We meet up with EM Kane at Glasgow’s legendary grassroots venue ahead of her Glastonbury set to discuss the importance of celebrating and investing in creative industries.
00:00Hello, my name is Eleanor, I'm a solo artist named E.M. Cain, and I'm a singer-songwriter and actor from Glasgow.
00:07This is my second time playing Grass and Braids, my second year in a row.
00:11I'm playing at the Hive stage, which is just next to BBC Introducing Stage.
00:16And it's a kind of underground stage, but it's gained a lot of traction in the last couple of years.
00:20Like, we're on the official line-up, and like, yeah, it's really cool.
00:25And I'm going to be promoting my new single.
00:28I've got a song coming out called Don't You Miss Fun, which is out on the 1st of July.
00:33And then I'll also just be going to support my friends.
00:37I've got a few mates, the Corte Alto are playing, and the Scottish band, Jacob Allon.
00:42And then also just soaking up the vibes, like, it's just going to be great.
00:46It's supposed to be wet this year, so that'll be a different experience.
00:49Last year it was roasting, but there's so much, like, other stuff going on that isn't just the music.
00:53And I really loved that last year, like, I had a great time just, like, cutting about,
00:57going to watch the wee art, like, the wee, you know, Make a Willow Duck workshop, like, stuff like that.
01:06It's just, it's, yeah, it's good vibes.
01:08And I'm very, very grateful to be able to be doing it for a second time, like, now I know what I'm doing now.
01:13E.M. Cain, which is my solo project, is very much like a fusion project, so I think it blends elements of soul and R&B.
01:25I grew up listening to a lot of, like, soul and gospel music, but it blends that with some kind of, like, grungier elements, some folk elements, and very, like, storytelling.
01:36I think having grassroots venues that offer creativity outside of London are so important.
01:46And that's not just putting on gigs that people can sit down and watch and go and see, that's putting on, like, collaborative, creative nights where musicians can come together and artists can come together and get to know each other and foster a strong local community, grassroots community.
02:06I think making music, for me, is very much just a byproduct of how I process emotions and, like, I've been writing songs since I was a wee girl in response to the world around me.
02:21It's an important way for me to get through life.
02:25Educating young people, especially, to be in touch with their emotions in a genuine way and find, like, organic, not manufactured ways to express themselves, like, regardless of whether they want to go and be an artist or be a musician or be a whatever or not, having that avenue for any person to have, like, a creative, like, playful outlet is important for any young person's growth.
02:53I really hope that people can recognise the value of, like, creativity.
