Emily Mayne is a Wembley-based artist who has just come to my attention through the release of her debut EP. Bringing together pop, singer-songwriter, R&B, hip hop and cinematic music, there’s a lot packed into its five tracks. It’s called state of mind, losing mine.

By Graeme Smith

As you might guess from its title, state of mind, losing mine tackles the topic of mental health issues, alongside wider themes of heartbreak and loss. It’s understandable, then, that it’s an emotional journey in which Emily shows us a lot of herself, a fact that has seen her work already resonate strongly of social media, as well as in her home county of Devon, where she’s been featured by BBC Radio Devon Introducing and Devon Life Magazine.

There’s something of a local connection for her too, with Emily previously playing a Sofar Sounds session in Leeds.

It’s easy to see why Emily is getting the attention she is. Her debut EP is a finely-crafted collection, giving us contemplative piano, cutting rock, and sultry grooves. It all centres around her beautifully expressive vocals and relatable lyrics. Happy starts things off with a raw and vulnerable story of a lost relationship.

From there we get the punchy self-rebuke Love to be Adored, the soulful and slow-building Never the Same, and the percussive R&B of twothreeminutes. The EP is then rounded off by Hard to Love. In the collection’s final, simmering chapter, Emily leaves it all out there with her heart-wrenching lyrics and powerful, cinematic finish.

It’s a tricky balancing act to deliver pop that ticks all the expected boxes while also giving us something new and interesting, but with this debut, Emily nails it. Her ability to be vulnerable is the key, and her sense of composition makes the emotion of its stories shine through strongly. She’s one to watch.

You can find out more about Emily from her official website and listen to state of mind, losing mine below.