Composed of songs from her early 20s to present-day like just about every other artist, Philly folk pop songwriter Emily Drinker has released an eclectic album that makes us feel less alone in our pursuit of love.
The Starting to Feel LP was recorded outside of Philadelphia at Kawari Sound and released on April 21st. The album was largely recorded in one day in 2019 with her band, with various elements being added throughout the last couple years in order to complete it. It was produced, engineered, and mixed by Matt Muir, who also did her first EP in 2017, Run the Race.
Starting to Feel dips its toes into different streams, which all head to the same source. It has us questioning what true love is and knowing that we deserve it. She captures that emotion in the song “Starting to Feel,” where she swoons us with the beautifully sung hook “Won’t you stay the night – every time?” In this song, we are indulged in soulful instrumentals that have us swinging back and forth, but don’t expect her to keep you here. The album has crunchy guitar shredding, tales of failed relationships, and empowering aspirations for something more. Her music ranges from sweet-sounding ukulele folk tunes, to more rock-inspired songs that can take a turn at any time.
“The inspiration behind the new album is largely my twenties, and experiences I had throughout that part of my life while navigating romantic relationships. The songs on the album are mostly about growing up and learning to better understand myself,” she told us.
About her songwriting process, she went on to say, “My music is deeply personal and typically in the first person with me as the narrator. I tend to use songwriting to process experiences or to move through challenging emotions. But my greatest hope is that the songs will resonate with others, and that others might connect the music to their own experiences.”
Drinker’s history includes a feature on NPR music, an appearance at Firefly Music Festival, and many shows within the Philadelphia area. She is passionate about her community, as she executed a successful livestream fundraiser with a friend during the pandemic which raised over $5,000 for local artists. “The whole idea was to provide a short concert and interview with a local musician in an effort to entertain viewers at home on Facebook, but to encourage them to donate. All donations (every cent!) went to the artists, and once word spread locally about the show, we started to receive enough donations each episode for the project to be self-sustaining,” she said.
Drinker recently opened for Pat Benatar at an outdoor venue in Quakertown, PA, and couldn’t have been more elated, and for obvious reasons. “This is by far my biggest performance yet,” she told us. “I’m ecstatic about that opportunity and hopeful that it might open more doors for me going forward. And I’m SO excited to meet Pat Benatar! She’s an icon.”
Emily Drinker’s Starting to Feel is a fine collection of unique songs, and we’ll see what else she’s got in store the rest of the year.
