Q&A: Grayling

Emma, or better known as Grayling grew up in a musical family however, she shied away from performing and stepping into her own light until later in life, and the full time music career emerged while busking on the banks of Loch Lomond.

Since then Grayling has played sold out shows with her band (Joe Rattray on Bass (Admiral Fallow, Lizzie Reid), Conor Smith on Pedal Steel, Lauren Macdonald on Drums (Heisk) and Sam Vincent Kilbride on Guitar) in The Old Hairdressers Glasgow as well as support slots at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, The Poetry Club and The Glad Cafe supporting the likes of Charlie Hickey, The Joy Hotel and Stu Larsen.Grayling has recently shared the stage opening for The Heavy Heavy, Sarah Klang, Sylvie and Charlie Hickey. She performed at Country to Country in Glasgow’s OVO Hydro as well as headlining the famous King Tut’s stage in January 2024 as a part of their ‘New Years Revolution’ festival.

We caught up with Emma to hear all about her upcoming second EP ‘Cardinal Fire’, her favourite Scottish acts, and an exciting headline slot in the iconic Oran Mor.

Your latest single dropped last month, could you tell us about 'Half Price Fantasy', the track's meaning and how it came to be? 

I wrote Half Price Fantasy early last year when I was questioning my relationship to alcohol, I guess it’s another way of saying “cheap thrills”. I was just feeling so disillusioned with drinking etc and was tired of wasting time - so that song is just sort of lamenting about that. It was so much fun to bring this one to the band, I feel like they really brought it alive and Joe Rattray (my lovely bassist and dear friend) helped write the bridge too.

The single is gearing fans up for the release of your second EP 'Cardinal Fire' with an emphasis on self care. What is your self care routine on and off stage?

With the fear of sounding quite boring - I love SLEEP haha. So important. A wee meditate here, a little yoga there, very rock and roll. On stage I always get quite nervous before a show so it’s good to have nice people around you who make you feel relaxed and I’m very lucky in that way! 

You headlined King Tut's in January this year  for New Years Revolution, which is full of incredible Scottish acts. Which Scottish acts are you enjoying listening to at the moment? And who do you think could become the next big thing in Scotland/the UK/internationally?

I absolutely love Alice Faye and I think she is slaying the game right now, her voice and storytelling is unreal and unrivalled. 

I’m always loving Cara Rose and Lizzie Reid and time after time find myself going back to their songs like a delicious sounding comfort blanket.

Kenneth Noah Blair is gearing up for some releases which I’ve had the pleasure of adding some backing vocals to. His songwriting is timeless and he is basically Scotland's very own John Prine - so be sure to check him out!

Tell us your three desert island albums.

Ahhhh this is so hard! It’s always changing… right now I would have to say - 

Courtney Marie Andrews - Loose Future 

Cut Worms - Self Titled Album  

Dolly Parton - Blue Smoke (for the endorphins) 

If you could collaborate with anyone on future music, who would it be?

I’ve been a big fan of Flyte for a loooong time and on their new album they collaborated with a lot of great artists like Billie Marten and Laura Marling, it’s a dream for sure but that would be my life made!

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are looking to establish themselves in the Scottish music industry? 

Try not to compare yourself to anyone else - this has never done any good for any one! It can feel so hard nowadays with Instagram and TikTok, I try to limit my time on both and honestly I feel too old to use TikTok anyway haha. But definitely get on that! I wish I was better with it as it’s seen a lot of people rise to success.

I think the most important thing is just to be authentic to yourself and have fun. 

And finally, what can we expect to see from Grayling throughout the rest of 2024? 

We have our biggest headline on the 30th of May at the Oran Mor Auditorium, which is the beautiful church bit up the top, I’m so excited and scared so please come along so that my anxiety dreams of an empty church do not come true x 

We’ve also got a few festivals lined up for the summer which I’ll be announcing shortly. The full EP is out on the 31st of May and we have a few more singles lined up before then! Yee bloody ha!

Follow Grayling here.

Q&A: Joell

Edinburgh's "bad boy with a big heart" is Joell, he has circled the underground Scottish hip-hop scene for some time, and is on course to break through, pioneering his own blend of sung-rap and effortless hooks. Drawing on both US and UK influences, Joell has his own unique take on the current UK rap explosion.

Get to know Joell, his latest tracks ‘Safe Outside’ and ‘Hop in the Coupe”, as well as his creative process, and advice to fellow musicians trying to navigate their way through the Scottish music industry.

Before the release of ‘Safe Outside’ in March, your last single was 'Hop in the Coupe', a favourite of the Resonate team. Can you tell us a bit about the track and how it came to be? 

My producer/my g, ‘Baygee’ comes up from Nottingham every couple of months to work on music. He’ll play beats and I just go on all of them. We pick our favourites. We work fast and efficiently and I think this night we made Hop in the Coupe, Mamacita which is part of a previous EP.

What is your creative process when creating music? Do you have a specific technique for writing/composing or is it freestyle? 

I used to try perfect everything but the music industry is so quick. I've got fast and I just believe in my ability to come different. I usually have a lot going on in life good and bad so music just allows me to get that out.  I’m not good at talking, I like to keep myself to myself but songs are just stories of my life I turn into lullabies. So I’ll play the beat and just freestyle and come up with melodies and create a sort of movie in my head that relates to whatever I've got going on that listeners will be able to relate too.  I like different sounds and as long as the sound or the beat excites me or sparks something and I feel I can do something on. it just kinda happens. It's something I got naturally good at I can’t explain that part.

What was your favourite show you played/went to last year? 

2023, was French the Kid. I supported him at the garage in Glasgow early 2023. I'm a fan of him so yeah, it was cool and my sound is a bit slower and chill for the crowd who were there to turn up for him but they really took to me, I was surprised. I don't get booked for many shows unfortunately, hopefully that changes. But go back to 2022 Resonate of course I really enjoyed that. It was an audience that were there to take in new music and new artists I think they were surprised by me. Everyone took to my sound so I feel there’s a place for me I just have to get out more. And maybe let people in a little more. 2024 lets go.

 Tell us your three desert island albums. 

50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Trying because I grew up on it as a kid,  I’ll wake up and work out and have to survive every day on my island. Travis Scott - Astroworld. That’s everything. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange. If nobody is coming to get me, I can be forgotten about in peace.

 ⁠If you could collaborate with anyone on future music, who would it be?

It has got to be Kanye. 

 ⁠What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are looking to establish themselves in the Scottish music industry?

Get a job. Whatever it is. 

1 - This is not cheap, this is so expensive, you need money to survive in this game, everything’s going to cost you, you might never make a penny, I don't believe in big deals and labels coming to save you anymore, you’ve really got to adapt, hustle and take every opportunity you can. 

2 - If you hate the job it will make you hungrier than ever to get out the job, the job will give you drive and focus to chase the goal, the life, the material - whatever the thing is, the job you hate will give you a reason to go get what you want most.

 ⁠Lastly, what can we expect to see from Joell in 2024?

Music. Loads of music. That's what I'm missing. Loads of music for people to constantly listen to and get use to my sound. SHOWS, loads of shows so they can learn my songs and come sing them with me live! LETS GO.

Make my friends proud. It's good to see Scotland make it to the euros. I want to be another positive thing to talk about coming out of SCOTLAND. 

Click for tickets.

Follow Joell here.