycle, how a tree is planted, then it grows and harvested is for a purpose. Harvest is brutal, like the earth is being sliced open, yet within a short time, it is regenerated and the cycle repeats. I witness this over and over, and it always shocks and amazes me. Wood has endless uses and possibilities. We use it more than we realise. The lyrics were influenced by the pine table that I sat at when the song was written. The original recording shows that the song hasn’t changed much at all to the studio. It also reminds me of the beautiful handcrafted white cedar guitar that I perform with, made from a tree which was struck by lightning on the property where I live. Then, there is the fire I sit around and jam on a cold winter’s night. The wood keeps us warm. The song is about the wonder of all these things.

What message or messages do you hope fans take away from The Wood and your music in general?

I’d like to hope there is a positive energy with this album. I want them to find reason and peace in the melodies, escape the day to day grind in the beauty of harmony, forget the negative news cycle with imagery and feelings of joy, space, beauty and the calm that the album and its songs contain within.

What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?

I’ll be back in the studio in a couple of months, but meanwhile, I have a festival appearance at The Mitchell Creek Rock ’n’ Blues Fest on Saturday 20 September.

Where can we follow you on social media?

Website
https://amandaemblem.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/amandajuneemblem/
Twitter/X
https://twitter.com/amanda_emblem
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/amandajuneemblem/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZlcqHt8UdZw1imAHGCqYoQ
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0gaLpx9PksCkjaflmUVHkd
Apple Music
https://music.apple.com/au/artist/the-amanda-emblem-experiment/1332189882

Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!