On being nominated for “Best Singer from Long Island” for two consecutive years, Pellegrino said, “I felt honored. It was a surprise enough the first time to have been that recognized, but twice in a row? I was floored.”
Regarding her plans for 2019, Pellegrino said, “The EP is finally underway. I’ve been writing these songs for years and I think it’s time they finally are released to the world.”
Her music and songwriting are inspired by such emotions as love, anger, sadness, and sassiness. “I have a hard time with songwriting but when I’m feeling something strong enough, it can sometimes just pour out of me and there’s no stopping it,” she said.
She covered “The Season’s Upon Us” by Dropkick Murphys and filmed her music video for the song. “The music video for ‘The Season’s Upon Us’ was an absolute blast. I was so grateful to everyone who showed up to help, all of them did an amazing job,” she said. “It was such a riot watching my friends get raw chicken shoved in their faces, having a man in a kilt, having a ‘grandpa’ fall down multiple flights of stairs, I will never forget that day.”
Pellegrino encouraged aspiring musicians to “practice” consistently. “I know it sounds redundant, but you can’t be the best at anything by just winging it. Also, don’t give up. It may not be your time now, but your time will come. You just have to be in the right places at the right time and have your skillsets way, way up,” she said.
Digital transformation of the music business
On the impact of technology on the music business, Pellegrino said, “Technology has been good and bad with the music business. Good due to its streaming services such as iTunes and Spotify. This makes it very easy for your fans to hear your music, in an affordable way. You are also able to keep track of your streams and sales.”
She continued, “On the other hand, technology is bad due to the whole ‘followers’ culture. You are nobody unless you have 10,000 followers or more. Most big-wig companies won’t even pay you any attention unless you have a following, which is disheartening. You could have some amazing music, but not all of us have the means of promoting and getting it recognized and purchasing followers. It is very sad.”
Regarding her use of technology in her daily routine as a singer-songwriter, Pellegrino said, “I use it as much as I can before my mind turns to mush. I try to post something daily to keep the fans engaged, even though it’s usually just a picture. As long as my name pops up, it’s doing something.”
Pellegrino noted that she would have loved to collaborate with “Freddie Mercury or Elvis Presley” if either were still alive today. She also listed Josh Ramsay of Marianas Trench as her dream duet choice. “Josh Ramsay is the closest thing that I have to Freddie and he’s been one of my biggest inspirations,” she said.
For her listeners, she concluded, “Keep pushing forward and don’t let real life get in the way of your dreams. Everybody is going to try to stop you and tell you that you can’t, but you have to push back and tell them ‘hell yeah, I can’.”
To learn more about Long Island singer-songwriter Emi Pellegrino, check out her Facebook page.
