From just outside of Washington D.C., Emmie Dohse is a soft pop, classical singer-songwriter on the rise. Having been immersed in piano as a child, she recently opened the door to adding lyrics to her music. With her new artistic style, she is creating a whole new sound that now includes her own story. She enjoys incorporating heartbreak, horrible dates, recurring dreams, what-ifs, and many more unique topics into her songwriting. This young artist is creating a name for herself in the classical and soft pop industries through her intrinsic talent with the piano, and her newfound art in songwriting.
Her newest single “Fortress” is a four and a half minute song that embodies soul and emotion. Emmie Dohse sings the entirety of fortress while she plays a dramatic piano background. Having grown up learning Beethoven, Bach and Debussy on piano, Emmie Dohse easily shows her fans how comfortable and familiar she is with the keys. Through her cords alone she is able to recreate her real feelings and share them with her audience. Her soprano voice is soft and full of power as she easily navigates between gentle verses and intense build-ups. The tasteful pairing of the dramatic piano with surrendering vocals gives music lovers everywhere a new artful masterpiece. Lyrically, she sings about heartbreak which allows for her song to be understood and felt by her audiences. Emmie Dohse successfully brings the classical genre to light for more people to enjoy by creating a poetic storyline with her lyrics.
Listen to "Fortress" here.
Welcome to BuzzMusic Emmie Dohse! The serenity of “Fortress” swept us off of our feet. Can you elaborate on your message behind your lyrics for “Fortress?”
I have an unfortunate tendency to cut wonderful people out of my life if they aren't as open as I want them to be. Loyalty and communication are really big in any type of relationship. Fortress is about the frustration and hurt that come with realizing this person was meant to only be in your life for a short time and realizing you didn't mean as much to them as you thought.
You told us that some of your artistic inspiration comes from artists like Allison Krauss and Sara Bareilles. Can you elaborate on how these musicians influence your songs?
I've always been a fan of the simple arrangements in music - a piano, a stellar voice - the bare bones, in addition to exceptional songwriting. Allison's voice is flawless 100% of the time, and she tells one heck of a story in her singing, no matter what the song is about. Sara Bareilles might be one of the best songwriters of our generation; her lyrics make you think "that's exactly what I feel but didn't know how to put into words".
Some of your lyrical inspiration comes from emotional commercials, recurring dreams, people in your life and what-ifs. Can you elaborate on how you create your poetic lyrics from these specific subjects?
I'm a slow-processor. When something resonates with me, I take a long time to think about it and its potential meaning. Usually, that means it's something important and worthwhile. I'll write down some type of response, a few phrases that could maybe lead to a song. You can make anything interesting to listen to if it comes from a vulnerable and heartfelt place.
You grew up learning Beethoven, Bach, and Debussy on piano and only recently began adding lyrics to your songs. How does having a piano background influence your music style, and how has it evolved since your recent addition of lyrics?
A piano is like a home base. It's comfortable and automatic, like a native language. Because of classical and theoretical training, I know what feelings I want to convey in the music and what chord progressions to use. It's been interesting adding lyrics because I don't want to play something underneath the words that are too repetitive or simple, or too difficult that I can't concentrate on singing the lyrics! That's just something I'll keep having to explore and get used to.