Creston Valley local and pop musician Emma Kade hopes to release a new album next year.
Kade is hoping to return to the recording studio later this year to record another EP album, which she plans to release in early 2024.
“I have dozens of songs ready to go,” she said. “It’s just so hard for me to pick what makes the album and what doesn’t.”
Kade comes from a musical family. Her dad passed along his guitar skills to Kade, who began songwriting at the age of 14.
In high school, Kade began performing, and her career took off from there.
Kade’s first album, Transparent, was released in 2015, followed by even more singles.
Along with the guitar, Kade plays the ukulele, merlin, piano, mandolin, and six-string banjo.
Kade describes her current genre as pop, but her style started out with “folky” roots. Her genre has evolved over time, similarly to one of her greatest inspirations, Taylor Swift.
“Songwriting is my favourite thing to do. I just love creating something that wasn’t even existing before. I think that’s a really cool concept.”
In terms of her songwriting process, Kade begins with a catchy melody or repetitive phrases. Then she adds lyrics, and begins to tell a story.
“I never know when an idea might hit me. I do like to carry my phone with me because sometimes I’ll be out and about, and I’ll be like ‘oh my gosh, that’s such a good idea for a song,’ so I’ll record a voice note or write something in my notes.”
When it comes to songwriting, Kade is nothing if not thorough.
“I’m a perfectionist, so I have to sometimes figure out when I need to put the pen down and tuck it away, otherwise I’ll revisit a song over and over and change this word, change that word, change this phrase. To me, a song is never done.”
Out of all the songs she’s released, Kade says “Nirvana,” a single from 2021, is her personal favourite.
“I worked so hard writing it and perfecting it, and I just thought so carefully about every syllable and every word.”
Kade is now living in Radium, where she enjoys hiking, biking, and kayaking in the Kootenays.
Following the pandemic, Kade is once again performing regularly, including the upcoming Flats Fest in Canal Flats, BC, and many coffeehouse and pub performances in the coming months.
Kade’s favourite part of performing is connecting with people.
“I just love touching people with my music. I love to tell a story, and I love to leave a piece of me on the stage every time I go up, because I want people to feel something from my music.”
Kade is a fully self-taught musician and plays by ear, making her career even more impressive.
“I didn’t want to get too clinical about it. I wanted to not be thinking about the rules and the stuff you have to follow to create music.”
Kade said music means everything to her.
“It’s just like a part of me. It is my life.”
To aspiring young singer-songwriters, Kade says, “remember that when one door closes, it opens a window.”
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