Photo courtesy of EmberBees Photography

Growing up in the small farming town of Creston, B.C. was disappointing as a music fan as they did not have their own radio station. The only signal they could get was a country music station located in Spokane, Wash. but that was enough for Emma Kade and her musician father. Together they would sing John Denver and Tim McGraw for their own personal car karaoke, and to no one’s surprise, country would heavily influence Kade’s own music career.

While country music was her first love, it wasn’t her only love. She dabbled in pop and gospel, created a dance track and even tested her songwriting skills for other artists. Kade also took on the role of wedding singer. It was an enjoyable experience that even gave her the idea of singing at her own wedding.

“I’ve sang a lot of brides down the aisle over the last few years,” she said. “It was really fun to get the chance to sing at my own wedding, and sing a song that I wrote. That was really special.”

It was an idea that she had tossed around for a while. She was folding laundry when the song came to her, and it felt right. But would it be worth it? Or would it add another element of stress to an already stressful day? It became a special moment for her and her husband, and she’s so glad she decided to go through with it.

The song, “End Game”, was her first single back in the country genre. She said that she came to a point in her career where she wanted to make music that genuinely spoke to her, and country felt the most authentic.

“I just want to create without borders,” she said. “I want to create music that I enjoy without considering genre or marketability.”

Going back to her roots is exactly what she needed. However, her time spent learning and loving other genres of music will still make an appearance in her current sound. The perfect example is her latest single, “Blue Collar Man”. An ode to the hard-working people of rural communities, the song stemmed from the sounds of the local sawmill near Kade’s home. Instead of rehearsing, she found herself distracted by the sounds of logging trucks driving past. The chorus was written in under five minutes and posted online. The feedback was instantaneous, and unanimous: release the full song.

With a third song on the horizon, Kade understands the importance of releasing singles in order to grow her fanbase. She would love to release another body of work, whether that be an EP or LP, as she loves the storytelling aspect of it. Yet her sound is still something she wants to play with, and what better way to do it than one single at a time.

“I’m really happy with what I have achieved so far in my sound but I’d love to experiment with all the different genres within country music at some point,” she said.

Country music will always be Emma Kade’s first love. It keeps calling her back, and this time she’s determined to give it her all.