And speaking of that voice, when we sat down with Rich for this feature, he was incredibly complimentary – “I think Emma has maybe more raw talent than anybody I know, in any field”. How did you start singing? Was it something you loved and strived to become good at, or something you discovered a talent for, then fell in love with?

​

My Dad has a natural talent and an ear for harmonies. I just grew up singing with him and then in church and on stage in musicals in my hometown. I started taking voice lessons when I was about 10 years old and then studying classical voice around 14.  It seemed a very natural path for me to go on to major in voice and musical theatre in college.  It's been my whole life! 

 

“Goin’ Straight”, one of the standouts from “The Dance and How to Do It”, was co-written with Rich and Zach Ross. If memory serves, you pitched the song to Rich backstage at a convention. Can you tell us a little about the process of honing that track long distance? Was it always intended to be a song for you and Rich?

​

 This little ditty came to me out of the blue just driving around one day.  I grew up on great country music, but I've never sat down and tried to write that genre for myself, so I held onto a verse and a chorus for a while until I heard Dicky boy was making a record and I thought, "Perfect!"  Richard wrote the other verse and Zach helped us figure out the music, and it's truly one of my favorite songs I've ever written. So fun to perform, too!  

 

And now “Fistfight & Hug-Outs” features another duet, penned this time by Rich. For me, it’s the standout track on the album, and I was blown away when I realised it was something he’d written. Can you remember your initial reaction to hearing the demo?

​

(BTW, Rich had this to say about your opinion of “Your Whiskey on My Lips” - “It mattered a lot that she like it, because I look up to her a ton.”)

I mean, it was so haunting right from the start, and lyrically very intriguing. I found myself wrapped up in the story and the characters immediately.  Richard is a great storyteller.  I'm so proud of how the recording turned out. Really incredible work from everyone involved.

 

When I mentioned to Rich that “Your Whiskey..” reminded me of  Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra, he told me you had considered recording “Summer Wine”, which I’m really hoping that you may revisit down the road. Are there any other duets you love?

​

Yes! That Nancy and Lee album on repeat! Not a duet, but To Love Somebody by the Bee Gees, anything Carpenters, anything by The Judds. The Everly Brothers do it right every time. I love Raising Sand with Alison Krauss and Robert Plant.

 

Zack Darling said of your work on the album – “every take is different and every take is good”. Billy talked about how strong your instincts are for coming up with melody. When you’re adding vocals to something like “The Readout” or “Kerry-Anne”, how much direction are you given, and how much is instinctual? Is it at the forefront of your mind to provide different options to pick from?

​

I always love working with Zack, and it was a real treat to see Billy in his producer hat. They both have such an intense knowledge and great instinct on voicings, especially with harmonies.  I feel like with a lot of the tunes on this most recent album we were layering quite a bit with the background vocals to create a big sound and foundation for Richard's vocals to sit on top of.  It's hard to capture the excitement of performing these live, but I feel like the bigger the choir underneath him, the more supported he sounds. 

 

The last time we talked about music, you had just relocated to Nashville, and were spinning Loretta, Dolly, Kacey Musgraves and a little Juice Newton. Has being in the country music capital changed your own musical approach at all?

​

If anything, it just feels like returning to my roots.

 

There was a story that broke a few years ago about the secret rules of radio airplay for women in country - that female artists shouldn’t make up more than 15% of a set, and that two women shouldn’t be played back to back. Does streaming, and playlists help combat that at all? Have you felt you face more challenges navigating the industry than your male peers? 

​

Streaming and playlists definitely put more power into the hands of the listener, but there are so many downsides to streaming. It's currently pretty impossible to make a living as an independent artist because of the way the music industry is set up.  We need major overhauls in the contracts between artists and streaming platforms, similar to the massive discrepancy in pay to video streaming platforms vs. the creators of the content they are streaming (thus all the strikes last year).  I think it's equally a pretty shit situation for men and women artists.  I'm super grateful to the Supernatural fandom and RSJRFanworld for being so actively supportive of the music we all make. Coming to shows, stageits, buying merch - these things quite literally make it possible to continue making music.

 

Do you have any advice for women looking to pursue a career in a creative field?

​

I think an intimate relationship with oneself is necessary to be good at anything.  Know who you are, know what fills your cup, and be damn sure you love your craft.

 

Last month, your single “My Baby, My Girl” dropped. Can we expect an album? Any plans for live dates?

​

I've got the songs written!  You'll be the first to know.

 

Finally, there is a member of the Speight clan who is as grumpy-looking as he is majestically fluffy. And it’s not Rich. As a cat lady, how did you get on with Turtle?

​

Turtle is a mysterious and wicked creature. He wanted nothing to do with me most of the day, but when we went to snap some band photos, he jumped right in my lap.  Some souls are destined for the limelight, and he really knows how to work his angles. Respect.