A CHAT WITH EM BEIHOLD
BY DANI MIRELES AND GITIKA SANJAYIf Em Beihold could describe her music in a phrase, it would be “quirky pop.”
“Pop doesn’t feel right, indie doesn’t feel right,” the 25-year-old singer songwriter shared, laughing - “it is a little more quirky!” With two EPs, titled Infrared and Egg in the Backseat, already released, Beihold is well on her way to spreading quirky pop across the world. In fact, she’s just about to embark on her first headline tour, named the Maybe Life is Good Tour after her newest single, and she couldn’t be more excited. “[I’m] so grateful [for] touring,” Beihold shared at an 1824 press conference. “[I] never dreamed of touring because it was so beyond what my music dream was.”
Beyond anything else, though, she’s excited to hear her fans sing her newest release, “Maybe Life is Good.” The song came out of nowhere for Beihold, who had originally written what she described as an “angsty song about friendships falling apart.” After sharing it with a friend, Beihold decided she wanted to write something different. It was the “feeling that I needed at that moment,” she spoke about writing the song. “I didn’t know if I would release [it], but I kept coming back to it. [I] related to it.” It’s clear from the first listen that “Maybe Life is Good” is not the same angst that Beihold first found herself writing: the song is, on the contrary, unapologetically positive. “[I’m] forced to have a positive outlook,” she jokes. “You know, maybe life is good.”
Beihold’s music is not just about positivity, though: it’s about honesty, and with that comes a focus on mental health. Beihold’s self discovery journey has been both challenging and profounding. This exploration of her identity and who she is as a music artist has intertwined with her mental health. Her musical journey serves as a therapeutic journey for her fans and for herself, she is always writing about anxiety, she feels like it is easy not to deplete herself, saying how it is difficult for her to dig deeply into her soul with strangers in the recording studio, but she feels a responsibility that as an artist, she has to be honest and true to herself, as she expresses that writing is how she goes through things in general. Anxiety is a recurring theme in her discography, with her newest release being no different, as she talks about the anxiety that comes when a friendship falls apart. For her upcoming tour, the organisation Active Mind is accompanying her in order to raise awareness and for fans to get easy access to mental health help.
Creativity is also extremely important to Beihold, who, alongside singing and songwriting, loves to craft. She runs “@craftiesbyem” - an Instagram channel dedicated to her crafting journey, where the Los Angeles native has shared pictures of her embroidery, painting, and jewellery. “I want to make a vintage charm necklace,” she says, describing her favourite crafts. She uses her crafting abilities for her musical career, as well, especially when it comes to album art. “I present sketches and receive confusion,” she laughs. “I don’t want to give too much detail, but want to give enough…but it gets better each time.”
When thinking about the future, Beihold is thinking about happiness. “I’ve reevaluated everything,” she reflected, “and maintaining my happiness with music is involved [in growth].” She’s focusing on spending time with friends and family alongside her “little hobbies” - whether painting or knitting or exercising. “I went through kind of a dark time,” she shared, “but, you know, you have to go through it. I’m finding the positive - maybe things will be good.”
“Maybe Life is Good” is available to stream on all major streaming services.