Emily Wells

{{Infobox musical artist | name = Emily Wells | image = 2015 Emily Wells-Main Stage-Treefort-Credit-Rase Littlefield (16806947590).jpg | caption = Wells performing at Treefort Music Fest 2015 | image_size = 240px | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|11|20}} | birth_place = Amarillo, Texas, United States | death_date = | origin = | instrument = Violin, piano, cello, viola, guitar, drum programming, synthesizer, etc. | genre = Alternative, experimental, classical<ref name="bthesumphonies"/> | occupation = Musician, composer, arranger, producer | years_active = 1999–present | label = Partisan Records, Creative Control Records, Thesis + Instinct Records, Lefse Records | website = [http://www.emilywellsmusic.com/ EmilyWellsMusic.com] }}

'''Emily Wells''' (born November 20, 1981) is an American multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, arranger, and producer whose genres encompass alternative, experimental, hip-hop and classical.<ref name="bthesumphonies"/> In addition to playing instruments such as violin and analog synthesizers, she uses loops, sample pads, and acoustic drums to achieve a layered effect.

==Early life== Emily Wells was born in Amarillo, Texas, United States.<ref name="breakingoutspin"/> Her father was a music minister,<ref name="emilywaa"/> and Wells began playing the violin at age four.<ref name="NPR" /><ref name="emilywaa"/> In 1990 she moved with her family to Indianapolis, Indiana, where she lived until she began traveling in 2000.<ref name="roomthirteen"/> While traveling she made her residence primarily in New York, where she would later move after an 8-year stay in Los Angeles.<ref name="lassnarka"/><ref name="accesphase"/>

==Music career==

===Early solo albums (2000-2010)=== At age thirteen she began issuing her own recordings on cassette,<ref name="emilywaa"/> starting with an unofficial release with 100 copies. After several unofficial tapes,<ref name="Emily Wellsdallmusic"/> in 2000 she "took up" with Epic Records but did not actually sign with them.<ref name="Emily Wellsdallmusic"/> ''Beautiful Sleepyhead & the Laughing Yaks'' was her official full-length debut in 2006,<ref name="Emily Wellsdallmusic"/> with all the tracks written, performed, produced, and mixed by Wells.<ref name="Emily Wellsdallmusic"/> Her sophomore album ''The Symphonies'' featured bassist Joey Reina and drummer Sam Halterman alongside Wells.<ref name="Emily Wellsdallmusic"/>

Wells was interviewed and performed "Symphony 1 in the Barrel of a Gun" on episode four of ''Last Call with Carson Daly'', which aired through NBC on September 18, 2009.<ref name="performsdaily"/> In September 2010, after recently moving from Los Angeles to New York, Wells was joined onstage by vocalist and harmonium player Shilpa Ray. The performance was positively reviewed by ''The New Yorker''.<ref name="dthenewyorker"> {{cite news | title =Emily Wells and Shilpa Ray @ City Winery 9.10 | first = | last = | url =https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/night-life/emily-wells-and-shilpa-ray-city-winery-9-10 | newspaper =The New Yorker | publisher = | date =September 22, 2010 | accessdate = 2015-10-14 }}</ref>

===''Mama'' and Partisan Records (2012)=== [[File:EmilyWellsTunesDrumsAtNeurolux.JPG|thumbnail|Wells tuning her drums before her show at Treefort Music Fest 2013 at the Neurolux in Boise, Idaho]]

{{ external media | float =right | video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGOcxhsl-S8 Emily Wells - "Mama's Gonna Give You Love" Music Video] (July 2012) | video2 = }} In 2012, she released her full-length album ''Mama'' through Partisan Records.<ref name="Emily Wellsdallmusic"/>

The lead single, "Mama's Gonna give You Love," was featured in ''The New Yorker'' on April 10, 2012.<ref name="emilywarlisteningbooth"/> She also released a free remixed version of ''Mama'' on Partisan, with remixers such as Jeremiah Jae, Kid Koala, Baths, and Deerhoof.<ref name="emilywaq"/> As of 2012 she was collaborating on material with Clint Mansell, a scorewriter and former frontman of Pop Will Eat Itself.<ref name="zjohnmurphy"/> That April 2012 she created a featured mixtape for ''Magnet Magazine'',<ref name="emilywaf"/> and Wells has periodically performed live sessions for recording studios, websites, and radio stations, including Daytrotter in April 2012,<ref name="emilywak"/> WYNC's Soundcheck in May 2013,<ref name="emilywal"/> Laundro Matinee in October 2014,<ref name="emilywamwells"/> and KCRW in June 2013.<ref name="emilywanelectic"/>

