Emilee Moore
Canadian singer/songwriter Emilee Moore has just released her new single “Regret” with Mark Diamond and I believe this song could be one of the greatest Summer tunes ever. I always loved those female/male type of records and this one is beautiful and memorable. “Regret” has one of the best hook melodies ever and the production is just perfect.
There’s not much to say except that “Regret” is a great song.
Go stream the single now available worldwide :)
Photo credit: Zuleyma Prado
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hey! My name is Emilee Moore and I’m from Vancouver, Canada, but am based out of Los Angeles. I started writing original music a few years ago, but just started releasing it this year! Music has always been a huge part of my life and I love that it’s my job now. I love writing about my experiences in love and heartbreak - it’s what’s most inspiring to me. I think unpacking the parts of myself that I’ve tucked away for so long helps me process and makes my music unique and relatable.
How would you define Emilee Moore, the artist?
I’m all about heartbreak haha. I think some of the most impactful music comes from a place of brokenness, especially in love. The most important thing for me, is to make music that helps listeners feel understood in their heartbreak. Some of the artists I love to draw inspiration from are Adele, John Mayer, Bon Iver, Julia Michaels - all artists that capture emotion and pain perfectly. I love making music that makes me feel something and means something to me. And I think if it means something to me, it’ll mean something to others.
"Regret" is your new single - what's the inspiration behind this song?
The inspiration behind “Regret” came from feeling a heavy sense of regret after a relationship ended. I remember wishing I had done things differently so that we didn’t end up apart. It captures that feeling of still being in love with someone and wishing you could go back to the start and do it all over again, but differently this time so you don’t ever reach the point of actually breaking up. And also the feeling of desperately hoping that this person was hurting and feeling those same feelings of regret too. I wanted it to be really simple, straightforward and confessional, because that’s what I was feeling at the time.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this single? Who helped you create it?
I started writing this song at the piano. I showed it to one of my producers, Xander Miller, and he helped refine the idea and arrangement a bit. And then we showed it to two of my other producers, Franco and Miguel Maravilla (they’re brothers) and we all spent a day producing the song out and giving it the feel we were going for. We really wanted it to be guitar-focused with drums to give it a nostalgic, bittersweet, summery feeling. We also all love John Mayer a lot so he was definitely a big inspiration for this one. These guys are honestly the best. They can take any small idea and make it so, so incredible. I’m super thankful to have them. After we had a bunch of ideas sorted, Xander took the song to the next level, just adding and taking away from the production to make it more dynamic. But we still felt like the second half of the song was missing something and ended up deciding that we wanted a feature on it! So we asked Mark Diamond to hop on the song! And thankfully he was very willing. Having his voice and ideas on it gave it exactly what we were looking for.
What made you want to collaborate with Mark Diamond on this song?
Mark and I met while working out of the same studio a few years back. I’ve always loved his music and when we decided that we wanted to put a feature on “Regret”, he was the first person that came to mind! He has the perfect sound for a song like this and we really felt that our voices would go well together. I feel so lucky to have him on the song! If you don’t know his music, absolutely check it out. My favourite song by him is called “Rita”.
What did you feel when writing this song?
Regret haha. When a relationship ends there are a lot of things to think about. But I think it’s safe to say, we all kind of play the relationship back in our heads and try to figure out where things went wrong or how if we had just done something differently or our significant other had acted differently, we wouldn’t be in this position. Sometimes it’s too late to go back and fix your mistakes, or after you break up it’s too hard to recover from the emotional storm that breaking up causes. This brought up a lot of emotions surrounding the longing feeling of wanting to go back and rewrite the past and see where it may have taken me. I think a lot of us would do things differently if we were able to go back in time.
What made you want to release "Regret" as a single?
