Emily Shirley | Artist Profile

ABOUT EMILY SHIRLEY

Emily Shirley’s brand of thoughtful songwriter pop/rock is as finely tuned and brightly colored as the graphic design projects she works on for her day gig.

Courage Up, her 2018 release, now available as a limited edition disc, is a genre-bending hybrid of indie-pop melodies woven over thoughtful, grounded lyrics and continues Shirley’s presence as a vibrant writer who has come into her own in the Austin, Texas scene.

Shirley tells life stories through song, revealing interesting characters and settings in a way that the listener still finds relatable.  From the “Dolores,” an exploration into the point of view of an accused killer’s mother (inspired by Netflix’s Making a Murderer documentary series) to “Over the Fence” which perfectly encapsulates the bittersweet innocence of a first friendship, her artistic point of view and skillful sonic experimentation make for a varied and stirring repertoire.

Produced by Mark Hallman (Carole King, Ani DiFranco) and engineered by Andre Moran at The Congress House Studio in Austin, Courage Up features Shirley’s signature earworm melodies and indie-pop arrangements.

Shirley performs in and around Austin with her own band, and also as part of The Big Fix and The Belle Sounds.

WATCH EMILY SHIRLEY