Words by Rachel June

ASBO Magazine spoke with the 21-year-old singer/songwriter Emily Bowen from Copenhagen, ahead of the beautifully raw open and honest debut album “Hate Me For This” – available to listen to here. Copenhagen in Emily’s words is a “melting pot of art, literature and young people who create things”, a place she is grateful to live and be a part of. Her lyrics are laced with truths she carries and vulnerably shares with audiences. Deep and meaningful lyrics anchor the soft and indie-pop style, whilst her soft voice dances across beats and catchy melodies. 

Emily has always loved music, which has been a part of who she is for as long as she can remember. She drew influences from her dad’s music and grew up listening to rock, folk, soul, and country. She was particularly drawn to Fleetwood Mac & Lou Reed. Emily’s current playlist includes Boy Genius, Billie Eilish, Hayley Williams, and Flight – artists she takes huge inspirations from. A dream of hers is to collaborate with Flight, River Whyless, and Kelsey Lu, saying, “I love collaborating and you learn so much from each other when working together.” 

She has always felt at home performing, writing, and creating. Candidly, she expresses how there were times she “struggled to get out of bed”, and that she felt a lack of purpose, never feeling satisfied. Pouring this emotion into her art has helped her to connect with others, whilst simultaneously healing parts of her through music. “Life, friendships and love is messy”, and Emily writes from a place of truth. She starts by following her gut feelings, making her music unapologetically raw and at times ugly, but ultimately real. She admits, “I am still learning and always will be. The truth changes, and contradictions are okay”. 

2025 is the year for collaborations, Emily hopes – and she is not letting any opportunities slide, expecting to be booked and busy for the rest of the year. So keep your eyes peeled on her journey, and follow her on Instagram here.