Meet Emily Yacina

You know that feeling of when you’ve woken up from a dream — usually with a massive jolt like I’m falling out a window, but that’s just me — and suddenly you’re whacked…WHACKED…with the melancholy realization that it was all a dream.

Move over Biggie, Emily Yacina has captured that feeling perfectly. With warbling and sweet harmonies, this NYC singer-songwriter delivers dreamy, heartbreaking, and melancholy indie pop. BUT UPBEAT! 

Below, we chat about self-reflection, high school crushes, and moving on from the Big Apple.

BREAKING WEATHER REPORT A MAD LIB BY EMILY YACINA

"We interrupt this SEXY broadcast to bring you a SPARKLY news bulletin. Hurricane HAYDEN, with gusting GEMS clocked at 420 miles per hour, is hammering the LOVINGLY populated Florida coast. This DARK storm has left LOUD devastation in its wake. The National GOLDEN RETRIEVER Bureau reports that in Miami, windows have been blown out of fifty high-rise GRAPES, showering the streets below with pieces of broken GEESE. The howling winds have reduced a newly built SCREAMING center to CHANDELIERS. Police report a seven-ton railroad LIME was lifted off its track and sent DANCING into a three story DISCO BALL. Fortunately, there have been no casualties. Nevertheless, the Governor has declared a SILLY STRING of emergency and advised all PUPPETS to seek safety in a TOE shelter. And now back to your SPIDER in progress."

Would You Rather

have control over all the fish in the world or all the trees? What would you do with your new powers?

I would rather have control over all of the trees so I can make them produce more and more and reverse deforestation.

Some questions with Emily Yacina

What is one thing you would want to change about the music industry?

I would change everything! But if I had to choose just one- I would make it easier for artists to independently put out their work. 

Where were you emotionally when writing the tracks for your 2019 release “Remember the Silver”

Since I wrote the album over 2 years, I was everywhere emotionally. Some of the songs I wrote when I was dealing with depression, some of them were inspired by being in love. The album is all over the place emotionally I think.

How do you balance introspection and self-reflection while still creating songs that resonate with others?

When writing I don't really think about how the song will resonate with other people. I'm always glad that they do, but the process of writing is way more a self-reflection tool than anything else.

What was the subject of the first song you ever wrote?

My high school senior crush!

Who is your biggest supporter throughout your musical career?

Probably my parents. They've always been super supportive and interested in what I'm doing creatively.

What is the best smelling thing ever?

I love the smell of christmas trees.

What is the most confused you have ever been? Did it work out?

I am confused every day of my life and somehow it continues to work out.

What do you get from the ice cream truck?

Either a spongebob pop or vanilla soft serve with rainbow sprinkles.

Do you see yourself staying in NYC for your whole life?

I love NYC so much but had recently planned to move to California after falling in love with someone out there. I wanted to move in July but it looks like I'll have to delay it until covid-19 subsides. Not comparable to what others are going through right now. I have always loved New York but simultaneousy have known that I want to try other things and other places.

What is your go-to Karaoke song? Why?

Lana del Rey- Ride. It takes me somewhere and is in my range.

Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)

I've been reading Gravity and Grace by Simone Weil and it's been really grounding. It's pretty much a journal of this activist who was also a spiritual thinker. A lot of the things I've read on spirituality can sometimes be overly-positive, but Weil does a really good job at staying realistic. She talks about how this life is just an absurd void, but you have to love anyway (and explains why.) It's been blowing my mind- one of those books that takes 20 minutes to read a page because it takes a time to fully understand/ process all of her ideas. She's incredible.