We recently connected with Emily Afre and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Emily thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Creating, recording, and producing my debut EP was an intense and transformative journey for me as both an artist and an individual.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Emily Afre. I am a Cuban-American singer-songwriter based in Miami, Florida. My music blends elements of Southern Gothic, Old Hollywood, and psychedelic rock. My influences include Kate Bush, Björk, PJ Harvey, Nico, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Growing up, I sang along to Patsy Cline, Grace Slick, and Stevie Nicks. I draw inspiration from gothic and romantic literature, confessional poetry, classic horror films, and surrealism. Currently, my music explores themes of desire, longing, isolation, death, and good vs. evil.

I started performing locally with my former band, Womanhouse, in 2019. I met my bandmates while working in college radio. Although we disbanded at the start of the pandemic, I continued collaborating with two of its members, Steve Montoya and Björn Roland. In 2020, I decided to work on new material under my self-titled project – aiming to write, produce, and release my debut EP. During this time, I had many songs in the ether, waiting to be nurtured. Some were fragments of ideas, others I declared exercises, and a few still linger as semi-forgotten voice memos. However, neither of them felt right for the record. We gave wing to two lost Womanhouse songs: “Lonely Man” and “Déjame”. The other three songs were written afterward (thanks, Saturn Return!).

We recorded at Hollywood Vintage, Moso Studios, and at home with bandmates and engineers/co-producers, Adrian Garcia and Travis Morin. The record was mixed by Maryam Qudus (La Luz, SPELLLING) and Mauricio Cano, who also mastered the five tracks. The music plays with tensions between hope and despair, intimacy and emotional (or physical) distance, vulnerability and protection, fate and control, loneliness, the unattainable, and the inevitability of death. I strive to find a delicate balance between power and sadness; this is a tricky space to navigate. In this process, I felt deeply understood by my team and for that I am grateful.

My debut EP was self-released on September 20, 2024. You can listen anywhere!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

A thriving creative ecosystem exists when we give back to our community. We can show up for each other by attending events and performances, celebrating each other’s achievements, sharing and promoting each other’s work, checking up on our friends, and offering other kinds of support when we can.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My creative journey is deeply rooted in what I believe to be my higher purpose—my soul’s calling in this life. Music is how I make sense of myself and the world around me. I strive to create something meaningful, something that extends beyond my own experience. I feel a profound desire to connect with others, to serve as a storyteller, and to invite them into my inner world. In a way, I feel a responsibility to empower others and bring light to hidden truths.

My debut EP, released in September 2024, is the result of five years of persistence, dedication, and struggle. Along the way, I faced moments of doubt and frustration, but each challenge reinforced the importance of completing this project. It was imperative to be true to the music, my vision, and the messages I wanted to deliver – remaining strong in the face of adversity. The journey became a testament to the commitment I share with my team towards creating something authentic, evocative, and lasting. I look forward to writing more music this year.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @emilyafre
• Other: Emily Afre on Spotify
  

  Apple Music, Deezer, TikTok, YouTube Music & Amazon Music.

Image Credits

Elene Afre