{{about||the British dancer and choreographer|Emily Barker (dancer)|the American disability rights activist and artist|Emily Barker (artist)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Emily Barker | image = Emily Barker - Lottes Musiknacht Ansgarkirche Elmshorn 2018 19.jpg | image_size = | caption = Emily Barker at ''Lottes Musiknacht'' 2018 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|12|2|df=y}} | origin = [[Bridgetown, Western Australia]], Australia | genre = {{hlist|[[Americana (music)|Americana]]|[[Country music|country]]|[[Folk music|folk]]}} | occupation = {{hlist|Musician|singer-songwriter|composer}} | instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|[[banjo]]|harmonica|piano}} | years_active = 2003–present | label = {{hlist|Everyone Sang|[[Linn Records|Linn]]|[[One Little Indian]]}} | website = {{URL|www.emilybarker.com}} }}
'''Emily Barker''' (born 2 December 1980)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/emily_barker|title=Emily Barker discography|website=Rateyourmusic.com|access-date=18 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/wallander/barker.html |title=Masterpiece | Wallander |website=pbs.org |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101018070759/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/wallander/barker.html |archive-date=18 October 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician and composer. Her music has featured as the theme to BBC dramas ''[[Wallander (British TV series)|Wallander]]'' and ''[[The Shadow Line (TV series)|The Shadow Line]]''. With multi-instrumental trio the Red Clay Halo, she recorded four albums: ''Photos.Fires.Fables.'' (2006), ''Despite the Snow'' (2008), ''Almanac'' (2011), ''Dear River'' (2013), before commencing a solo career with ''The Toerag Sessions'' (2015), ''[[Sweet Kind of Blue]]'' (2017), ''A Dark Murmuration of Words'' (2020), and ''Flight Path Rhymes'' (2021). Other projects include Vena Portae (with Dom Coyote and Ruben Engzell), Applewood Road (with [[Amy Speace]] and [[Amber Rubarth]]), and ''Room 822'' (2022) with Lukas Drinkwater.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/nov/03/the-playlist-americana-bird-dog-israel-nash-long-beard|title=The playlist – Americana: Bird Dog, Israel Nash and more|first=Laura|last=Barton|date=3 November 2015|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>
==Career== ===2002–2005: The Low Country=== Emily travelled to the UK in 2002, and was first based in [[Cambridge]] where she collaborated with guitarist Rob Jackson. They formed a band called The Low Country which released two albums, ''Welcome to the-low-country'' (2003) and ''The Dark Road'' (2004), tracks from which enjoyed plays on [[John Peel]]'s BBC radio show.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Apr03/articles/readerzone0403.asp |title=Rob Jackson & the Low Country |access-date=2010-10-22 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225180428/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr03/articles/readerzone0403.asp |archive-date=25 December 2011 |df=dmy }}</ref>
In 2005 Emily won Country Song of the Year and Regional Song of the Year awards at the annual [[WAM Song of the Year|West Australian Music Songwriting Awards]].
===2006–2013: Emily Barker & the Red Clay Halo=== In 2006, Barker released her first solo album, ''Photos. Fires. Fables.'' before releasing albums under the alias Emily Barker & the Red Clay Halo.
[[File:EmilyBarkerWithRedClayHalo.jpg|thumb|Emily Barker & the Red Clay Halo filming the video for "Little Deaths"]]
The song "Pause - The Shadow Line" from ''Almanac'' was the theme tune for a major 2011 [[BBC Two|BBC2]] drama serial, ''[[The Shadow Line (TV series)|The Shadow Line]]'' and received a physical release. Martin Phipps again adapted the song for the title sequence.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturevideo/musicvideo/10211067/Emily-Barker-Letters-exclusive-live-session.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130824023454/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturevideo/musicvideo/10211067/Emily-Barker-Letters-exclusive-live-session.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 August 2013|title=Emily Barker – Letters, exclusive live session|first1=Neil |last1=McCormick |date=1 August 2013|website=The Daily Telegraph|location=London}}</ref>
In 2012, Barker recorded a new version of "Fields of June", which had first appeared on ''Photos.Fires.Fables.'' and was released as a limited 7-inch white vinyl on [[Xtra Mile Recordings]].
