Emmy the Great – Listen to Our Interview in the New Episode of the Under the Radar Podcast
May 13, 2021
British singer/songwriter Emmy the Great is our second guest on Season 2 of the Under the Radar Podcast. Born in Hong Kong to a Chinese mother and English father, Emmy the Great is the moniker of Emma-Lee Moss, who is also a writer, journalist, and sound designer for film, television, and podcasts. In this episode Moss discusses her childhood in Hong Kong, moving back to England, and her search for belonging—at the intersection of East and West—through her music.
With April, her most recent album, she attempts to tackle this penultimate question of identity and belonging with songs in English and Cantonese. While her first two albums, First Love (2009) and Virtue (2011), were taken with very English concepts such as Albion and the poetry of William Blake, here, her themes are Eastern preoccupations—with health and their connection to our internal organs in “Your Hallucinations.” To the moon goddess in “Chang E”—who in Chinese folklore was banished there with her rabbit companion. Buzz Aldrin had famously remarked, “Ok we’ll look out for the Bunny girl” during the historic 1969 moon landings. You also hear instruments such as the gamelan (traditional, Indonesian percussions) and the bamboo organ (a giant, church organ that has it’s own annual festival in the Philippines).
April was written four years ago in New York, after a British Council residency to China and a trip back to Hong Kong. Having felt that she had transcended her life in the small, former British colony, Moss was surprised that after her trip she felt the pull to return there. As soon as the album was recorded, Moss moved to Hong Kong. She made a life there with her partner and then became a mother. In 2019, after pro-democracy protests broke out, followed by the Chinese government crackdown, they made the difficult decision to leave.
The songs and sounds in this episode are from a time before. It transports us to postcard-perfect destinations that aren’t as easy to access as a result of political upheavals and/or the pandemic. And while questions of Asian identity are particularly pertinent during AAPI Heritage month, the notions of belonging explored are pretty universal. To celebrate AAPI, we will also drop a bonus episode later this month featuring Thao Nguyen of Thao & the Get Down Stay Down.
A new Under the Radar episode is released on the second Thursday of every month. And two weeks later a shorter 10-15min episode will act as a companion piece and discuss the making of the earlier episode. Listeners will get a chance to listen to tape that might not have made the earlier cut and other behind-the-scenes morsels. There will be opportunities in future episodes to invite fans on the mini episodes. You can also write in to the show at celine.teoblockey@undertheradarmag.com to share your thoughts. And we might read them out.
Each monthly episode of Under the Radar features an interview with a different musician conducted by host and producer Celine Teo-Blockey. Upcoming guests this season will include Julien Baker, Adrian Younge, James Yorkston, Sleaford Mods, London Grammar, and more.
On top of being available on all podcasting platforms the podcast also airs on WLUR, an NPR affiliate based in Lexington, VA (the city where Under the Radar is currently based). By Celine Teo-Blockey
Under the Radar Presents: “Why Not Both” Podcast Featuring The Anchoress
Mar 11, 2021
Every week, in partnership with Why Not Bothpodcast, we’ll be presenting new podcast episodes that explore how multiple passions inform the inspiring lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.
Catherine Davies aka The Anchoress worked at the BBC for exactly one day before quitting and accepting funding for her masters and PhD in literature and queer theory. It was a bold choice and one that paid off, as her academic pursuits paved the way for her brilliant albums and production work with fellow artists, as well as her role as a touring member of Simple Minds. As an artist and a scholar, Davies champions the idea of “magpie-ing” which she defines as taking the shiniest bits from the world around you and shaping them into your own craft. Given the gorgeous constellation of work she has produced, it seems as though she may be onto something…
Under the Radar Presents: “Why Not Both” Podcast Featuring Buzzy Lee
Mar 03, 2021
Every week, in partnership with Why Not Bothpodcast, we’ll be presenting new podcast episodes that explore how multiple passions inform the inspiring lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.
