Multi-dimensional multi-instrumentalist and producer Emma-Jean Thackray broke into the London scene in the mid-2010s when a wave of instrumentalists were emerging. Emma-Jean’s sound, though, always incorporated the widest range of music, from spiritual jazz and funk to Detroit house and techno, northern Bassline and ultra-catchy rock and pop music.
A boundary-breaker in every direction, she moves easily between worlds: firing up global dancefloors as a DJ, directing the London Symphony Orchestra, and appearing at Glastonbury five times in a single year.
Her music has increasingly moved towards embracing her uniqueness and own personal stories with her most recent album, Weirdo, combining virtuosic musicality, self-expression with humour in a triumphant exploration of deep grief, neurodiversity, recovery and gratitude. The album spans grunge, pop, soul and jazz, channelling George Clinton and Kurt Cobain in the award-winning artist’s powerfully idiosyncratic style.
Thackray played and recorded every instrument, wrote, sung, and arranged all of the songs, and produced, and mixed the whole album, alone in her south London flat.
Emma-Jean brings humour, warmth, and vulnerability to the stage, inviting audiences into a shared emotional space, celebrating strangeness and resilience through a joyful collision of sound.
"Buoyant jazz-funk steeped in melody, vibrant color, and a sneaky sense of humor."
Pitchfork“A crossover star."
The Guardian"Positively combustible, party-starting grooves."
The Line of Best Fit
