Emma Rugg :: Official Site

-'ISOLATED IMPRESSION' - UK FUSIONS TOP TEN RECOMMENDED ALBUM #9

-THE MOST REQUESTED SOLO ARTIST ON BBC RAW TALENT RADIO

-EDITORS PICK - SMOTHER

"You've obviously come from the school of hard knocks, busking on the street which takes a lot of bravery so if you can do that, you can do anything." - Warner Music

"Honest and affecting, and one of the finest releases I have heard in some time, I urge you to get a copy now." - Zeitgeist

"I dare say you’ll be addicted by tune two." - J. Sin, Smother

"Emma's got a wonderfully distinctive voice that would hold you in thrall if she was reciting a telephone directory." - Musical Discoveries

"A truly mesmerising debut album that expresses an enormous amount of emotion and passion." - UK Fusion

"Laid back vibes, lovely stuff" - Glamour Magazine

"Pure, 'Isolated Impression' is. Simple it is most certainly not." - Steve Rudd, Kidjuxta

"Her songs manage to be sensationally melodic, emotionally mature and technically sophisticated." - Dripfed

One penny, in tin, if one hundred of those things can amount to something bigger, they’re worth saving, indeed. What started as a few pence turned into something much bigger, the small change added up. Busking on the streets takes guts, especially when the decision entails standing outside for over six months to raise money to record an album, which is what happened next ......

In the summer of 2002 Emma Rugg busked in her hometown in the city centre of Hull. Some of the people who walked through Hepworth Arcade that summer turned into regular passers by, week in, week out, dropping by for conversation, bringing their kids to listen too. Months went by and even more people came back, stopping to listen, bringing their cameras, friends, sounds recorders and CDs as well the more unusual items.

“I started busking because I wanted to be out there all the time, playing, no matter where it was, when I started playing in the city centre more people started to ask if there would be an album they could buy soon, this happened often and a lot of the material that was being written at that time was coming together, sounding like it should be a record so I decided I should do something about it.”

So she did do something about it and six months later after all the change had been counted Emma spent the rest of the year finishing material and recording at Fairview Studios. Bringing together a mixture of emotionally drenched acoustic songs the debut album 'Isolated Impression' is the first in a long line of releases yet to be recorded.

Instead of looking for a record deal Emma set up Indreams Records, her own record label and lots has changed since then. Organising all press, launch events, PR and radio play, resulting in numerous reviews and features in national magazines such as Rock Sound, The Big Issue, sessions on BBC Radio, press and interviews on BBC Regional News TV, the sale of the album in HMV and Virgin stores and a placement at number nine on UK Fusions Top Ten Recommended Albums in July, the album ‘Isolated Impression’ hasn’t threatened to budge ever since and still continues to be documented frequently as the editor’s pick. Articles have appeared more recently in The Times newspaper, worldwide publications, US and European press.

At the beginning of July 2003, listening to the BBC Raw Talent radio show, a song was played on air that night from a US musician who had sent in material, Emma decided to email Henry Doss and comment on the track, a few days later Henry had got in touch with the BBC and asked Emma to fly to Traverse City, Michigan to record vocals on his material. The two struck up a creative alliance and have gone on to record new material in a second collaboration in 2004 with legendary producer John Beland who amongst others has worked with the likes of The Flying Burrito Brothers, Ricky Nelson and Johnny Cash to name but a few.

“She’s got talent, she’s got a work ethic, she’s stubborn and very independent. She does everything, plays everything. I’m in awe, being able to work with someone like her.” – Henry Doss

In the same year Emma played at James Gandolfini’s (Tony from The Sopranos) Vines Restaurant in Oneonta, New York, came home to support The Bluetones and continued to write new material. Presenters at Radio One then selected the record from thousands for the BBC TV show ‘Fame Academy – The Next Generation’ and Emma went down to the BBC in London to be filmed for the show which was broadcasted nationally on BBC One and BBC Three. Soon after Emma also appeared on ITV ‘s ‘Late Attitude’ show and flew back to Michigan for a second collaboration with Henry Doss.

April 2004, returning home more time was spent playing a piano which had been bought previously for £50 from an ad in the paper, writing, working on new material and playing live. Currently a second album is being written which includes material with a darker more edgier feel, as well as songs such as the upbeat and quirky ‘Oceans’.

Still unsigned, Emma taught herself to play guitar in 1998, appearing frequently at musicians nights, she became the vocalist of a band, playing over 250 gigs as she took her GCSEs whilst performing every night at sixteen. She also sang and played trumpet in a ska band before going solo supporting artists such as Africademba and Hazel O'Connor.

EMMA RUGG IS ENDORSED BY