We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Emily McGill. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Emily below.

Hi Emily, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I first knew that I wanted to pursue music professionally when I was very young. I grew up in a family band in Humboldt Tennessee and my parents owned a music store in West Tennessee. I was around music since before I could walk or talk so I think for me it has always been something that runs deep in my blood.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I got into music at a very young age. Growing up in a family band and having parents who owned a music store and pushed me to follow my passion is important to why I’m doing what I’m doing. Creatively, I feel like I always write my best music and feel most inspired when I’m going through something that alters the trajectory of my life. When I was 17 my dad passed away unexpectedly. He was my musical mentor along with being my biggest supporter and he always pushed my to learn more about what I loved. My mom, sister, and I continued singing and eventually after graduating college I moved to Nashville to pursue my dream of sharing my music with the world. I got involved with legendary guitar player Steve Cropper, Eddie Gore, and Justyna Kelley who all helped me put out my first EP in 2023. I am incredibly proud of this project because I learned so much along the way. I know wherever I’m at my dad still has a hand in my journey and always will. I think the strong support system I have back home and all of the people I meet at my shows drive me the most. I love connecting with people and when I hear that someone enjoys just sitting and listening to what I’m doing, it motivates me to do more of that.

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

I’m easily inspired and motivated by other stories, so I love watching and reading about those real stories and dreams come to life. I read the Alicia Keys book a couple years ago, and it has a huge impact on how I looked at the music business and my own art. She fought for herself in a lot of ways, but not before having to learn hard lessons in business. I think that it’s important to understand the lesson of resilience and being able to get back up, take what you learned, and move forward.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, I feel fulfilled when I make myself proud. I find so much joy when I learn a new skill in music, or write a song that I’m proud of. Feeling scared and doing it anyway has been a learning process for me, but it feels rewarding when I do it and prove to myself that I’m stronger than I think I am.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @emilymcgillmusic
• Facebook: Emily Grace McGill
• Twitter: @emilygmcgill
• Youtube: Emily McGill

Image Credits
Hannah Gore Lily Retherford Steph Swart