In July 2013, ''Dear River'' was released, charting at 99 in the official [[UK Albums chart]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/independent-albums-chart/20130714/131/|title=Official Singles Chart Top 100 – Official Charts Company|website=[[Official Charts Company]]}}</ref> [[Will Hodgkinson]] from ''[[The Times]]'' gave the album a four out of five star review, saying it contained "heartfelt songwriting... bridging the gap between folk, country and [[Fleetwood Mac]]".<ref>{{cite news | last = Hodgkinson | first = Will | date = 2013-07-06 | title = The Times }}</ref>
===2014-present: Solo success=== In 2014, Barker worked with Dom Coyote and Ruben Engzell and created Vena Portae.
In 2015, release the EP ''Anywhere Away'' which was the soundtrack to the UK movie ''[[Hector (2015 film)|Hector]]'', released in December 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hector.film|title=Hector – Trailer – Cast & Crew – About – Cinemas|website=Hector.film}}</ref>
In May 2017, Barker released ''[[Sweet Kind of Blue]]'' which peaked at number 88 on the UK Albums Chart.
In 2020, Barker released ''A Dark Murmuration of Words''. This album was inspired by a concern with the impact of climate change on the natural world. Barker explained, "Last year the climate crisis was very much at the forefront of all of our conversations and thoughts, wondering what we can do to adapt, and feeling helpless and guilty and angry and upset and all these things."<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|date=2020-08-31|title=Amid Climate Crisis, Emily Barker Brings 'A Dark Murmuration of Words' to Light|url=https://thebluegrasssituation.com/read/amid-climate-crisis-emily-barker-brings-a-dark-murmuration-of-words-to-light/|access-date=2022-01-21|website=The Bluegrass Situation}}</ref>
In an interview with Bernard Zuel, Emily Barker elaborated saying, "It was really a response to a lot of what was going on in 2019 with the collective awakening of the environmental crisis. And it was terrifying. It's something that I'd been aware of before, and I was brought up by parents who were very conscious of that anyway, but I think a lot of people really looked at the personal impact in a big way and started realising the scale of this emergency. It's so hard to compute but for me, writing songs helps me to make sense of things that I can't process."<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|last=Zuel|first=Bernard|date=2020-08-17|title=EMERGENCY SERVICES: EMILY BARKER'S PLOT TO SAVE THE WORLD|url=https://www.bernardzuel.net/post/emergency-services-emily-barker-s-plot-to-save-the-world|access-date=2022-01-21|website=bernardzuel}}</ref>
In 2020, Barker covered the [[Billy Bragg]] song "Can't Be There Today" as part of a campaign to save musical venues during the COVID-19 crisis.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Can't Be There Today (Billy Bragg), by Emily Barker|url=https://relayuk.bandcamp.com/track/cant-be-there-today-billy-bragg|access-date=2022-01-21|website=Relay}}</ref>
In 2021, Barker released an alternative version of ''A Dark Murmuration of Words'' in 2021 – called ''Flight Path Rhymes''. She discussed the reworking of the album saying "Recording ''A Dark Murmuration of Words'' was a wonderful immersive experience that involved my live band and multiple conversations with producer Greg Freeman. It was only as the album was coming together that I realised how all the songs intertwined...how, despite their different subjects, there was an underlying theme that tied them all together."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Flight Path Rhymes, by Emily Barker|url=https://emilybarker.bandcamp.com/album/flight-path-rhymes|access-date=2022-01-21|website=Emily Barker}}</ref>
In January 2022, Emily Barker and Lukas Drinkwater released an album of covers called ''Room 822''.
