About

Emily McLoud is many things: a self-described nature junkie, a songwriter, a guitarist, a poet, an observer, a nurse practitioner specializing in end-of-life and palliative care, a mother through and through, and a theologically curious woman with a deeply introverted nature and a great big heart. She is always pondering life’s mysteries and big questions, and loves to step back and just watch the world, which is often the catalyst for her creation.

“If something stands out to me—a phrase or sentence—I jot that down to look back on later. But there are times when I’m struck by something and get inspired in the moment, and feel like I have to run off to hurriedly sing into my phone. Sometimes a song comes really quick. Other times you plod along and rewrite lyrics off and on for 6 months,” she says.

In some way or another, Emily’s life has always been rooted in music—be it through her dad’s Neil Diamond records, classical violin training, or musically rich family road trips. Emily sang hymns in a Methodist church choir as a child, took piano lessons in first grade (though she didn’t love it), fell in love with the idea of playing violin after a presentation was given to her third grade music class, went on to study the Suzuki method in violin, and played in orchestras and competitions all through high school.

Some of Emily’s fondest childhood memories are of road trips with her family, listening to old, faded albums in the car. While listening to The Beatles along a highway, her mom would quiz her, “Emily, who’s singing lead?” With a childhood rich in musical exposure, it’s no surprise that Emily grew up a musician and songwriter in her own right. While songwriting and guitar songs are her main musical outlet today, the guitar came much later in life. “I always created music in some way or another, but it wasn't until after college that I taught myself to play guitar,” she says.

Growing up, Emily loved classic artists like The Beach Boys, The Everly Brothers, and Simon and Garfunkel. She listened to an oldies station as a child, even into middle school when classmates were discovering grunge rock bands like Pearl Jam. While Emily had a fondness for Nirvana, she developed an affinity for jam bands in her formative years. She also developed a love for the Grateful Dead early on—especially their deep cuts and Jerry Garcia’s solo projects. From this came her love of bluegrass and folk, which Emily both listens to and plays today.

After playing in bands for the last 15 or so years, Emily’s latest release is her first solo release. “I’ve played in bands since my early twenties—mostly in a duo. So this is the first time I’m going to be releasing something that’s solo—under my name. Me making all the decisions and writing all the songs. I’m more in charge of the creative vision, which differentiates from what I’ve done in the past.”

In describing her own music, Emily says, “I always think of the stuff that I do as kind of folky, bluegrass, modern sounds. The first song we’ve been working on has an upright bass, acoustic guitar, drums with brushes, pedal steel, and mandolin,” which she envisions as a sound somewhat similar to Watchhouse’s (formerly Mandolin Orange) earlier days.

Being a musician is a deeply innate state for Emily. “I do what I do because I can’t not do it. I feel compelled. It’s a creative outlet. I almost indulge in it, as it feels indulgent to create in those ways. It’s tricky and challenging which is part of the fun—and also what can drive you crazy. Naturally, it just comes out of me—it wants to find a way out,” she says.

Although her aspirations are anchored in creation, they don’t happen to include packed venues or even fame. “At this point in my life, traveling to play somewhere sounds absolutely terrible,” she says, laughing. “I don’t think of myself as a vocalist or an entertainer, I think of myself as a songwriter and I get more enjoyment out of practicing and collaborating than playing shows.”

As for the shows she does want to play, she says, “I just want to play the Cactus Cafe and similar listening rooms. I want to be able to have enough of a local presence to play in those types of spaces—and not have difficulty getting a show. I want to be locally relevant in the smallest way possible.”

That said, Emily doesn’t rule out playing her dream stages—or alongside her dream collaborators. When asked which stage(s) she would like to play someday, she named Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium without skipping a beat, making it clear that a Ryman gig is one Emily would never turn down, even if the stage isn’t her preferred means of sharing her songs. “I love the history and the stained glass, and admire so many of the musicians who have performed on that stage over the years,” she says.

When asked about her dream collaborators, Emily jokingly said, “I hope I never meet any of my musical heroes because I’d make a total fool out of myself or, more likely, just avoid them completely. Thinking of performing with or collaborating with my heroes is terrifying. If I didn’t feel that way, it would be Gillian Welch or Brandi Carlile.”

More than anything, though, she says,

“My goal is to be human and not be beyond human by any means.”