The new album is finally finally finally here! Monday the 24th Feb 2020! There has been 3 years, multiple countries and a lot of learning and experiences to create an album that I finally get to present to you this coming Monday. It is such a daunting, exciting, unbelievable and totally mind blowing thought that my second album is about to be unveiled into the world. Will it be heard? Will it be loved? Will anybody relate to it? All these questions are spinning around in my head. I know, as artists, that we are meant to make music for ourselves and it shouldn't matter whether we think anyone else will like it or not...but the reality of it is, it would be a very lonely world as an artist if there were no fans who listened or people who loved the music. I would find it no where near as rewarding or heart warming if it was all just for myself. I would feel a little selfish and it would probably be put at the bottom of the list of things to do along with the rest of the self care activities, like massages and long walks on the beach. But when I have you to share it with, it becomes the top of the list. It is not just a passion but a responsibility and it is one that i take very seriously. So i really hope you love it. I hope this new album will make you proud and put a smile  on your face as you come along on this journey with me - ride shotgun as you did with Pay It Forward and the rest of my birth into the music industry. It has been a very exciting ride and I am so glad I have been able to share it with so many kind and loving people along the way. So as release day approaches, just two sleeps away, please grab your copy of the album, have a listen and let me know which parts you love, which parts grab you, which parts make you question and which parts your most excited about. And thank you! Thank you for staying on this ride with me. 

Love and Lyrics

 

Emm xoxo 

Well... 2019 has gotten off to an amazing start. Firstly, Tamworth Country Music Festival kicked us off in January and how can you possible have a bad year when it starts like that? I had my first official red carpet appearance at the Golden Guitar Awards, played all bar one day of the festival at a number of amazing venues and met a whole lot of new fans and faces around peel st... Except for the horse that sent me running a few times as it walked around Peel St, due to my being anaphylactic to them, they were all very welcome encounters. This brings me to an important point. I have moved back home to the coast, purely because i was getting very sensitive to the horse exposure and beginning to react to horse on peoples clothes. It causes my throat to swell and airways to close up so it is safer and a lot less scary on the coast. But of course, singing country music means I will continue to be out and about in Country towns. I would like to just ask you all to be aware of this and if you do have horses of your own, make sure you get changed before coming to say hi :) Otherwise I do have an Epipen in my bag... though I would very much rather not use it. In January, I also had a birthday and ran the Rally for Ric benefit concert to raise money to assist a very good friend of mine through her, and her familys, battle with a brain tumour. It was an amazing event where 800 people turned up from all walks of life and together we have raised over $55,000. Ontop of this the local builders were able to build an extension onto the families home to accommodate a wheelchair friendly bathroom, access ramps and a walk in robe. Talk about Pay It Forward...what a great example. 

The next very exciting, life altering thing that 2019 brought my way was my wedding! I got Married in March and went on a week long honeymoon to Fiji. I am so lucky to have someone who supports and loves me day in and day out. The whole wedding day was just perfect and I am still getting used to hearing 'my wife' and saying 'my husband'. But I love it.

In March, I also had the pleasure of supporting Wendy Matthews for the second time when she toured through Laurieton. This was such a great night and I truly hope I get the opportunity to do that again and again. 

In April, Aaron and I headed over to Nashville with my producer Matt Fell to record the first 5 songs that will go on my second album. This was an incredible experience brought about by a mystery box that was given to me as payment for a private function I played at in Inverell. You may remember, I was given two return tickets to Nashville! Well, we have finally gotten to put them to good use. The recording experience in Nashville was incredible. The session musicians over there are just amazing and seeing the songs grow from little acoustic tunes to fully fledged musical beauties infront of me was amazing. 

That brings us up to last week. I headed south to Newcastle where I had the pleasure of playing at the Scullion Sessions with Matt Scullion himself and Anna Smyrk at the Stag & Hunter. This was followed by a day of co writing with Matt and a trip to the Blue Mountains to write with Drew McAlister. I returned home in time to play at the Kew Country Music Festival yesterday. It was the first time this festival has been held and it had a great turn out. I can' t wait to see what its first birthday next year will bring!

That about sums up my year so far. Its not much in words but Gee its been jam packed with some really invaluable moments. I hope that life is treating you well and 2019 has so far been as friendly to you as it has to me. 

Until the next update, stay safe, happy and healthy. Come and say hi whenever possible and I look forward to sharing the new songs with you very soon. 