During our interview, musician and writer Sasha Spielberg aka Buzzy Lee posed the question, “would you rather be doing well and no one knows or appear to be thriving to everyone else but know that you’re actually not doing well?” It’s certainly a valuable quandary not only for artists but for everyone navigating this curious time where we are our own most captive audience. We appreciate that at least in Buzzy’s world, elaborate baked goods, beautiful songs, and the art of being a cozy girl can live alongside the occasional existential ennui.
For more from Buzzy Lee, join up with her on Instagram and Twitter. Her new album Spoiled Love is out now. You can also grab her previous EP Facepaint via Bandcamp.
Under the Radar Presents: “Why Not Both” Podcast Featuring Joshua Henry
Feb 24, 2021
Every week, in partnership with Why Not Bothpodcast, we’ll be presenting new podcast episodes that explore how multiple passions inform the inspiring lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.
Joshua Henry may be best known for his Tony nominated roles on Broadway but this year, he had the opportunity to finally slow down and create his own original music. After the initial shock of not being on stage every night wore off, Henry found himself getting involved with DoSomething, a youth led organization dedicated to bettering the world through small every day actions, and delved into the joy of being a stay at home dad. We love his take on being a modern-day Renaissance man that embraces empathy and exploration in all his creative endeavors.
Get to know Henry by stopping by his Instagram and Twitter. His debut EP Guarantee is out March 4. In the meanwhile, enjoy his soulful new single, “Stand Up.”
Under the Radar Presents: “Why Not Both” Podcast Featuring Shamir
Feb 17, 2021
Every week, in partnership with Why Not Bothpodcast, we’ll be presenting new podcast episodes that explore how multiple passions inform the inspiring lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.
This year, we’ve all had to embrace the idea of doing less with more and being creative with what we have at hand. Few people managed to do it better than Shamir with the release of his self-titled album and the growing collection of titles on his label Accidental Pop Star. In a year of magical thinking, Shamir certainly made the best of a closet full of fabulous clothes and an open heart to the many forms creativity may take.
For more from Shamir, be sure to hit him up on Instagram and Twitter. His new self-titled album is out now. Be sure to also wrap your ears around his moody cover of Billie Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes” when it comes out later this month.
Under the Radar Presents: “Why Not Both” Podcast Featuring Parson James
Feb 11, 2021
Every week, in partnership with Why Not Bothpodcast, we’ll be presenting new podcast episodes that explore how multiple passions inform the inspiring lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.
Our guest Parson James knew something was up when his 2020 vision board kept falling off the wall in the middle of the night. We got to catch up on this transformative time as he pulled off signing a record deal, going through intensive trauma therapy, and navigating a proper pandemic “situationship.” When he’s not writing hit songs, Parson is an outspoken mental health and LGBTQ+ advocate through his work with the LoveLoud Foundation and we love that he spreads the message of love and self-acceptance in a time when we all need it most.
Under the Radar Presents: “Why Not Both” Podcast Featuring Reggie Watts
Feb 04, 2021
Yup, we’re back! Every week, in partnership with Why Not Bothpodcast, we’ll be presenting new podcast episodes that explore how multiple passions inform the inspiring lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.
Reggie Watts is famous for his improvisational skills so it was no surprise that we had a delightful time talking about literally everything that popped in our heads. From his brilliant project WattsApp to his collaboration with fellow genius Marc Rebillet and his work on The Late Late Show, Watts is always striving to create community and connection with his art. After all, as he told us, creation is a cooperative dance with chaos.
Under the Radar Presents: “Why Not Both” Podcast Featuring Baio
Jan 28, 2021
Yup, we’re back at it! Every week, in partnership with Why Not Bothpodcast, we’ll be presenting new podcast episodes that explore how multiple passions inform the inspiring lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives.
In our season opener, we spent time with Chris Baio, exploring what it means to release his new solo album during a year of tumultuous events. Baio is used to being on tour nonstop with Vampire Weekend and was looking forward to making good on his New Year’s resolution to produce other artists in his new studio, but instead found himself accidentally exploring life as a kayaking bearded outdoorsman in Oregon. We all got a little weird in 2020 but we are glad that it resulted in some new songs and only a few questionable hair choices.
