Emerging artist Emi Grace is building quite the reputation as a skillful guitarist, fusing rock, electronic & guitar elements to create a sound of her own. Through her viral ‘Trashy Tone Thursday’ posts on TikTok, the twenty-one-year-old from Southern California has built growing fanbase and recognition.
Influenced by the likes of legendary guitarists Tom Morello, Stevie Ray Vaughn, David Gilmour and Jennifer Batten, it was when Emi Grace discovered Eddie Van Halen for the first time did she really delve into focusing solely on electric guitar. “I was skating in my front yard one time and I was scrolling through my phone, I need some new music to listen to and I heard ‘Eruption’ and I was like “Oh my gosh what the heck this is so cool,” she shared. “I just started listening to all of Van Halen and I was like “This is incredible.” And then that led me down this rabbit hole of amazingness. I heard the ‘Comfortably Numb’ solo that David Gilmour did, and after that I was like ‘Oh my gosh like I this is this is heaven to my ears.'” Early on, she was shy to show anyone the music she was making, and spent most of high school recording music under her tiny desk in my bedroom, while her parents were at work. Eventually after creating over 150 completed songs and ultimately sharing them online, her talent was undeniable and led to live performances at small venues like School Night and The Troubadour in Los Angeles. She recently performed at SXSW and just released her latest single “Heart in a Cage” ahead of her tour dates with singer/songwriter Ava Maybee.
Emi Grace speaks with B-Sides host Pete Mar about how “Eruption” by Van Halen inspired her to play electric guitar, shares her inspirations, Trashy Tone Thursdays on TikTok and more.
