NEW SINGLE: OUT NOW
‘ Reality shows are televised to the masses, yet for many they’re watched in secret… a guilty pleasure if you will! ‘
Emma and the Fragments are a dynamic indie alt rock band from London. They create a sound that is both powerful and nuanced blending elements of indie rock, punk and pop lead by Emma on lead vocals creating catchy, energetic and sometimes darker songs exploring themes of love, loss, joy and self discovery.
1. For someone that is yet to discover EMMA AND THE FRAGMENTS how would you describe your music?
Female fronted alternative / indie rock pop band- blending these elements together means we create songs that have hooky riffs, catchy melodies and lyrics which express a myriad of human emotions and experiences.
2. What inspired you as an artist?
We have a mixture of influences in the band ranging from rock, metal, punk and pop. Emma (lead singer) is influenced by pop artists and indie bands from the 1990s to 2010’s. The guitarists lean towards metal, grunge and classic rock and the drummer pretty much likes most genres!
3. What is your process for preparing to perform live? Do you have any Diva demands?
We do not have any diva demands, though Emma is wondering if she should get some! Although saying that Emma likes to have chamomile tea before a gig and to avoid loud environments the night before to avoid straining her voice. Emma also gets very upset if she can’t use her own microphone. So maybe Emma is more diva than she likes to admit.
4. Where do you feel you fit into the music landscape?
Alternative rock, though our newer tracks probably move us more into the pop rock genre.
5: What are your favourite musical genres, and are there any you dislike?
Because there is a mixture of influences in the band, there isn’t a musical genre that isn’t liked by someone!
6. Where did the name come from?
Emma writes the lyrics for the songs, which are largely derived from personal experiences. The songs represent the fragments of her stories, hence the name Emma and the Fragments.
7 What would you say is your greatest strength as an Artist?
Our song writing process – because we have such diverse music tastes in the band, each song is different, is influenced by different artists and brings something new each time. Every song tells a story.
8. What would you say is your greatest weakness as an Artist?
Keeping on top of the demands of social media, in terms of creating and posting new content. We haven’t joined TikTok so maybe that’s our greatest weakness!
9. What can fans expect from your new single ‘Transparent Skin’
A dreamy rock pop song, which overall has a melancholy feel and explores the feelings of unrequited love.
10. What music artist would you say have influenced your work?
As a band we couldn’t tie it down to one artist. Each song has derived influences from different artists, for example the inspiration for the music for Transparent Skin, was Sneaker Pimps, Florence and the Machine and Skunk Anansie. The lyrics were initially inspired by Emma’s guilty pleasure Love Island.
11. Who would you most like to collaborate with artistically?
All of the above and more! Emma’s been really getting into St Vincent and Lola Young recently so watch out for their influence in future music!
12. What was your worst performance?
We played a gig which was outside in torrential rain, we put on a good performance but spent the whole gig worrying we were going to get electrocuted because the backline and instruments were soaking wet! Thankfully our fears were unfounded!
13: What was the most difficult obstacle you have ever faced and how did you overcome it?
The pandemic was probably the most difficult obstacle we faced as a band, not being able to see each other and play gigs was hard. We managed to record our last EP (Smile till it Hurts) during the summertime of 2021 when the restrictions were lifted – but it was a tense time due to the craziness of the world. Unfortunately, our bassist left the band to put his work life back on track after losing his job. Thankfully we soon recruited a new bassist who has been with us since then!
When the world opened back up it was hard to get gigs, either because some venues did not survive or because so many artists were competing for gigs. Thankfully things have settled down, so there is less competition but unfortunately the grassroot venues continue to close. Now it’s hard to move out of the smaller venues, gain followers and get our music heard!
14: What is your creative process when making music. Do you work with others or is there just you?
The process varies, Emma writes the lyrics and the melodies for all the songs and the band collaborates on the composition and arrangement. In the earlier days of the band, Emma would create a melody over a riff or composition created by our guitarist Donn and together we would craft into a song. More recently Emma has written the songs (lyrics, melody and chord progression) on guitar with a basic arrangement for the band to work together to craft into the final product.
15 Where do you see your musical career in 10 years?
The band having a bigger following on social media and fans to support playing at bigger venues! Our music being licenced for use on series or films. Emma would also love to write for other bands/artists. So basically continuing to be in music and doing what we love!
