We were lucky to catch up with Emily Falvey recently and have shared our conversation below.

Emily, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I feel so grateful to be able to pursue a creative profession as a professional songwriter, but I sometimes feel like a fish out of water as a type A personality. I thrive on structure, a schedule, & feeling autonomy & control. Working in the music industry, on the other hand, can require exceptional spontaneity, flexibility, & emotional resilience. I had a mentor tell me in college that the temperature of a songwriter’s career changes every 10 minutes & that couldn’t be more true. I sometimes wonder about the stability of working 9 to 5 and being able to leave my work at a cubicle somewhere, but then I remember that I likely wouldn’t be doing the work that sets my soul on fire.

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?

My name is Emily Falvey & I am a 26-year-old singer/songwriter based in Nashville, TN. I signed a publishing deal with SMACKSongs, a publishing company owned by Shane McAnally, as I was graduating from Belmont University with degrees in Songwriting & Music Business. I got connected to SMACK through an internship learning about music publishing. They heard some of my (very rough) songwriting demos & wanted to work together which has been a joy & honor of my life. In my everyday life as a professional songwriter, my hope is to help musical artists tell their stories in an authentic way & also write songs that resonate with people all over the world on a deep level. I am fortunate to work in multiple genres – country, pop, & EDM – & get to collaborate with all kinds of extraordinary people around the globe. I am most proud to have recently had a #1 song on the Canadian country charts, to have over 70 songs recorded in the first 4 years of my publishing deal, & to have recently been named by Forbes as Nashville’s Top New Songwriter.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I am a disciple of Glennon Doyle, Elizabeth Gilbert, & Brene Brown & believe that self-care is intimately linked to our output as creative people. I think without being anchored to our “knowing” & our innermost, authentic selves, our work won’t be as genuine as it could be. Books like “Untamed,” “Big Magic,” & “Braving the Wilderness” have made me feel less alone as a creative & have helped me to recognize my inherent worth as both a woman AND as someone pursuing a creative endeavor. The work of my life now is to take radical care of myself in order to nurture the creativity inside of me.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think continuing to provide resources surrounding mental health & well-being is crucial to the sustainable careers of creative people. The atmospheres we work in are incredibly volatile – there are lots of big wins & big losses & a lack of control which is a recipe for burnout, anxiety, & depression from my vantage point. In my own journey, especially during COVID, I have had trouble managing the wide range of emotions & the lack of control that I sometimes feel over my own career. Once a song is written, I have no say in whether a song gets pushed, taken to radio, or becomes a #1 hit. Organizations like OnSite, Porter’s Call, Music Health Alliance, & more are making resources more readily available for creative people & artists & songwriters like myself & I am incredibly grateful.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @emilykfalvey
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-falvey-956310aa/
• Twitter: @emilykfalvey

Image Credits
Black & White Headshot – Katie Kauss Action Shot in Gray Blazer – Jason Wu Others unknown