==Discography== ===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ List of studio albums, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:21em;"| Details ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Official Charts|UK]]<br /><ref name="UK Charts">{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/Emily%20Barker/|title= Emily Barker on Official Charts|website=[[Official Charts Company]]|date=January 2026|access-date=6 January 2026}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Official Charts|UK<br />Indie]]<br /><ref name="UK Charts"/> |- |colspan=6|Credited as '''The Low Country''' <br> (with Rob W. Jackson) |- ! scope="row"| ''Welcome To...'' | * Released: 2003 * Label: Now Recordings (NOW2003CD) * Formats: [[Compact Disc|CD]] | — || — |- ! scope="row"| ''The Dark Road'' | * Released: 2004 * Label: the-low-country (LOW-CO-02) * Formats: CD | — || — |- |colspan=6|Credited as '''Emily Barker''' |- ! scope="row"| ''Photos. Fires. Fables.'' | * Released: 2006 * Label: Iguana Productions (IP006) / Everyone Sang (ES2007) * Formats: CD, [[Music download|digital download]] | — || — |- |colspan=6|Credited as '''Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo''' |- ! scope="row"| ''Despite the Snow'' | * Released: 2008 * Label: Walking Horse (WALK002) / Everyone Sang (ES2008) * Formats: CD, digital download, [[Vinyl record|LP]] (2016) | — || — |- ! scope="row"| ''Almanac'' | * Released: 2011 * Label: Walking Horse (WALK015) / Everyone Sang (ES2011) * Formats: CD, LP, digital download | — || 37 |- ! scope="row"| ''Dear River'' | * Released: July 2013 * Label: [[Linn Records]] (AKD 505) * Formats: 2xCD, LP, digital download | 99 || 23 |- |colspan=6|Credited as '''Vena Portae''' <br> (with Dom Coyote and Ruben Engzell) |- ! scope="row"| ''Vena Portae'' | * Released: August 2014 * Label: Humble Soul Records (HS418CD) * Formats: 2xCD, LP, digital download | —{{efn|group=upper-alpha|''Vena Portae'' did not enter the Official Charts top 100, but peaked at number 89 on the Physical Albums Chart.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/Vena%20Portae/|title= Vena Portae at Official Charts|website=[[Official Charts Company]]|date=January 2026|access-date=6 January 2026}}</ref>}} || 26 |- |colspan=6|Credited as '''Emily Barker''' |- ! scope="row"| ''The Toerag Sessions'' | * Released: April 2015 * Label: Everyone Sang (ES143) * Formats: CD, CD+DVD, digital download | — || 25 |- |colspan=6|Credited as '''Applewood Road''' <br> (with [[Amber Rubarth]] and [[Amy Speace]]) |- ! scope="row"| ''Applewood Road'' | * Released: February 2016 * Label: Gearbox (GB1531CD) * Formats: CD, LP, digital download | —{{efn|group=upper-alpha|''Applewood Road'' did not enter the Official Charts top 100, but peaked at number 99 on the Physical Albums Chart.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/applewood-road-applewood-road/|title= Applewood Road at Official Charts|website=[[Official Charts Company]]|date=January 2026|access-date=6 January 2026}}</ref>}} || 19 |- |colspan=6|Credited as '''Emily Barker''' |- ! scope="row"| ''[[Sweet Kind of Blue]]'' | * Released: May 2017 * Label: Everyone Sang (ES153) * Formats: CD, 2xCD, LP, digital download | 83 || 11 |- ! scope="row"| ''A Window to Other Ways'' <br> (with [[Marry Waterson]]) | * Released: April 2019 * Label: [[One Little Indian]] (TPLP1482) * Formats: CD, LP, digital download | —{{efn|group=upper-alpha|''A Window to Other Ways'' did not enter the Official Charts top 100, but peaked at number 77 on the Physical Albums Chart.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/55347/marry-waterson-and-emily-barker/|title= Marry Waterson & Emily Barker at Official Charts|website=[[Official Charts Company]]|date=January 2026|access-date=6 January 2026}}</ref>}} || — |- ! scope="row"| ''A Dark Murmuration of Words'' | * Released: September 2020 * Label: Everyone Sang (ES158) * Formats: CD, LP, digital download | —{{efn|group=upper-alpha|''A Dark Murmuration of Words'' did not enter the Official Charts top 100, but peaked at number 23 on the Physical Albums Chart.