A merger of indie, pop, and folk aesthetics, Move. comprises of mesmerising guitar patterns, rich vocal layers, moody synths, and groovy drum loops in a world of their own.

"In-hindsight this album is about me coming into my own; feeling truly comfortable in myself, enjoying the beauty I have built in my life, seeing the truth of my experiences for the first time, and allowing the momentum of my hard work to pull me forward. The album cover shows me making fleeting eye contact with the audience as I run past. That is this album. What you perceive in that eye contact is up to you.

I worked with a lot of collaborators to both write and produce the songs on this album. I found it best to give my collaborators a reference point when creating. The visual reference was Blue Dancers by Edgar Degas, and all of the songs should feel good while sitting in the sun."

Move. was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Em who is an accomplished audio engineer in the New Zealand music scene. Collaborators on Move. include Alex Corbett, Amy Boroevich (HINA), Arahi Whaanga (Arahi), David Feauai-Afaese Vaeafe (Leao, Hanisi Garue), Jason Johnson (Gram Antler), Jeremy Loh, Josh Worthington-Church (Exploding Rainbow Orchestra, Mammalien), Locky Buchanan (Shooless), Luan Meaker.

Em is the solo music project by audio engineer, Emily Wheatcroft-Snape. Em grew up as a songwriter in Auckland, before studying audio engineering, and working full time in the music industry. In between recording sessions, Em utilises her audio skills to push forward her songwriting into her own projects.

Move. Singles

Deeply reflective, a little bit wonky in places, created with my friends. Lucky Star balances authenticity in my songwriting while pushing myself in my production craft. This balance is the epitome of the "Em" sound, regardless of how my sonic aesthetics change over time.

Driving acoustic guitars, drums, and bass underpinned by a drum machine, emotive electric guitars, and Em’s most characterful vocals yet. Inspired from the death of a famous musician, Luck Star reflects on who Em was as a music loving teenager and taps into the collective of music lovers who know the feeling of losing an idol.

Check out this piano ballad version of Lucky Star ^^

Encapsulating late night drives and a longing for something new, ‘Go’ features a looping drum machine, uplifting synth hook, and humble acoustic guitars set against Em’s lush vocals

“In Spring on the eve of a holiday to the islands I drove the long way home, blasting an old favourite album with the windows down as the motorway flashed by. Thinking about how pent up I felt and how many people had moved overseas. Should I stay, should I go, what do I have, and what do I want? The next day I started writing, trying to capture that feeling shared by so many others."

Go

Lucky Star

Crush

Have you ever been in a situationship with someone you’ve already dated? If yes, this song is for you. The lyrics in this song try to describe the freedom, strength, and sadness that comes with choosing to not fall in love. Whether that is for self-protection or because there is a different form of your relationship that could be more meaningful.

Crush in a anthemic indie-pop track featuring cruisey drums, glittering 12-string guitars, quirky synths, and grooving bass line. Written and performed by Em and Gram Antler, with drums and guitar layers by Arahi.

Move. on Vinyl

As an audio engineer I love working on projects. To be able to sink my teeth into something and craft a world within an album. When I work on my own music, everything I create is to the brief of the next body of work. This is why it's so integral for me to release vinyl for my albums, to highlight the songs as a unit. And why I wanted to release the vinyl two weeks before the digital release, so listeners can experience the album in its entirety before adding their fav tracks to playlists.

If you'd like to get a copy of the vinyl you can buy directly from me via my Bandcamp or directly from the manufacturer Elastic Stage.

Emily Wheatcroft-Snape
Auckland, New Zealand