SPIRAL
INDIE MUSIC ZINE
curated collections
[ quarterly issues ]

EMMALEE RAINBOW
July - September
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- interview (below)
- music videos
- listening room
"I’ve found so much more success
in collaborating rather than competing."
- Emmalee Rainbow
Emmalee Rainbow brings her own
twist to the tale of an L.A. entertainer!
At the young age of 23, she's proven
that
offering assorted creative expression
is both possible and beneficial.
Immerse yourself in this issue, where we
explore her past, present, and future.
- singer-songwriter
- multi-instrumentalist
- concert organizer/producer
- culinary prodigy
- former actor
- + so much more!
1) Your bio tells us you’re a multi-instrumentalist songwriter. a) What instruments does that title entail? b) Which instrument do you feel has been the main songwriting tool thus far? c) What is your most cherished piece of equipment right now?
a) I play guitar, bass, ukulele, and a bit of drums, though I can’t say with certainty I play any of them very well.
b) I’ve really only ever written on guitar with the exception of a few songs. As a teenager I used to sit on the floor in front of my amp with all of my pedals turned on at the same time and just write over different power chord combinations. The past year or so I’ve favored writing on acoustic.
c) Definitely my modified telecaster that my bandmate Ryan put two humbuckers in for me. So it’s really not telecaster sounding at all. It plays really well even though it is oddly THE heaviest guitar ever. My dear friend Sloane got me a generous gift card for my birthday last year that I put towards it. The guitar’s full name is Guinness Spike Rainbow—No further questions on that.
2) Do you recall the moment when you realized you possessed the super power of songwriting? If so, would you give us some details about that event and the impact it’s had on your life?
I definitely didn’t have an ‘a-ha’ moment. To this day I have a lot of doubts about my songwriting capabilities. But generally my whole life I’ve felt this strong understanding of music in a way I know not everybody does. I guess I can’t really imagine going through the motions of life without also writing songs about it, that is such a foreign concept to me.
3) What is your song writing process like? Which usually comes initially, the lyrics or the music?
Almost always lyrics first. Once in a blue moon a melody will strike me out of nowhere and those almost always end up being my favorite songs. I try to stick to writing with pen and paper because I feel like it makes me more present but that isn’t always realistic.
4) Do you collaborate with others when songwriting? If so, what is your favorite team-up so far?
When actually writing I really struggle to collaborate with others. Especially when it comes to lyrics. But in terms of producing and arranging and playing around with certain sounds, or if we want to play a song differently live, my bandmates Drew Aron and Ryan Dwyer are truly a gift. We work blissfully together.
5) For newcomers, which song do you suggest they listen to first?
I’d point them to “Trust Fall”. I’ve kind of overdosed on listening to the “Origin” EP at this point but I’m still quite proud of that song in particular.
6) You’ve described your friend group & community as sort of burnt out 20 year olds (following the challenges of childhood acting). Do you feel like music is giving you a new lease on life?
Oh god—Did I really say that? I just think child acting generally sets you up with a lot of pressure. Whether that’s coming from parents or producers or agents or the general public, whoever. So personally I feel like my twenties so far has been about easing up on my ambitions and allowing myself to just live. And having that be enough. I think music allows me to do that because it brings me such immense joy. Especially when I’m sharing it with people I care about.
7) Are there any crossover lessons/skills obtained from your childhood acting career that have prepared you for the music business?
My grandmother April Byron had this great saying, “there’s plenty of room at the top”. Meaning you should avoid comparing yourself to other artists. She would often remind me of this when I was auditioning, but it applies to music as well. I’ve found so much more success in collaborating rather than competing.
8) Your orchestration of Music Mends was impressive and inspiring! Do you think you’ll coordinate more charity projects in the future?
Thank you! That was so rewarding but also deeply stressful since I organized it entirely by myself. I would love to do something like that again, just maybe with a bit more help next time.
9) Who designed your t-shirt (the line art version of your Origins album photo)?
I did! Don’t be too impressed. I traced it.
10) Do you have any pre-show and/or post performance rituals?
Pre-show I always steam my voice and eat my safe meal, dinosaur chicken nuggets. I typically have one drink to calm my nerves before I go on, usually a hot toddy. If the venue is particularly divey I’ll actually bring a thermos with lemon, honey, hot water, and a touch of salt, and then use my drink ticket for a shot of Jameson that I pour into it. Straight after we finish playing I try to take just a couple minutes to myself, just backstage or even in the bathroom to take some deep breaths and decompress before I go out to schmooze and say hello to friends. I get really amped up on my performance adrenaline and I’ve found that that little break helps make the come-down less intense.
11) You oversaw all aspects of your official music video for Origin, even storyboarding the concept. Is that something you think will continue with your next video? Are you interested in writing/directing as well as music?
Yes definitely. Visuals are incredibly prominent when I’m songwriting and it’s kind of always been that way for me? I love brainstorming possible video concepts, or at least little scenes, throughout the recording process. It’s a dream of mine to direct music videos for other artists someday too.
12) In another interview you mentioned how a song can sometimes feel like its writing itself. This is something other storytellers might relate to. For others, can you expand on how you believe this occurs?
I wish I had an answer. Mostly I wish I had a way to tap into that feeling on purpose. It’s tough to describe and has only happened to me a couple of times, but it’s this remarkably freeing, meditative state where the world around you just disappears and it’s like you can’t move the pen fast enough. Personally I feel like it’s a release of pent up emotion inside of me, but perhaps there’s some otherworldly explanation for it. That’s a nice thought too.
13) You’ve been open about finding creative inspiration via other art forms. Is there a song, in particular, that was prompted by a particular movie, book, or music genre?
This is a great question. As strange as it may sound a lot of my upcoming record was inspired by the work of Anthony Bourdain, both his books and his TV shows. As well as early “Saturday Night Live”.
14) Anything else you have a burning desire to share?
I’ve been teasing it for ages but new music IS coming. I’m a fully independent artist and fund my projects entirely on my own which is why they take so damn long. But I really think these songs are worth the wait. And though I dread it from the depths of my soul, I have to start making TikToks.
EMMALEE RAINBOW
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*all Q&A's are conducted via
e-mail with interviewer, ZsaZsa K.
(unless otherwise noted)