Emily Bowen by Mathias Haugaard
‘Hate Me for This’ is out today, January 3rd, along with the lead single, ‘Agnes’
‘Hate Me for This‘ is a multifaceted, organic, indie pop album steeped in the young Danish-American artist’s lived life – written along the way, like a diary containing pages of confessions, truths, pain, laughter, humor and an honest, vulnerable openness to all the first-time experiences of life.
Emily Bowen was a curious, gifted and unique child who repeatedly broke the bounds of any box she was put in. Full of love and encouragement from her Danish mother and American father, she explored art, dance, theater, literature and, of course, music from a very young age – improving her skills and pursuing her dreams and goals.
Her savings were spent on music equipment, and her parents’ home office was turned into a studio, while a mere 14-year-old Emily Bowen decided to knock on the doors of some of Copenhagen’s most legendary music studios, where she met creatives who openly invited the young girl into a new world that instantly unfolded for Emily, who absorbed all inspiration and knowledge.
“I have an enormous drive and, if I’m allowed, I can run like a machine. But I’ve also learned to take my time. When I got my record deal at 18, I had already been working on my music for almost four years. It’s also about being able to keep up as a human being, instead of giving in to the time and tempo that the world around you is trying to follow,” says Emily Bowen.
The drive is one thing. Another is the loneliness that also comes with not necessarily fitting in or ignoring the ‘norm’ for the sake of your own ambitions. Therefore, there is also a certain humor and self-irony and not least, a strong sense of empathy in the lyrics and themes that play out on ‘Hate Me for This’.
The debut single, ‘Honey’, set the scene in spring 2024 with its charming, noisy indie pop attitude. Intentionally written about a friend’s destructive thoughts and chaotic life, the song lyrics ultimately turned out to point towards the songwriter herself.
With a distinct tone, ‘Hate Me for This’ manages to serve up sounds as diverse as the nostalgic folk-pop of ‘Better Days’ to the alternative, hard-hitting energy of ‘Room 17’, which is directly countered on the dreamy album closer, ‘I Love You’. It sounds intuitive and impulsive – and so it is. Just like when she met ‘Agnes‘. Emily Bowen explains:
“I met Agnes a couple summers ago when I was backpacking around Europe. We sat on a couch and talked for three hours – sucked into each other’s worlds in that moment that only the two of us shared and had together. Agnes moved on to Paris, and we’ve been strangers to each other ever since. But I took the moment along with me, bittersweet and beautiful, like the lifelong exercise of being honest with yourself.”
‘Hate Me for This‘ is Emily Bowen’s debut album, out on January 3rd. The album is produced along with Rasmus Søegren and released worldwide via OPTUR Records / One Seven Music.
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