MIA grad Gryner's in the biz for life
Emm Gryner's new album, Goddess, is now out as she plays a sold out show in London
When Emm Gryner graduated from Fanshawe's Music Industry Arts program 12 years ago, no one could have predicted the unique career path her life has taken.
Several full length albums (on both major and independent labels), tours with David Bowie, as a backing musician, and high praise from Bono have been a few of the highlights, but Gryner's nowhere near ready to retire just yet.
Still, her priorities have changed after years as a performing artist.
“I'm less excited by attention and more excited about getting out on the road and just sharing the music and connecting with the fans,” she said, via e-mail.
Lucky fans of Gryner's will see her perform in London this Friday at the London Music Club, but due to a quick sell-out, many may be left ticket-less. Those in attendance, however, will be treated to old favourites, as well as songs from her forthcoming album, Goddess.
It's her eighth, and is currently poised for a February release. London is just one of the stops on a tour of Southern Ontario to promote it before shipping off to Ireland for some overseas dates.
But touring with a catalogue that chronicles over a decade as a singer-songwriter can be difficult. “Some songs that I invested less in emotionally, like some of the poppier ones, I don't enjoy playing. It reminds me that you need to kind of go to the edge, write about difficult things for anything to be worth something,” Gryner explained.
That's how Gryner approached the songwriting on Goddess, and she has called it “very personal” and even “moody.” In fact, Goddess quite contrasts some of her previous work, which among several original albums, includes Girl Versions — a record of cover songs ranging from Blur's “Song 2” to Def Leppard's “Pour Some Sugar on Me” because, as Gryner said, “Who doesn't love the 80's?”
She also recorded an album of traditional Irish folk songs, embracing her father's cultural heritage. And as luck would have it, it wasn't long before Irish media began circulating her recordings, which led her into Bono's favour.
In an interview with Q Magazine, he was asked to list songs from the last decade he wished he had written, and Emm's “Almighty Love” was one of them. Soon thereafter, she was invited to perform on Irish TV.
Gryner has also expressed interest in exploring the anthropological roots of her mother, who was born in The Philippines, but for now, her plate is full as it is.
But as worthy as her musical endeavours are, perhaps the most significant variable to Emm's success is her truly independent spirit. Unlike many contemporary artists, her music is completely self-written, and even released on her own record label, Dead Daisy.
Still, not all of her mini-empire could be constructed single-handedly.
“You can't do everything on your own,” Gryner said. “You might retain 100 per cent of your artistic integrity by staying in your bedroom, but music doesn't mean much unless it reaches people's ears. So the point is to ask yourself, what you value, what kind of career you want to have and then team up with people who can help you achieve it.”
She attributes much of this to her education at Fanshawe College, and Terry McManus in particular, who has been part of the faculty for decades.
Of him, she wrote, “It takes a real talent to be an artist, then teach people about your experiences without being jaded. His classes confirmed to me that I could have a career in music, and guess what, 12 years in, I still do!”
Though the concert may be sold out, Goddess can be pre-ordered through Emm Gryner's website at www.emmgryner.com.
When Emm Gryner graduated from Fanshawe's Music Industry Arts program 12 years ago, no one could have predicted the unique career path her life has taken.
Several full length albums (on both major and independent labels), tours with David Bowie, as a backing musician, and high praise from Bono have been a few of the highlights, but Gryner's nowhere near ready to retire just yet.
Still, her priorities have changed after years as a performing artist.
“I'm less excited by attention and more excited about getting out on the road and just sharing the music and connecting with the fans,” she said, via e-mail.
Lucky fans of Gryner's will see her perform in London this Friday at the London Music Club, but due to a quick sell-out, many may be left ticket-less. Those in attendance, however, will be treated to old favourites, as well as songs from her forthcoming album, Goddess.
It's her eighth, and is currently poised for a February release. London is just one of the stops on a tour of Southern Ontario to promote it before shipping off to Ireland for some overseas dates.
But touring with a catalogue that chronicles over a decade as a singer-songwriter can be difficult. “Some songs that I invested less in emotionally, like some of the poppier ones, I don't enjoy playing. It reminds me that you need to kind of go to the edge, write about difficult things for anything to be worth something,” Gryner explained.
That's how Gryner approached the songwriting on Goddess, and she has called it “very personal” and even “moody.” In fact, Goddess quite contrasts some of her previous work, which among several original albums, includes Girl Versions — a record of cover songs ranging from Blur's “Song 2” to Def Leppard's “Pour Some Sugar on Me” because, as Gryner said, “Who doesn't love the 80's?”
She also recorded an album of traditional Irish folk songs, embracing her father's cultural heritage. And as luck would have it, it wasn't long before Irish media began circulating her recordings, which led her into Bono's favour.
In an interview with Q Magazine, he was asked to list songs from the last decade he wished he had written, and Emm's “Almighty Love” was one of them. Soon thereafter, she was invited to perform on Irish TV.
Gryner has also expressed interest in exploring the anthropological roots of her mother, who was born in The Philippines, but for now, her plate is full as it is.
But as worthy as her musical endeavours are, perhaps the most significant variable to Emm's success is her truly independent spirit. Unlike many contemporary artists, her music is completely self-written, and even released on her own record label, Dead Daisy.
Still, not all of her mini-empire could be constructed single-handedly.
“You can't do everything on your own,” Gryner said. “You might retain 100 per cent of your artistic integrity by staying in your bedroom, but music doesn't mean much unless it reaches people's ears. So the point is to ask yourself, what you value, what kind of career you want to have and then team up with people who can help you achieve it.”
She attributes much of this to her education at Fanshawe College, and Terry McManus in particular, who has been part of the faculty for decades.
Of him, she wrote, “It takes a real talent to be an artist, then teach people about your experiences without being jaded. His classes confirmed to me that I could have a career in music, and guess what, 12 years in, I still do!”
Though the concert may be sold out, Goddess can be pre-ordered through Emm Gryner's website at www.emmgryner.com.