This song has always been a favourite for me and my team. We’ve always had a hunch that this one is really strong and relatable. Everyone that has heard it has fallen in love with it and so it just felt right! It also unpacks more of the story of heartbreak that I’m trying to tell and this was a good time to put it out. It’s also the perfect sad summer road trip jam, so July felt like the right month to have it come out.
You are originally from Canada - how does it impact the music you are making today?
One thing I’ve noticed often is if I ever say the word “bathroom” in a session or as a lyric in a song, everyone freaks out haha. I guess that’s a Canadian word. I think it’s “restroom” or “washroom” in America? Anyways, I’m not sure if there’s anything in particular that impacts the music in regards to Canada. But I will say, my upbringing was full of music and I know I’m lucky to have grown up in Canada and I think both of those things affect who I am today as an artist and person.
How's it like to live in a city like Los Angeles as an independent artist?
Expensive haha. I feel like I haven’t been able to fully experience it yet. I’ve lived here on and off for a few years now, but when I finally moved here for real, covid happened. So I had to head back home and then things have only just started getting back to normal in LA the last month or so. So I don’t think I have enough experience living here to say much. But what I will say is there’s definitely a different energy here. I think people who live here and move here are so hungry to achieve what they’ve set out to do and it’s very contagious. Everyone’s trying to make it and that really puts a battery in your back. And there’s so much more opportunity to be closer to people who have the same goals as you - it’s a music industry hub so it’s definitely one of the best places to be as an artist. It’s also really nice to wake up to the sun every day. It rains in Vancouver for like 9 months of the year, so it’s a lot easier to be positive and motivated in LA. I’m really eager to get to know this city more and take every opportunity I can as an independent artist.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
The hardest part is being broke and sacrificing time and relationships. I’ve never wanted anything more than to succeed at being an artist, but it definitely comes at a cost. I put every penny I’ve earned into the music and I’ve moved away from my family and friends to be where the opportunity is. I also work more than I’ve ever worked in my life. You have to wear so many hats as an independent artist and it can really weigh on you. The best part is feeling so fulfilled. Every day I wake up and I’m so excited to work on music and figure out new ways to get the music out there. I feel like I have purpose and the journey in getting here has been so meaningful. And I’m just getting started. I’m so grateful that I get to do this.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
I think people are afraid to believe in something when there isn’t enough social proof yet. If you don’t have a huge following or major streams, it seems like the industry is not interested until you do. I get it. But I think it’s hard to come by people who genuinely are just looking for good and meaningful music and not just looking for the numbers to be where they want. And for people to want to get involved and build something up alongside you because they believe in the music and aren’t just concerned about numbers early on. That being said, there have been some incredible people who have believed in the music from day one and I’m so grateful for that. I think something that needs to change in this industry is making sure that artists are crediting everyone who works on their music. And often. It makes me sad when I see artists taking full credit for something they made with an entire team. We all know most people make things with several collaborators. If that’s the case for you, please be shouting their names out any chance you get. I get that artists are the face of the music, but it sucks that other creatives, who were integral to making the art, don’t get the same shine. They absolutely deserve it. I would be nothing without my team and I know a lot of other artists who wouldn’t be either. I’m very thankful for this industry and the opportunities that I’ve had and the ones that are coming! I’m just scratching the surface so I’m sure I’ll have many more thoughts on the industry real soon.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
Blind faith and the law of attraction actually work haha. The amount of times I’ve just closed my eyes and pretended things were fine are too many to count. I know it doesn’t seem that crazy to decide to be an artist. But I uprooted my life and have lived off of and depleted my life savings trying to make this work. And some days it feels like I’m an inch away from losing it all. But I have to believe in myself. Every step of the way. Because if I don’t, nobody will.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
I think if people would put others before themselves more often, the world would be in a much better place. I also think kindness goes a long way. Treating everyone you meet with respect and love no matter who they are, where they’re from, how they live their life is so valuable. I try to do that always and I think if everyone did that too, we’d be much better off.
What message do you want to deliver to the world?
Stream “Regret” :)
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