Love and Lyrics as always

Emm 

Whats under the bonnet you ask?! Lots actually! :) The year is well and truly under way. Isn't it flying by already?! We have just had the Anzac day ceremonies to pay our thanks and remember those who have made this beautiful country the one that it is today. It makes me think though, Australia and our freedom and mateship has always been something that we have been so proud to celebrate... but sometimes i worry. Sometimes i look around at some of the things that are happening... or not happening for that matter... and wonder if in years to come we will still be able to be so proud. Will we still even be able to celebrate Anzac Day or will it be another one of our countries important days that gets pushed aside or called another name to keep from offending somebody? I'm not sure how it all works though, when most of us are upset and offended by the changes in the first place... 

anyway, onto a more positive note! The band and i have been squeezing in some rehearsal time ( which is not always easy when we each lead very busy lives) and it is such a refreshing, exciting and motivating experience to come together with other enthusiastic, professional, talented musicians and prepare for what is bound to be an amazing trip filled with German beer and frivolities! I must say, my overseas travel has been somewhat limited thus far. I have managed to squeeze quiet a bit into my... ok ill be honest, 30 years..  but as far as off shore travel goes, this will be my first big trip. I have ventured to NZ and taken a couple of relaxing cruises to the South Pacific but this will be my first extended flight which i must say, i'm not exactly looking forward too. I have trouble sometimes sitting still through a movie... so i may need to word the band up about the fine line between me consuming enough alcohol to stop me jumping off the plane somewhere across the Pacific but not so much that i cant exit at the other end of the flight. It could get interesting! I will owe them all one giant sized German bevvy at the other end... 

I am also getting very excited with some of the songwriting that is starting to happen around forming my next album. I am going for quality rather than quantity, i'm not one of these writers who can pump out a song a day and than go back and cull what will and wont make the cut for the album. I find i do this as i go. I wait for an image of a song to form, one that is already pulling its strings with me and that as i start to mould it into a tune, it makes me want to sing it over and over. Than i know its worth working on and adding to my repertoire. If i am starting on a song that is just not clicking with me, i find it rarely gets finished in the first place, let alone fights for its place on the album. However in saying that, through the process of packing my house and moving (yet again) just recently i have been reunited with some old ideas, lines and parts of songs... and from these old forgotten rhymes, sometimes new ones grow. They are never thrown away, rather just pushed aside. I have also come to realise that it turns out i was a songwriter long before i remember being a song writer. I have found bits and pieces written through lots of little old books dating right back through the ages... ok, so i'm not quiet that old... but old enough to even surprise myself with what i have found. Its like a time capsule of songwriting that i didn't know i had. Watch this space... maybe i can morph one into something album worthy!?

And lastly for today...my new single and film clip that will hit you mid next week! This is a special one. The song, if you already have my album you would have heard, but the video... this is whats special. Being the title track of the album i really wanted to capture the essence on this song on video..and i wanted your help. After all, it is all about community and unity in general and i think we did it! I am so proud of this clip and i cant wait to hear what you think. I find it takes me on a journey of goosebumps and smiles, right up to, and especially so, the last moment of the clip...that is the special part, so make sure you watch right through! 

If you haven't already, follow me on Facebook and Instagram! I am much better at keeping that up to date than anything else, so you will catch it all on there. And if you feel like it, invite your friends, the more the merrier :) 

Love and Lyrics

Emm xo 

Hey! 

wow, these last two months have been an amazing adventure - music music music 

I finished a shift at the hospital one Monday in November, drove straight to Tamworth to catch the plane to Sydney. Arrived there still dressed in my scrubs and feeling a little awkward, headed to my motel and sussed out where i needed to be the next morning...ABC studios, Ultimo, for the Golden Guitar Finalist announcements. It was so great to have so many people from the industry all together in one room. A great opportunity to catch up with those we knew and to meet those we hadn't met already. A huge congratulations to all the Finalists!  

The next day it was off to the Canterburry Hurlestone RSL club for the National Songwriting Awards. Check out my facebook page if you haven't already to see some snaps of the Red Carpet and the beautifully set tables.  

It was back to the airport the next day for a flight back to Tamworth to head to Nundle for the songwriters retreat at The Dag sheep Station where i managed to co-write on 5 new songs in the three days of writing we had! Busy, but exciting! Our heads were spinning by the end of that 

I have also just posted the second Stories Behind The Songs video, this one is Man Of The House. Check them out on YouTube and make sure you sign up to my mailing list here at www.emmadykes.com so I can send them out to you directly as they come about. 

This all lead up to Christmas, and very soon new year. It has been a pleasure sharing the last 12 months of musical adventure with you and I look forward to the next, they are going to be VERY exciting! 

Thanks again for your support and interest in my musical career! 

Love and Lyrics 

Emma xo 

I have returned! The Drovers Run has been a great success with over 195000 dollars raised for the Westpac Helicopter and we are hoping that number will reach 200,000 before the end of the month when the fundraising closes. I hope you have all had a chance to duck over to Emma Dykes Music on facebook and check out some of the photos. We saw some amazing country. I have to say though, the highlight for me was the people. I wrote my album and called it 'Pay It Forward' because I wanted to spread the idea of doing nice things for people and not wanting anything for it. Over the last few weeks I have been blown away by the amount of people who live by this every day. From all the help and support I had from people on the run, people back home and those of you I haven't even met yet, right through to the people who have given endlessly and so selflessly to a good cause and not even wanted recognition. It is amazing. And to top off the trip, on the way up the range, after the 4300kms of tough terrain was Over, I had a mishap with the rooftop tent and it unfolded in a gust of wind. A beautiful couple, Louise and Barry from Mona Vale, pulled over to help and went above and beyond. When I wanted to show how grateful I was they said 'just say thank you, courtesy is catchy' and left it at that. I hope I come across them again one day and can return the favour. 

