Multicultural singer-songwriter, Emily Litta, recently dropped a new single called “Show Up.” We sat with the promising talent to have a genuine conversation about her inspirations, idols, and writing process.
“There’s a big mix of different music, languages, customs and general cultural backgrounds that certainly influence how I write, how I live my life and who I am,” explains Litta, who had to travel to a different county every few years!
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Your music holds many influences, from ‘90s and 2000s pop to a more modern style. Did your approach transform over the years, or was it natural from the very start? Please tell us more about your creative process.
I guess since a really young age I’ve always been a bit of a music geek and that was something that affected my writing skills a lot. I used to listen to chords and melodies I liked from certain songs and try to reproduce them on guitar or write something that felt like that. RnB and 2000s pop were super influential but I like to think my music is a blend of so many different genres that it’s hard to really box it in. It also varies depending on what I’m listening to the most that month.
Please list the top 3 artists that have inspired you.
If I had to write down three artists that really affected my music growing up I’d probably start with John Mayer. He was the man that really taught me how to songwrite and use lyrics that felt different and interesting, he also helped me to improve my guitar skills. Another great one would be Prince and all that funk guitar and groovy basslines. Lastly I’m gonna go with Daft Punk, because the album Discovery just really switched up all the gears for me in terms of how far I could push my sound.
Your lyrics are often very relatable to the majority. Is this something you are aware of and what are the main messages you’d like to share with your audience with “Show Up”?
I never focused a lot on my lyrics growing up as it was really one of the aspects of my songwriting that I wasn’t super proud of. I had to work and still have to work hard to try and convey through words what I’m feeling most of the time. Writing a blog certainly made a huge difference but I guess with “Show Up” the goal was to try and not filter or polish anything that I was thinking and I also felt it was my duty to be honest with everyone, especially in a world where everything is very curated and real feelings are often masked. I wanted to say that life gets hard, we might feel heavy at times but it’s how we react and how we come out of it that really makes us fighters and stronger in the end and I’m so happy that people connected to those words.
Tell us more about your personal journey. It is fascinating to have such a multi-cultural background and identity. How do you channel all these influences and experiences into your songs?
Being from a multicultural background and having traveled so much from a young age really meant for a long time that I didn’t have one place I necessarily called home. On the one hand I have my Italian background ,which is very strong and powerful and united with my NZ/British side. I feel I get to have the best of both worlds. There’s a big mix of different music, languages, customs and general cultural backgrounds that certainly influence how I write, how I live my life and who I am. I like to think there’s a piece of me and a different version of myself in all the cities I’ve lived in and I go back to it whenever I need Inspiration.
As this year approaches its end, what is your number one purpose to achieve in 2023 as an artist?
I really want to perform my songs and get that feeling of connection you only get when you’re on stage. Make lots of new music for you plus 23 is my lucky number so 2023 might just be my year. 🙂
Listen to “Show Up” on Spotify: