We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Emily Elgin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

The thought of being a full time musician never seemed attainable to me because I never thought about it as “a real job”. It was always something the elite few somehow managed to figure out…so, I never tried. Until one day I had grown so incredibly unhappy I took the leap and jumped all in. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I am the happiest I have ever been in a job now that I am doing what I love. Don’t get me wrong, there have been days that I’ve thought about throwing in the towel and going back to a “regular job”.

Starting from the ground up is unbelievably hard. It’s been a-lot of sacrifices, being told “no” so many times I couldn’t count them if I wanted to. Its been a-lot of crying in my kitchen floor or calling Daddy or my sister and saying “I don’t know if I can do this” But those thoughts are fleeting, short lived. Even when you love your job you will still have days where it’s incredibly hard. But I can say it’s been worth every minute. I know I am meant to do this, I will always create and sing music. This is where my soul lives.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I moved to Nashville from Oklahoma where I was born and raised, to pursue music as a full time career in 2015. I moved onto a ranch in Leipers Fork TN and rode colts for the ranch manager. I also got a job at a local restaurant in downtown Franklin called Grays on Main where I waited tables for the next three and a half years. I did all of this while going out 4 nights a week singing at open mic nights and in bars. All for free, just to get my name out there, meet people and learn about this business. I quite literally knew absolutely nothing about the music business when I moved here.

That is one of the things I am most proud of. I knew I didn’t know anything coming into this. I just knew I HAD to be here and I was hellbent on figuring it out. You either get good at hearing “no” and keep on truckin’ or it derails you and you quit. Quitting has never been an option for me. At the end of 2018 I joined forces with my business partners (who I met while working at Grays) and together we formed my company Muddy Water Music. Signing those contracts was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. It was also the most validating…hard work truly does pay off. I really want other people to know that. If you have a dream, whatever it is, if you are willing to work hard and sacrifice and get through all the tough stuff, it will happen. Don’t give up, and don’t let fear stop you.

I just started a YouTube channel featuring me singing covers and original songs. It’s something I have wanted to do for YEARS, but I was scared. What if people don’t like my videos? What if it flops? What if people talk bad about me? Even though I had all of those thoughts I did it anyway, and I am SO SO SO happy I launched it. The channel is growing little by little every day, and each video I do enables me to share music with people that may impact them in a way they just happen to need at that moment. Thats a beautiful thing. It makes my heart happy.

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

Oh thats any easy one! By supporting your favorite artists directly. What I mean by that is purchasing their music directly from the artists website while also supporting on your favorite streaming platform. Sharing their music on your social media platforms and also just good old fashioned word of mouth.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me it’s seeing the impact of my songs. Hearing stories of how my music has helped someone during difficult times or lifted them up when they’ve been sad. Seeing videos of people dancin’ and jammin’ out happy and free to my music fills me with a deep happiness and gratitude that I can’t quite put into words.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.emilyelginmusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emily_elgin/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emily.elgin.94
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/EmilyElgin
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@emilyelginmusic?lang=en

Image Credits
Hailey Kelley Eric Sutton Kayla Rivera