<ref name="UK Charts"/>}}|| 7 |- ! scope="row"| ''Flight Path Rhymes'' | * Released: 2021 * Label: Everyone Sang (ES159) * Formats: CD, digital download * Note: an alternative version of ''A Dark Murmuration of Words'' | — || — |- ! scope="row"| ''Room 822'' <br> (with Lukas Drinkwater) | * Released: January 2022 * Label: Emily Barker and Lukas Drinkwater * Formats: digital download * Recorded during hotel quarantine in Room 822 at The Westin, Perth. | — || — |- ! scope="row"| ''Fragile As Humans'' | * Released: May 2024 * Label: Everyone Sang (ES163) * Formats: CD, LP, digital download | —{{efn|group=upper-alpha|''Fragile As Humans'' did not enter the Official Charts top 100, but peaked at number 36 on the Physical Albums Chart.<ref name="UK Charts"/>}} || 13 |}
===Live albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ List of live albums, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:12em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:21em;"| Details |- |colspan=6|Credited as '''Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo''' |- ! scope="row"| ''Live At Swindon Arts Centre'' | * Released: 2014 * Label: Emily Barker * Formats: digital download * Recorded November 2011 |- |colspan=6|Credited as '''Emily Barker''' |- ! scope="row"| ''Live At Brunel Goods Shed'' | * Released: October 2022 * Label: Everyone Sang (ES160) * Formats: CD, digital download * Recorded November 2020 |}
===Compilations=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ List of compilation albums, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:21em;"| Details ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Official Charts|UK]]<br /><ref name="UK Charts"/> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Official Charts|UK<br />Indie]]<br /><ref name="UK Charts"/> |- |colspan=6|Credited as '''Emily Barker''' |- ! scope="row"| ''Shadow Box'' | * Released: November 2019 * Label: Everyone Sang (ES157CD) * Formats: CD, digital download * Compiles ''Songs Beneath The River'', 5x tracks ''Live At Union Chapel'' and 7x tracks ''Pebbles, Shells And Other Memories'' | — {{efn|group=upper-alpha|''Shadow Box'' did not enter the Official Charts top 100, but peaked at number 6 on the Americana Chart.<ref name="UK Charts"/>}}|| 32 |}
===Extended Plays=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ List of EPs, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:21em;"| Details ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Peak chart positions |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Official Charts|UK<br />Indi]]<br /><ref name="UK Charts"/> |- ! scope="row"| ''Four Songs'' | * Released: 2005 * Label: digital download * Formats: CD * Note: UK Promotional release | — |- |colspan=6|Credited as '''Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo''' |- ! scope="row"| ''Despite the Snow'' | * Released: July 2012 * Label: Everyone Sang (ES141) * Formats: CDr, digital download, 10" LP ([[Record Store Day|2014 RSD exclusive]]) | 38 |- |colspan=6|Credited as '''Emily Barker''' |- ! scope="row"| ''Coffee'' | * Released: February 2013 * Label: Everyone Sang * Formats: digital download * Note: Originally recorded to accompany the Square Mile-roasted Dear River coffee beans sold on the Dear River UK tour. | — |- |colspan=6|Credited as '''Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo''' |- ! scope="row"| ''Songs Beneath the River'' | * Released: 2014<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.folkradio.co.uk/2014/04/emily-barker-record-store-day-exclusive-video/|title=Emily Barker – Record Store Day EP (Exclusive Video) – Folk Radio|date=8 April 2014|website=Folkradio.co.uk}}</ref> * Label: Everyone Sang (ES141V) * Formats: 10″ Vinyl (limited edition) | — |- |colspan=6|Credited as '''Emily Barker''' |- ! scope="row"| ''Anywhere Away'' | * Released: 2015 * Label: Everyone Sang * Formats: CD, digital download * Note: Recorded as soundtrack to ''[[Hector (2015 film)|Hector]]'' | — |}