===Tour diaries and soundtracks (2013)=== Wells has written tour diaries and articles for such publications as ''American Songwriter'',<ref name="emilywagsongwriter"/> ''Impose Magazine,''<ref name="emilywaecowboy"/> and ''The Huffington Post'',<ref name="huffpoastadvenutre"/> and she has appeared live multiple times on NPR, with an interview on All Songs Considered on April 4, 2013, and a live performance on KCRW on July 11, 2013.<ref name="emilywab"/> In 2013 she composed a song for director Park Chan-Wook's movie ''Stoker'' and toured South Korea promoting the film.<ref name="huffpoastadvenutre"/> A single titled "Passenger" for a then upcoming acoustic version of ''Mama'' was released in 2013.<ref name="emilywaa"/> ''The Guardian'' named her New Band of the Week No. 1,503 on April 30, 2013.<ref name="emilywaa"/>

An acoustic version of ''Mama'' was released in on June 11, 2013, in the United States and United Kingdom through Partisan Records.<ref name="xpopmatters"/> It had been recorded with a Tascam 388, with no digital effects added to the basic instrumentation.<ref name="emilywacperofmrer"/> Her songwriting methods were featured in a July 2013 edition of ''Performer Magazine''.<ref name="emilywacperofmrer"/> Among other shows, Wells performed at Le Guess Who? festival in The Netherlands in November 2013,<ref name="emilywad"/> and also that year she collaborated live with Questlove at Electronium in 2013.<ref name="emilywas"/> She performed with The Roots and Aloe Blacc at the Rock the Clinton Global Initiative event that year as well.<ref name="emilywat"/>

===Recent projects and tours (2014-2015)=== "Mama's Gonna Give You Love" was used in the January 2015 trailer for season 3 of the TV series ''Bates Motel''.<ref name="emilywapbatesmotel"/> On March 27, 2015, Wells gave a well-received keynote at Hackfort2 at the fourth annual Treefort Music Fest in Boise, Idaho wherein she presented her methods of composition at the intersection of art and technology and the growth of her sensibility as a musician. Performing with a reduced kit ''sans'' drums, she played earlier and later versions of her song "So, Sunday."<ref name="boiseweeklY"/><ref name="kenoteatftreefort"/> She headlined on the main stage on the final day of the Treefort in 2015 and participated in the festival's Yogafort as well.<ref name="treefortmusicfest"/>

Wells was also broadcast on air by WQXR in March 2015, when she performed at Ecstatic Music Festival for the 80th birthday party of Terry Riley, along with other musicians such as Marco Benevento, Nancy Whang, and Face the Music.<ref name="emilywaoxqxr"/> Since 2016 she has released three full-length albums on the imprint Thesis and Instinct.

==Style and influences== {| class="toccolours" style="float:right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0; font-size:85%; background:offwhite; color:black; width:20em; max-width:40%;" cellspacing="5" |style="text-align: left;"|"Wells [is a] virtuoso musician, and she dabbles in electronica, shades of folk and jazz, even classical and hip-hop, creating interesting tableaux and textures that are by turns airy and luminous, and spare and haunting."<ref name="Emily Wellsdallmusic"/> |- |style="text-align: left;"|— iTunes editors, 2008 |} In 2015, Wells stated that amongst her influences are the music theorist John Cage, the minimalist composer Philip Glass, and the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan.<ref name="boiseweeklY"/><ref name="kenoteatftreefort"/>

== Discography == {| class="wikitable" |+Solo releases by Emily Wells<ref name="Emily Wellsdallmusic">{{cite news | title = Emily Wells | first = Andrew | last = Leahey | url = https://music.apple.com/us/artist/emily-wells/253050407 | publisher = iTunes | date = | access-date = 2015-07-06 }}</ref><ref name="Emily Wellsdiscogs">{{cite news | title = Emily Wells | url = http://www.discogs.com/artist/1285668-Emily-Wells | publisher = Discogs | date = | accessdate = 2015-07-06 }}</ref> !Year !Name !Label !Release details |- |1999 | ''Midori Sour'' | Self-released | 1999<ref name="Emily Wellsdiscogs"/> |- |2002 | ''Shadow Box'' | Self-released | 2002<ref name="Emily Wellsdiscogs"/> |- |2004 | ''Music for Geek Love'' |Self-released | 2004<ref name="Emily Wellsdiscogs"/> |- |2005 | ''Making Static'' |Self-released | 2005<ref name="Emily Wellsdiscogs"/> |- |2007 | ''Beautiful Sleepyhead & the Laughing Yaks'' | Edub Productions | Apr 12, 2007<ref name="Emily Wellsdiscogs"/> |- |2008 | ''The Symphonies: Dreams, Memories & Parties'' | Creative Control Records | Jul 08, 2008 |-

