Em Marshall

Singer and Songwriter

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5 Reviews (5 Verified)
Em Marshall on SoundBetter

Unique and emotive singer and experienced songwriter. I specialise in folk, acoustic and Americana and can provide a heartfelt lead vocal or harmony. I can also write to a brief or collaborate with you to bring your song to life. “Extraordinary – achieves such a raw level of beauty…” – BBC Introducing

I am an experienced UK based singer, comfortable providing lead or harmony vocals. My singing has been compared to Sandy Denny, Beth Orton, Laura Marling and Natalie Merchant.

Songs from my debut album 'The Building Light' have been played on both BBC and international radio stations, and the last major project I worked on as harmony singer won an album of the year award in the prestigious fROOTS magazine. I love collaborating with people to really bring out what they want in a song, play guitar, and can write lyrics and melody in a range of genres.

My voice is generally best suited to folk, acoustic, or more laid-back electronica, but I am happy to work in any genre if you feel I am a good fit.

You can hear me singing in my home studio here:

https://youtu.be/Ze9evET17Hc

“Extraordinary – achieves such a raw level of beauty…” – BBC Introducing
“A future classic that we can only hope is not lost.” – FATEA Best Debut Album 2018 Nominee
"Mesmerising harmonies" - R2 Magazine for work with Tim Jones & The Dark Lanterns

Please get in touch to discuss your project!

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

Languages

  • English

5 Reviews

Endorse Em Marshall
  1. Review by Patrick M.
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    Em is by far the best singer I ever worked with. I really mean it.

  2. Review by Nikolai J.
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    Em has a lovely voice and is an enthusiastic and talented person to have on any project. Hopefully we’ll work on another soon. 5 star.

  3. Review by Holland Nelson
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    Em's uniquely beautiful and haunting vocals are perfect for our "Mother Earth Lullaby". She is exceptionally talented and a lovely person to work with. We highly recommend Em and look forward to working with her again.

  4. Review by Vincent G.
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    Em is great. The vocal is perfect. The track timing is spot on. I gave ridiculously specific direction and she nailed it first time.

  5. Review by Ben S.
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    by Ben S.
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    Em is an incredibly gifted artist and extremely easy to work with. I asked her to do a full write on both the lyrics and top line for a track. At every stage in the process from the initial track briefing to delivering the finished vocal she has been an absolute professional. She listens, her communication is timely and does her very best to deliver a great quality vocal. I would highly recommend working with Em and will certainly be reaching out to her for future projects.

Interview with Em Marshall

  1. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  2. A: Album number two!

  3. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  4. A: I love music and I love the creative process.

  5. Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

  6. A: I don't think there is one... I'm pretty straightforward in my approach

  7. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  8. A: When do I start!

  9. Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

  10. A: Choose someone nice, whose own music interests you

  11. Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

  12. A: Guitar, notebook, pen, lighter, bath tub

  13. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  14. A: I left school and went busking around England and Europe when I was about 14 - I travelled and learned a lot and then came back to live in Devon. Since being here I have sung in bands and solo, played festivals and released my debut album in 2018.

  15. Q: How would you describe your style?

  16. A: Intuitive, uncluttered, emotive

  17. Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

  18. A: Elvis! Because he's Elvis.

  19. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  20. A: Record everything and label it well! Quite often there's a process of going back to the beginning - first takes should always be kept!

  21. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  22. A: Although my voice and style most commonly lends itsef to folk/singer-songwriter genres, I have been commisissioned to work in many styles, including - jazz, fusion, blues, country, trad and lo-fi

  23. Q: What's your typical work process?

  24. A: I tend to focus on listening to a track carefuly and repeatedly, while walking my dog on the moors! I can work quicky, but like to give things the attention they deserve when given the chance. I realy like to get the 'feel' of a song and work hard to understand the writers intention and perspective. I find a good way of doing this is writing the words and annotating them alongside listening - I'll always ask questions if I need to so I can understand what the writer wants me to get across. I really enjoy recording- although of course there's always an element of pressure - I enjoy feeling so focussed on getting things as right as I possibly can. Collaboration is realy important to me and I am always very open to feedback and critical analysis - I'd much rather deliver what people want!

  25. Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

  26. A: I love the work of Bill Callahan, Joan Shelley and Bonny 'Prince' Billy. Robin WIlliamson is a big inspiration to me, as are Jackson C. Frank, Pentangle and Michelle Shocked.

  27. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  28. A: I'm very quick at hearing the piece and being able to contribute my thoughts and skills. I can go with convention, or happily think outside the box. I am adaptive, disciplined and trustworthy.

  29. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  30. A: Experience, genuine, honest skill and a lot of feeling. I will work hard to deliver and ensure the piece works for you as best as it possibly can.

  31. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  32. A: I work in a home studio primarily using: Shure KSM32 condenser mic Focusrite Platinum Voicemaster Preamp SE Electronics SE2200a condenser mic Focsurite Scarlet 18i8 interface Cubase 8

  33. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  34. A: Commonly I add lead or additional vocals, including harmony parts and collaborative input where desired or required. I also specialise in song writing and arranging. I have had commissions for themed songs and my own work has been consistently well reviewed and played on both BBC and international radio.

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The Building Light by Em Marshall

I was the singer and songwriter in this production

Terms Of Service

Three revisions for all services, typical turnaround time 14 days for completion - may be a little longer for songwriting, depending on brief, can also provide synced video content

GenresSounds Like
  • Sandy Denny
  • Beth Orton
  • Laura Marling
Gear Highlights
  • Focusrite Platinum Voicemaster Preamp
  • Shure KSM32 condenser mic
  • SE Electronics SE2200a condenser mic
  • Focsurite Scarlet 18i8 interface
  • Cubase 8
More Photos
More Samples