Emily Maguire

Biography

Emily Maguire is an independent English singer-songwriter whose strong, thought-provoking lyrics and “the kind of vocals that will melt your stereo” [Scene Magazine] have won her fans across the globe. Originally classically trained as a cellist and pianist, Emily taught herself guitar from Bob Marley songbooks and when illness forced her to give up work, she started writing songs about life and the world outside her window. Years later, back on her feet and fed up with grey skies and concrete,...

Emily Maguire is an independent English singer-songwriter whose strong, thought-provoking lyrics and “the kind of vocals that will melt your stereo” [Scene Magazine] have won her fans across the globe.

Originally classically trained as a cellist and pianist, Emily taught herself guitar from Bob Marley songbooks and when illness forced her to give up work, she started writing songs about life and the world outside her window. Years later, back on her feet and fed up with grey skies and concrete, she gave up her flat in London for a shack in the Australian bush where she recorded and released her debut album ‘Stranger Place’ to critical acclaim by the Australian media.

Combining “wisdom, hard-hitting social commentary and beautiful poetry” (Tsunami Magazine), 'Stranger Place' was ABC Radio ‘Album of the Week’ across 3 states. The first track ‘The Real World’ secured her an invitation to perform at the 2005 Singer-Songwriter Festival at The Borderline in London, where she opened for David Bowie’s renowned bassist Gail Ann Dorsey. She made such an impression that promoter Barry Everitt booked her for 2 more gigs on the spot and after she returned to Australia, he wrote on the venue website: “There is always a place for her on our stage. Her superb songs have grown on all who have seen her and we need her back soon.”

Following a nationwide UK tour in May 2006, Emily returned to Australia to record a new album 'Keep Walking' with bass player Christian Dunham and drummer Shane Nesic. Putting her cello playing to good use, she borrowed a violin, viola and cello and recorded all the parts herself to create her own string ensemble. The result was an album that has been described as "music and lyrics of an artist that goes leaps and bounds beyond... a decades and genre spanning piece of work that should be admired as a whole as much as for each individual song." [IndepenDisc]. The title track ‘Keep Walking’ is currently on the national ABC Radio playlist in Australia.

Emily and bass player Christian returned to the UK in July 2007 to open the Cambridge Folk Festival and do a 3-month, 32-date nationwide tour. A fan who saw her gig at Bournemouth Folk Club in August decided to send a CD of her songs to presenter Aled Jones at BBC Radio 2. Aled featured Emily on his show 'Good Morning Sunday' in September and, just as she was about to get back on a plane to Australia, she was offered the chance to tour the UK and Ireland with legendary singer-songwriter Don McLean.

From playing pubs and folk clubs, suddenly Emily found herself on stage at some of the biggest concert halls in the country, including the Royal Albert Hall at the end of October. Her album 'Keep Walking' - financed by making and selling goats cheese on the farm in Australia - is now being released in the UK and Ireland through Universal on 10.03.08.

Emily remains passionate about both Bach and Bob Marley, combining her love of classical music with a passion for beats, basslines and acoustic guitar. But it is her lyrics that have the most profound effect on her listeners. In a interview in early 2007 with UK newspaper The Independent, she said “What I want to do with my songs is to give people the same feeling you get when you go and look at the horizon above the sea and you get a sense of silence and space and possibility.”
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