I recently had the opportunity to interview Emmy from Redhook. This female-fronted band recently released their newest album Post Card From a Living Hell. This album is the rock anthem to healing trauma that everyone needs to listen to! Not only does this amazing album help you feel better but it helps you feel empowered! Her interview goes into many aspects of this album from the inspiration for the album, the writing process, and even the healing journey it has developed.
Megan:
What made you guys decide to start a whole new band and how did you come up with the
name RedHook?
Emmy:
RedHook pretty much emerged from the ashes of my old 80’s inspired metal band. Our guitarist
moved interstate and we couldn’t find anyone else who could shred like him so, out of sheer
necessity, we started experimenting with a new sound! My old drummer pinched the name RedHook
from a horror novel he was reading at the time (I didn’t realize it was also the name of an actual US
town!) but I thought it sounded cool and felt fitting – if there are three things that sum up our band it’s
horror, hooks and the colour red!
Megan:
What hurdles have you had to overcome to get to where you are?
Emmy:
Haha oh god, how much time have you got? There’ve been more hurdles than I can count! Years
spent beating my head against a brick wall going through countless lineup changes before RedHook
had even released a single song. Ignoring the malicious people who told us we’d fail. All of us
navigate different kinds of trauma while on tour and still manage to play the shows. Battling
sexism and ageism in the music industry. Battling (and converting) countless gatekeepers who just
didn’t seem to “get” us or what we were trying to do. Battling self-doubt and imposter syndrome inside
our own heads. Working ourselves to breaking point so that we could stay independent and retain
ownership of all our music while still continuing to grow our fanbase. Trying to balance earning a living
with being a full-time musician (it really feels impossible sometimes!) Lots of these are hurdles that
we’re still working to overcome. We’ve definitely got our work cut out for us, but we’re up to the
challenge!
Megan:
Who are some of your musical influences?
Emmy:
Oooft, there are way too many to list! We honestly take influence from anywhere and everywhere we
can. But here are a few of the artists that influenced songs on the Postcard LP: The Used, Metallica,
System Of A Down, My Chemical Romance, Nirvana, The Prodigy, Blackbear, Bring Me The Horizon,
Linkin Park, Rage Against The Machine, Billie Eilish, Northlane, Pantera, Ronnie James Dio, Guns N’
Roses, Illenium, Neck Deep, Kasabian, Don Broco, Electric Callboy, Nikki Minaj, Oasis & Muse to
name a few 🙂
Megan:
Who are your current top 5 artists or songs that are on repeat?
Emmy:
Right now, these ones are all on pretty high rotation on my playlist:
Electric Callboy – Pump It
Bad Omens – Just Pretend
Maisie Peters – Lost The Breakup
Don Broco – Manchester Super Reds No. 1 Fan
Pierce The Veil – Pass The Nirvana
Megan:
What was your writing process for your new album Postcard From A Living Hell?
Emmy:
It came together in dribs and drabs, we kept having to steal little windows of studio time between tour
dates (and sometimes during!). It also varied from song to song, some of the tunes (like ‘An
Intervention’, we wrote on the spot in the studio with our producer Stevie Knight, while others (like
‘Postcard Xo’) grew from little one-minute demos that we’d had kicking around for a while ��
Megan:
In writing “Jabberwocky”, what lead you to remember or using Alice In Wonderlands
Jabberwocky as your metaphor?
Emmy:
It just felt like such a perfect analogy for the way my trauma impacted me and the way I chose to deal
with it – by completely denying it existed. Like the monster under your bed when you’re a kid. You tell
yourself it’s not real until you’re not afraid anymore. That’s how I tried to deal with my trauma at first,
except, it didn’t work. It kept rearing its ugly head like the Jabberwocky stalking Alice through the
looking glass in that movie. And that’s exactly how I felt, just like this scared little girl running away
from a monster and trying to find her way back home.
Megan:
Did you notice a difference in your healing process after writing “Jabberwocky”?
Emmy:
Honestly, writing that song was absolutely integral to my healing process. I didn’t realise how not OK I
still was until I started writing it. Without it, I’d probably still be going about my life pretending I was
fine, ignoring the nightmares, and battling random panic attacks. Jabberwocky finally helped me face
what happened to me, and I wasn’t really able to start the healing process properly until after I did
that.
Megan:
I’ve been listening to the songs you have released so far for Postcard From A Living Hell and it
seems like a lot of the songs deal with trauma, abuse and mental health, did you intentionally
write the songs as a form of healing for those who are through their own battles?
Emmy:
It’s definitely something I felt a certain weight of responsibility to do. Music has always been there to
help get me through my darkest times, so I want to be able to pass the torch and do the same thing
for other people. It’s not a completely altruistic thing though, writing songs like this also very much
helps me process all my own shit, so I get to help myself as well!
Megan:
I love what I have heard so far and many of the songs are easily relatable! Will the rest of the
the album also touch on these types of subjects?
Emmy:
Thank you so much! And yep, the album is choc-full of songs about trauma, heartbreak, toxic
relationships, self-loathing and mental health struggles. But the overarching message behind the
whole ‘Postcard From A Living Hell’ concept is one of hope, that these negative experiences are only
ever temporary. You send a postcard from somewhere that you’re just visiting. So even if you feel like
you’re in hell, it’s never forever. You’re always gonna find your way out of it.
Megan:
How did you come up with the graphics for the new album?
Emmy:
Shoutout to our superstar graphic designer, Keith Bogan! I had this idea of doing a twisted version of
a vintage postcard sent from some paradise-like location, with hellfire and brimstone instead of
sunshine and sand. Keith brought it to life brilliantly, I love the visuals!
Megan:
I noticed that the tour dates that are on your website are only Australian date, will there be an
upcoming tour once the album is fully released?
Emmy:
We’ll be heading to the UK and Europe this June to spread the Postcard mayhem! We’re doing some
dates with our good mates Stand Atlantic across UK, Germany, France, and the Netherlands as well
as playing Download UK and Rock For People in the Czech Republic. We’ve also got our first-ever EU
headline show in Budapest, Hungary 🙂
We’re hoping to get to the US soon, but the working visa costs make it a big challenge for an independent band like us ☹
Megan:
You have done some pretty great tours, which one has been your favorite and what has been
your favorite city to perform at?
Emmy:
Such a tough question! We have so many amazing memories from all over the world. I think playing
Rock Im Park in Nuremberg last year was one of our favourite shows ever! We opened up the indoor
stage to a packed house – they actually told us it was the biggest crowd they’d had for an opening
band in over a decade!
Megan:
Do you have any pre-show rituals you have to do?
Emmy:
Mine are pretty boring and gross really! I usually try to hit the steam room, douche my sinuses
(thanks, chronic hayfever!), and smash loads of water and honey. The exciting life of a vocalist – all
about trying to keep those pipes in check!