|2012 | ''Mama'' | Partisan Records | Apr 10, 2012<ref name="Emily Wellsdallmusic"/> |- ||2013 | ''Mama (Acoustic Recordings)'' | Partisan Records | Jun 11, 2013<ref name="Emily Wellsdallmusic"/> |- |2016 | ''Promise'' | Thesis and Instinct | Jan 29, 2016 |- |2017 | ''In the Hot'' | Thesis and Instinct | Mar 03, 2017<ref name="Emily Wellsdallmusic"/> |- |2019 |''This World Is Too _____ for You'' | Thesis and Instinct | Mar 22, 2019 |- |2022 |''Regards to the End'' | Thesis and Instinct | Feb 25, 2022 |}

===EPs=== {| class="wikitable" |+Solo EPs by Emily Wells !Year !Name !Release details |- |2009 | ''Dirty'' | Creative Control Records (2009) |}

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ Incomplete list of songs by Emily Wells<ref name="Emily Wellsdallmusic"/> ! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;"| Year ! scope="col"| Title ! scope="col"| Album ! scope="col"| Release details |- ||2008 !scope="row"|"O Holy Night" | Single only ||align=left|Creative Control (Oct 10, 2008) |- ||2012 !scope="row"|"Becomes the Color" | Single only ||align=left|Milan Entertainment (Oct 30, 2012) |-  |}

=== Collaborations === {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Name !Label !Release details |-

||2013 | ''Pillowfight'' (Emily Wells with Dan the Automator) |Bulk Recordings/EMI |2013 |}

===Guest appearances=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:left;" |+ Selected songs featuring Emily Wells ! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;"| Year ! scope="col"| Single name ! scope="col"| Primary artist(s) ! scope="col"| Album ! scope="col"| Release details |-  |rowspan="2"|2008 !scope="row"|"Symphony 3: The Story" (with Emily Wells) | Dwight Farrell || ''The Symphonies'' ||align=left| Creative Control (2008) |- !scope="row"| "Gee Whiz" (with Emily Wells) | Buck 65 || ''Dirtbike 1/3'' ||align=left| (Aug 2008) |-

|rowspan="3"|2013 !scope="row"|"Becomes the Color" (ft. Emily Wells) | Various ||rowspan="2"| ''Stoker'' soundtrack ||align=left| Scott Free Productions (Jan 20, 2013) |- !scope="row"|"If I Ever Had a Heart" (ft. Emily Wells) | Various ||align=left| Scott Free Productions (Jan 20, 2013) |- !scope="row"|"My Only Love" (ft. Emily Wells) |Deltron 3030 || ''Event 2'' ||align=left| Bulk Recordings (Sept 30, 2013) |}

==Personal life== Wells is queer.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-14 |title=Exclusive: Emily Wells Honors AIDs Activists With Her Newest Album |url=https://advocatechannel.com/exclusive-emily-wells-honors-aids-activists-with-her-newest-album |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=Advocate Channel |language=en}}</ref>

==See also== {{Portal|Classical music}} *List of violinists

==References== {{Reflist|30em|refs= <ref name="NPR">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97608448|title=Violinist's Style As Much Hip-Hop As Haydn|date=November 29, 2008|work=All Things Considered|publisher=NPR|accessdate=May 23, 2009}}</ref> <ref name="bthesumphonies">{{cite news | title =The Symphonies: Dreams, Memories and Parties | first =Emily | last =Wells | url =https://emilywells.bandcamp.com/album/the-symphonies-dreams-memories-and-parties | newspaper = | publisher =Bandcamp | date =2008 | accessdate = 2015-09-25 }}</ref> <ref name="emilywaecowboy"> {{cite news | title =On Touring with Your Dog: A Cowboy Romance | first =Emily | last =Wells | url =https://www.imposemagazine.com/bytes/new-music/mothers-mixes | newspaper =Impose Magazine | publisher = | date =June 29, 2012 | accessdate = 2015-11-03 }}</ref> <ref name="emilywacperofmrer"> {{cite news |title=Emily Wells on Re-Evaluating Creative Choices & Stripping Songwriting To Its Core |first=Benjamin |last=Ricci |url=http://performermag.com/emily-wells-on-re-evaluating-creative-choices-stripping-songwriting-to-its-core/ |newspaper=Performer Magazine |date=July 9, 2013 |accessdate=2015-11-03 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906203036/http://performermag.com/emily-wells-on-re-evaluating-creative-choices-stripping-songwriting-to-its-core/ |archivedate=September 6, 2015 |df=mdy }}</ref>