Than there was the Wendy Matthews support gig! The audience there was incredible and the highlights were...1) how much they liked my original music and 2) hearing the whole room of 300+ people singing along to When You Say Nothing At All! Such a rush! I was absolutely buzzing. 

I have attached a list of confirmed gigs so far and more are quickly coming in! I look forward to catching up with you there :) 

Love and lyrics as always 

Emm xo  

Well, its true what they say, time definitely flies when your having fun! And evidently, seeing it has been 3 months since i posted, i have been doing plenty of the fun stuff!
I have finished my Album Launch Tour, including shows at Tamworth Country Music Festival, North Haven, Port Macquarie, Uralla, Walcha, Wauchope, Inverell and Glen Innes. I have released Man Of The House as the single off the album and it is currently in its third month on the My Country Australia Top 40 charts, having moved up to number 2 as we speak. It is sitting at Number 3 on the AMRAP regional charts and number 2 on Florida Country Radios Big Country Top 20 countdown! As you can imagine i am finding this very very exciting and quiet unbelievable! Who would have thought hey?!
I want to take this opportunity again to thank each and every person who has listened to my music, liked my facebook page, sussed out my website, spoken about it all to your friends, come along to live shows, bought the album and merch..the list goes on and on and i am completely grateful, because it would eventually become a little boring singing songs to myself all the time, but it is all of you who allow me the opportunity to keep sharing my music with the world...quiet literally...the wolrd....wow. Florida, Uk, Europe, France and of course Australia to name a few of the places its reaching! You are all amazing. 
Anyway, now i am going to go and suck up to my dog who is sooking in the sun after we had a disagreement over her spreading my clean clothes all over the backyard...turns out a 9 month old great dane can even reach the undies... and than i am off to have lunch and make some more music before heading to the farm for the arvo :) 
love and lyrics
Emm xxx 
p.s The Drovers Run is getting so close! Thanks to Tamworth Mitsubishi the Triton is all serviced and running its best for the trip. We are currently working on Bullbar, Canopy, Fridge, 2-way, Tyres...the list goes on... but it will be all worth it when we get to cover 4000kms to help out the Westpac Helicopter and make music along the way :)

Well...2016 has come to an end and the start of 2017 marks a whole year since I graduated from the CMAA Academy of Country Music. I am in disbelief as to how far I have come in this short time and am unconditionally grateful for all the support I have had, and continue to be shown, along the way! I am glad I get to share this journey with you all.
Tamworth Country Music Festival is again over and I feel that my music was very well received this year. I am excited and warmed by the response. Seeing my face on a flag on Bridge St, singing with Luke O'Shea and winning third place in the festival cavalcade were among some of the highlights.
Tonight I found out that Pay It Forward was in the Top 3 most requested songs on TodaysCountry94one! I am so excited to hear this as it hasn't officially gone out to radio yet. That will be happening in the very near future! Don't forget to request away on all your favourite stations.
I also have some other very exciting things coming up that I will let you all know about as soon as I can :) 2017 is going to be a great year!
I wish you all the very best for it.
Love and Lyrics
Emm xxx

WOW, what a few months it has been!
I have made it into the Top 30 of the Australian Songwriting Competition with the first song i ever wrote...Footprints!
I will be heading down to the Orion Theatre in Sydney in December for the awards night :) i cant wait!
On another exciting note, today i finishing recording the last three songs for my album! Pay It Forward is almost complete and is busting to be shared with you. I cant wait for it to be here in the flesh! of course it will also be available on all music stores in the New Year as well. I have a heap of Launch Gigs locked in so make sure you save the date for one, or all ;) of them and come along to join in the celebration! 
I feel so blessed to be on this path
Love and Lyrics
Emm xxx

Wow!!!! I am stoked to find out that two of my songs have made it to the semi-finals of the U.K. Songwriting Competiton. I am so excited to have even made it that far, fingers crossed for how far they get! Thank you everyone who has encouraged, inspired and promoted my music.xxx 

Here it is, the cover to look for! This is my debut album, Pay It Forward, available January 2017  I can't wait to share this with you! My music is the storybook of my life. Every song has a tale attached and represents specific people, lessons, experiences and feelings I have encountered along the way. These songs will be like listening to me sing you through the pages of my photo album, and I'm sure it will hit a note close to home for you as well.xxx