New York-born and bred soul singer Emily King wooed me into listening to both her EPs and latest single, "Ordinary Heart," with just the sound of her strikingly gentle voice. King, who has released most of her music independently (her last EP, Seven, was produced in her home last July), is not the kind of manufactured talent you'd find on the radio -- which is perfectly fine by me.
The musician, who is only 27, can command an audience with her vocal agility while wielding a guitar like the best of them. Raised by musician parents, she spent her late teens playing show and venues throughout New York City, ending up in places like CBGB and The Bitter End. Long story short, she secured a meeting with Clive Davis, a record deal with J Records/Sony Music and debuted her album East Side Story in 2007, receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album of the year. All while opening for icons like Alicia Keys, Chaka Khan, Gnarles Barkley and Erykah Badu.
Though she releases all of her current music independently, she still garners considerable attention for herself having toured as the opening act for Maroon 5 last year on their European/Scandinavian tour. Even Gilles Peterson and his own signee, Jose James, vouch for King's work. The latter was quick to include King in his upcoming album which includes collaborations with Robert Glasper, Chris Dave, and Pino Palladino. As long as King's talent continues to speak for itself, we are more than willing to listen. Follow the link posted below to stream/purchase her EP and download "Ordinary Heart" for unlimited listening pleasure.
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