<ref name="emilywagsongwriter"> {{cite news | title =Tour Diary: The Adventures of Emily Wells | url =https://www.americansongwriter.com/author/emily-wells/ | newspaper =American Songwriter | date = | accessdate = 2015-11-03 }}</ref> <ref name="emilywaa"> {{cite news | title =Emily Wells (No 1,503) | first =Paul | last =Lester | url =https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/apr/30/emily-wells | newspaper =The Guardian | publisher = | date =April 30, 2013 | accessdate = 2015-11-03 }}</ref> <ref name="emilywad"> {{cite news | title =Premiere: Emily Wells Mixtape (Le Guess Who? Edition) : November 28-December 1 in Utrecht, Holland | first =Laura | last =Studarus | url =http://www.undertheradarmag.com/news/premiere_emily_wells_mixtape_le_guess_who_edition/ | newspaper =Under the Radar | publisher = | date =Nov 13, 2013 | accessdate = 2015-11-03 }}</ref> <ref name="emilywaf"> {{cite news | title =Emily Wells Makes MAGNET A Mix Tape | url =https://www.magnetmagazine.com/2012/04/16/emily-wells-makes-magnet-a-mix-tape/ | newspaper =Magnet Magazine | date =April 16, 2012 | accessdate = 2015-11-03 }}</ref> <ref name="emilywab"> {{cite news | title =Emily Wells articles | url =https://www.npr.org/artists/97609686/emily-wells | publisher =NPR.org | date = | accessdate = 2015-11-03 }}</ref>

<ref name="xpopmatters"> {{cite news | title =Emily Wells - Mama Acoustic version | first =Steve | last =Horowitz | url =http://www.popmatters.com/review/172036-emily-wells-mama-acoustic-recordings/ | newspaper = | publisher =PopMatters | date =June 11, 2013 | accessdate = 2015-10-05 }}</ref> <ref name="zjohnmurphy"> {{cite news | title =Emily Wells – Mama | first =John | last =Murphy | url =https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/emily-wells-mama | publisher =Music OMH | date =June 5, 2013 | accessdate = 2015-10-05 }}</ref> <ref name="breakingoutspin">{{Cite news | title=Breaking Out | magazine=Spin | date=June 2009 | page=44 }}</ref> <ref name="emilywak"> {{cite news | title =Emily Wells - Apr 6, 2012 - Studio Paradiso, San Francisco, CA | first = | last = | url =http://www.daytrotter.com/#!/concert/emily-wells/20055614-37382834 | newspaper = | publisher =Daytrotter.com | date =Apr 6, 2012 | accessdate = 2015-11-03 }}</ref>

<ref name="emilywal"> {{cite news | title =Emily Wells: Layering Folk With Electronics, In The Studio | first = | last = | url =http://soundcheck.wnyc.org/story/294445-emily-wells-in-studio/ | newspaper = | publisher =Soundcheck | date =May 24, 2013 | accessdate = 2015-11-03 }}</ref> <ref name="emilywarlisteningbooth"> {{cite news | title =Listening Booth: The Alabama Shakes and More | first =John | last =Donohue | url =https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/listening-booth-the-alabama-shakes-and-more | newspaper =The New Yorker | publisher = | date =April 10, 2012 | accessdate = 2015-11-03 }}</ref> <ref name="emilywaq"> {{cite news |title=Emily Wells announces free release of Mama remixed, featuring lemonade, The Blow, Jeremiah Jae, Dan the Automator, Teen Daze and more |url=https://terrorbird.com/blog/emily-wells-announces-free-release-mama-remixed-featuring-lemonade-blow-jeremiah-jae-dan#.ViwZjWSrRL8 |publisher=terrorbird.com |accessdate=2015-11-03 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326202209/http://terrorbird.com/blog/emily-wells-announces-free-release-mama-remixed-featuring-lemonade-blow-jeremiah-jae-dan |archivedate=March 26, 2015 |df=mdy }}</ref> <ref name="emilywas"> {{cite news | title =Electronium: The Future Was Then | first = | last = | url =http://www.bam.org/music/2013/electronium-the-future-was-then | newspaper = | publisher =bam.org | date =2013 | accessdate = 2015-11-03 }}</ref> <ref name="emilywat"> {{cite news | title =OKP TV: Aloe Blacc & The Roots Rock The Clinton Global Initiative | first = | last = | url = | newspaper = | publisher =OkayPlayer | date =2014 }}</ref> <ref name="emilywamwells"> {{cite news| title =Video Sessions: Emily Wells| url =http://www.laundromatinee.com/sessions/video_session_emily_wells| publisher =LaundroMatinee.com| accessdate =2015-11-03| url-status =dead| archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20151027003038/http://www.laundromatinee.com/sessions/video_session_emily_wells| archivedate =October 27, 2015| df =mdy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="emilywanelectic"> {{cite news | title =Emily Wells - Morning Becomes Eclectic | first = | last = | url = http://www.kcrw.com/music/shows/morning-becomes-eclectic/emily-wells-1 | publisher =KCRW | date =June 12, 2013 | accessdate = 2015-11-03 }}</ref>

