Singer-songwriter Emily King is trying to make every day a special occasion. She explained this to her friend, musician Louis Cato in front of a small group of admirers and fans on a recent rainy afternoon in Midtown Manhattan’s Rough Trade record store. She said, “The goal is to make everything feel like a special occasion. Waiting for the train: special occasion. Walking to work: special occasion.”
And she puts that philosophy into practice on her new record, Special Occasion (ATO). It’s her first new release in four years following her Grammy-nominated record Scenery.
Although in both her music and her demeanor she puts on a glossy coat, in fact many of the songs were borne out of heartbreak and pandemic isolation. She says, “It actually comes out of more of a heartbreak time for me. A lot of these songs were written during Covid and that whole time and in the thick of this heartbreak when the memories are out to get you.”
Emily channeled those memories into her songs. She says she thinks of her songwriting as a kind of journalism of her own experiences. “This album was just me trying to collect information throughout my life,” says King. “I’m like a journalist with myself. I go out into the field, I have to experience life and let things happen all with the intention of like… my goal in life is to write a great song.”
One of the early singles on Special Occasion was released late last year, in advance of the full record. It’s called “This Year.” At Rough Trade, she explained how after realizing that she had been spending so much time on social media, posting selfies and looking for external validation, she was determined to change the narrative. She said that she sings it to herself every day as a kind of personal affirmation. To put a finer point on it, she then spontaneously broke into song and the whole room sang along.
Emily has worked for over a decade on her records with multi-instrumentalist producer Jeremy Most, and the two have developed a kind signature sound that is notable for its uncluttered elegance. On stage she has often been joined by just one or two other musicians to accompany her. Setting those kinds of boundaries is intentional for her sound.
She says, “I think limitations are fantastic ways to develop a style. I like limitations. I like only having a couple ways to do something. Even when I’m recording, I like having only a couple instruments. I live in a small town with just a couple of things to do. Sometimes it’s nice to have a limitation.”
While Emily King may be leaning into her limitations, her spirit and her musicality appear to be boundless. And although she may prefer to live in a small town, she also likes to be on the move. She says, “I feel like I’m somebody when I’m going somewhere.”
And that’s good news for her, as she embarks on a month-long US tour, just as her album Special Occasion is released.
