Emma Burgess

Brandi Emma is a Silverlake, CA-based singer/songwriter/musician who gained considerable critical buzz under the moniker Emma Burgess.
Hailing from small town in western Massachusetts, Brandi moved around a lot as a kid and sought refuge in the radio. While training at a theater conservatory, she taught herself to play guitar, which she then brought along with her on her cross-country drive to Los Angeles. It was in Los Angeles that she wrote her first songs and began playing regularly at local venues and singing backup for acts like Peter Bradley Adams (Eastmountainsouth).
Brandi soon scored a record deal with the Love Yourself label and released her full-length debut, Swim, in 2007 under the moniker Emma Burgess. It was produced by Rusty Anderson (Paul McCartney) and Ofer Moses, featuring such genius as Mike Garson (David Bowie) on piano and Josh Freese (NIN) on drums. The record quickly earned critical acclaim from Rolling Stone Magazine (“Break-out indie song of 2007 for Big Break”), LA Times (“Buzz Band Artist 2007”) to URB Magazine (“1,000 Artists to Watch in 2007”). In addition, several songs from Swim found their way onto network television shows.
After a guest collaboration in 2009 with the Folktronica group The Smart Set, she decided to go out on her own. Returning to her birth name- and to her original, alt-country instincts-she has carved out her own distinctive, soulful sound.
The newest creation of this talented 27 year-old's ongoing pop investigations is her debut EP, Photographic Memory, produced by Tom Livemore (Carina Round) in LA and Birmingham, featuring guest musicians Ragman Jones, Simon Smith and Ryann Snow.
Brandi Emma first worked with UK's Livemore in 2009, back on her instant alt-country torch classic, Let It Go . The song was never released, but sat itching with anticipation as Brandi experimented with other writers/producers. Happily for all of us, Brandi and Tom ultimately harkened to the muse and reunited to add four more songs -- all stellar bits of folk-inspired pop intimacy with heart and soul. These five nuanced songs explore the wistful side of romance with a steely tug that won't easily let you go.
Photographic Memory was recently released on Emma's own label, Emma Phonics Music, on October 12, 2010. She is currently touring the east and west coasts in support of the release.