===Charted singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+List of singles, with selected chart positions ! rowspan="2" | Title ! rowspan="2" | Year ! colspan="1" | Chart positions ! rowspan="2" | Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Official Charts|UK<br />Physical]]<br /><ref name="UK Charts"/> |- |colspan=6|Credited as '''Emily Barker and The Red Clay Halo''' |- ! scope="row"| "Pause - The Shadow Line" | 2011 | {{efn|group=upper-alpha|"Pause - The Shadow Line" did not enter the Official Charts top 100, but peaked at number 15 on the Independent Single Chart.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/24515/emily-barker-the-red-clay-halo/|title= Emily Barker and The Rad Clay Halo at Official Charts|website=[[Official Charts Company]]|date=January 2026|access-date=6 January 2026}}</ref>}} | ''Almanac'' |- |colspan=6|Credited as '''Emily Barker and The Red Clay''' |- ! scope="row"| "Fields of June" | 2012 | 24 | |}
==Notes== {{Notelist-ua}}
==Awards and nominations== ===Environmental Music Prize=== The [[Environmental Music Prize]] is a quest to find a theme song to inspire action on climate and conservation. It commenced in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://themusicnetwork.com/environmental-music-prize-search/|title=Environmental Music Prize Searches for Green Theme Song|website=The Music Network|date=May 2022|access-date=22 June 2022}}</ref> {{awards table}} ! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- | 2025 | "Feathered Thing" | Environmental Music Prize | {{nom}} | <ref name="enviromusicAward2025noms">{{Cite web|url=https://www.netimes.com.au/2025/12/07/finalists-announced-for-2025-environmental-music-prize-including-powerful-bushfire-tribute-up-armidale-road/|title=Finalists announced for 2025 Environmental Music Prize|website=New England Times|date=7 December 2025|access-date=30 December 2025}}</ref><ref name="2025 EMA noms">{{cite web|url=https://mixdownmag.com.au/news/environmental-music-prize-announces-30-finalists-championing-climate-action/|title= Environmental Music Prize announces 30 finalists championing climate action|website=Mix Down Mag|date=8 December 2025|access-date=30 December 2025}}</ref> |- {{end}}
===WAM Song of the Year=== The [[WAM Song of the Year]] was formed by the Western Australian Rock Music Industry Association Inc. (WARMIA) in 1985, with its main aim to develop and run annual awards recognising achievements within the music industry in Western Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://intersector.wa.gov.au/article_view.php?article_id=350&article_main=24|title=2006 WAM Song of the Year Awards|work=[[InterSector]]|publisher=Western Australian State Government|year=2006|access-date=7 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725092704/http://www.intersector.wa.gov.au/article_view.php?article_id=350&article_main=24|archive-date=25 July 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/news/APRAAMCOSnews/WAMSongoftheYear2008TheWinners!.aspx|title=WAM Song of the Year:The 2008 Winners!|publisher=[[Australasian Performing Right Association|Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA)]]|date=13 October 2008|access-date=7 April 2009}}</ref><ref name=WAMSotY2013>{{cite web|url=https://wam.org.au/song-of-the-year-award-winners-2013/|title=Song of the Year Award Winners 2013|website=WAM|date=5 February 2013|access-date=15 April 2021}}</ref>
{{Awards table}} <small>(wins only)</small> |- | rowspan=2| 2005 | "Lord I Want an Exit" | Country Song of the Year | {{Won}} |- | "Lord I Want an Exit" | Regional Song of the Year | {{Won}} |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Official website|http://www.emilybarker.com}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Emily}} [[Category:1980 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Australian folk singers]] [[Category:English folk musicians]] [[Category:English folk singers]] [[Category:21st-century Australian women singers]] [[Category:English women singer-songwriters]] [[Category:English singer-songwriters]] [[Category:People from Bridgetown, Western Australia]] [[Category:21st-century English women singers]] [[Category:21st-century English singers]] [[Category:Australian women singer-songwriters]] [[Category:21st-century Australian singer-songwriters]] [[Category:Australian women folk singers]] [[Category:British women folk singers]] [[Category:21st-century British folk musicians]] [[Category:21st-century Australian folk musicians]]