Exclusive Interview With Emly – Women’s Month Special

In today’s Exclusive Interview, we have Emly on our E-seat, sharing her journey as an artist and her passion for music.

Formerly known as Jamine, Emly was born in Nigeria and has experienced life in different places. Formerly known as Jamine, Emly was born in Nigeria and has experienced life in different places. Though an engineer by degree, music has always been her true calling. She has spent years refining her sound and artistic identity. Now part of the MBA for Africa program, she is learning and growing as she prepares to release her first EP in May.

In this interview, Emly talks about her creative process, the challenges she has faced, and what being a woman in music means to her. She also shares her thoughts on female artists in the African music scene and the message she hopes to send through her songs.

Let’s get to know Emly beyond the music.

Q: Can you introduce yourself to our audience? Who is Emly?
A: “Emly is a girl just tryna figure out life.🤣 My name is Nwankwo Emly Oluchi. I was born in Nigeria and have had a little bit of international experiences. Engineer by degree and musician by mind, body, and soul.”

Q: How did your journey into music start, and what has shaped your artistry so far?
A: “My journey started at a very early stage. I guess I’ve always wanted to reach a larger audience. I’ve always wanted to be someone’s comfort through music or someone’s rage, or someone’s love, or someone’s happiness.”

Q: Can you give us a glimpse into your creative process? How do you approach songwriting and making music?
A: “Hmmm, I honestly never know how to answer this question ‘cause it’s not a straightforward answer. Sometimes I get inspiration from a conversation I had with someone, or maybe something I’m going through. Like, the ideas just come to my head, it’s very interesting ‘cause I know they are not just my doing.”

Q: Speaking of growth, a little birdie whispered to us that you are currently in the ongoing MBA for Africa programme. How true is that?
A: “On a scale of 1-5, very true.”

Q: What inspired you to join MBA for Africa, and what has the experience been like so far?
A: “🤣🤣 To be very honest, I can’t remember. I just know I was like, ‘Omo, let me try my luck.’ ‘Cause I went in knowing I had no music out and I was just tryna figure things out. It’s been educative, not only about music but life ‘cause you get to interact with a lot of people, yunno.”

Q: That’s amazing! So you do have a team working with you now and how has that been for your career so far?
A: “I do have a team working with me. Joining the MBA program has helped with a lot of things I lacked, so yeah. It’s been great, helpful, and supportive.”

Q: Women’s Month is about celebrating strength and resilience. What does this month mean to you personally?
A: “This month means unity, in unity we find strength. Seeing a lot of women out there supporting and inspiring each other is truly amazing. We live in a competitive world, so knowing it’s more about growth than competition is nice. It also means optimism ‘cause in order to go through every day, there has to be that optimism.”

Q: That’s a beautiful perspective. I mean, Women’s Month holds a different meaning to everyone, and yours is just so beautiful. In your own words, describe ‘woman.’
A: “A woman is a foundation that keeps things firm.”

Q: What are your thoughts on female representation in the African music industry?
A: “We are growing, and we are making an impact, and I love it.”

Q: As a female artist navigating the industry, what challenges have you faced, and how do you overcome them?
A: “Music business itself! The passion for music can blind you from the reality of it. I overcame it by being patient and seeking advice from people, which is difficult ‘cause trust these days plays a major role. I also built amazing relationships.”

Q: You haven’t released music on DSPs yet, but we’ve heard testimonies about how powerful your artistry is. Do you have recorded songs, and is anything holding you back from officially releasing them?
A: “Yes, I have a lot of songs that I’ve written, laid down the ideas, and worked on. I’d say what’s held me back was lack of guidance and uncertainty. Fear was the major issue, and then some other factors. Also, I didn’t feel like it was time to release them.”

Q: If your music was a dish, what would it be and why?
A: “🤣🤣 I want to say fufu or pounded yam ‘cause it’s soft.”

Q: What’s one song you wish you had written?
A: “‘The One’ – Jorja Smith.”

Q: If you could swap lives with any female artist for a day, who would it be?
A: “Beyoncé.”

Q: What’s the funniest or weirdest feedback you’ve ever received about your music?
A: “‘You write like a Western (abroad) artist.’”

Q: If you could describe your sound in three words, what would they be?
A: “Soulful, passionate, inspiring.”

Q: What message do you want to convey through your music?
A: “Love, strength, hope, vulnerability, passion, growth—a lot. I want life to be seen through my music.”

Q: Are there any upcoming projects we should look forward to?
A: “Yesss, my very first EP, which will be released sometime around May. And the ball is rolling from there. There are 6 songs, and none of them are love songs but sound like love songs.”

Q: Who are some artists you dream of collaborating with in the future?
A: “The list is longggggggggg… Jorja Smith, Tems, Natalia Lafourcade, Asake, Wizkid, Burna Boy, 6lack, SZA, Omah Lay…. I know I have a lot of songs I want to sample and remake and all.”

Q: Potato chips or yam chips?
A: “Mhmm, sweet potato chips.”

Q: What advice would you give to young female artists who are still trying to find their voice?
A: “Don’t be afraid to experiment, and always practice.”

Q: How can people support you and your journey as an artist?
A: “Stream my music, share their thoughts, recommend to a friend, watch me live, become part of the community. #StreamAggressively”

Stay connected with Emly! Follow her on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter (now X), and stream her projects on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.

For more updates on F.E.P Scouts Exclusive Interviews and everything happening at Scout Booth, follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

We also bring you Focus Five (Monthly Spotlight), Storytime/Artist Development Advice, A&R Booth ,Scout Street, In the Booth Acoustic Performance, #ScoutBoothConversations Twitter Space, Spotlight with 0909, SHE Art iT Game,SHE Art iT Playlist, Fresh Out Da Booth, Weekly Playlist, TBG Playlist, Gospel Playlist, Music distribution, TikTok campaigns, Snap Ads, Radio placements, music review & press releases, Wikipedia page creation & Google search visibility, Scoutbooth@events and much more.

Stay locked in the booth with us as we scout the most amazing experiences for you!