<ref name="emilywaoxqxr"> {{cite news | title =Listen: All-Star 80th Birthday Celebration for Terry Riley | first = | last = | url =http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/listen-live-terry-riley-80th-birthday-concert/ | newspaper = | publisher =WQXR | date =March 18, 2015 | accessdate = 2015-11-03 }}</ref>

<ref name="emilywapbatesmotel"> {{cite news | title =Watch: 'Bates Motel' Season 3 Trailer Elevated By Visual Flair | first =Ana | last =Souza | url =http://www.indiewire.com/article/watch-bates-motel-season-3-trailer-elevated-by-visual-flair-20150115 | newspaper = | publisher =IndieWire | date =January 15, 2015 | accessdate = 2015-11-03 }}</ref> <ref name="huffpoastadvenutre">{{cite news | title =My South Korean Adventure | first =Emily | last =Wells | url =https://www.huffingtonpost.com/emily-wells/my-south-korean-adventure_b_3007252.html | newspaper =Huffington Post | publisher = | date =2013 | accessdate = 2015-10-05 }}</ref> <ref name="accesphase">{{cite web|url=https://tomtommag.com/2011/02/the-evolution-of-emily-wells-new-york-phase/|title=The Evolution of Emily Wells, New York Phase|date=February 3, 2011|publisher=Tom Tom Magazine|accessdate=February 14, 2011}}</ref> <ref name="lassnarka">{{cite web |url=http://www.lasnark.com/2008/09/17/emily-wells-interview-aim/ |title=Emily Wells – AIM Interview |date=September 17, 2008 |publisher=LA Snark |accessdate=May 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429025558/http://www.lasnark.com/2008/09/17/emily-wells-interview-aim/ |archivedate=April 29, 2009 |df=mdy }}</ref> <ref name="roomthirteen">{{cite web|url=http://www.roomthirteen.com/cgi-bin/feature_view.cgi?FeatureID=645|title=Feature: Emily Wells Interview|date=October 29, 2008|publisher=Room Thirteen|accessdate=May 23, 2009}}</ref> <ref name="boiseweeklY">{{cite news | title =Emily Weels discuses purposeless pay at Hackfort | first = | last = | url =http://www.boiseweekly.com/Cobweb/archives/2015/03/29/treefort-2015-emily-wells-discusses-purposeless-play-at-hackfort | newspaper =Boise Weekly | publisher = | date =March 29, 2015 | accessdate = 2015-10-05 }}</ref> <ref name="kenoteatftreefort">{{cite web|url=http://go.boisestate.edu/hackfort/ |title=Check Out # Hackfort 3 |website=Go.boisestate.edu |date= |accessdate=2016-03-07}}</ref> <ref name="treefortmusicfest">{{cite news |title = Artists at Yogafort |url = http://www.treefortmusicfest.com/yogafort/artists/9 |publisher = Treefort Music Fest |accessdate = 2015-10-05 |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160305023604/http://www.treefortmusicfest.com/yogafort/artists/9 |archivedate = March 5, 2016 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> <ref name="performsdaily">{{cite news | title = Frank Caliendo; Casey Currie. Also: violinist Emily Wells performs. | url = http://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/last-call-with-carson-daly/s09/e04/ | publisher = Rotten Tomatoes | date = September 18, 2009 | accessdate = 2015-07-06 }}</ref> }}

==External links== {{Commons category}} *[http://www.emilywellsmusic.com/ Official website] *[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtMNKOMwMrV1Ft-I4_c-JPQ Emily Wells] on YouTube * {{Discogs artist|1285668}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wells, Emily}} Category:Living people Category:1981 births Category:American women violinists Category:21st-century American violinists Category:Composers from Texas Category:American queer musicians Category:21st-century American multi-instrumentalists