Emma-Jean Thackray by Alex Waespi
Weirdo PRE-SAVE/ORDER: https://emmajeanthackray.lnk.to/weirdo
"Wanna Die" LISTEN: https://emmajeanthackray.lnk.to/wannadie WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfpgPePorRU
(January 28, 2025) - Emma-Jean Thackray, the visionary producer, composer, and instrumentalist, announces her highly anticipated second album, Weirdo, set for release on April 25th via Gilles Peterson’s celebrated record label Brownswood Recordings. Known for defying musical boundaries, Thackray's latest work is a deeply personal and utterly original exploration of selfhood, grief, and gratitude.
Drawing on an eclectic mix of influences—grunge, pop, soul, p-funk, and jazz— Weirdo is a triumphant celebration of survival and individuality. Written, performed, recorded, mixed, produced and arranged entirely by Thackray in her South London flat, the album stands as a testament to her extraordinary musicianship and fearless self-expression.
The brand new single “Wanna Die” is a striking blend of frenetic energy and emotional vulnerability. With its scattered, uptempo beat driving the track forward, the song juxtaposes its rhythmically playful foundation against poignant reflections on mortality and resilience. Thackray’s lyrics wrestle with heavy themes, moving between moments of despair and determination. The result is an audacious exploration of life’s fragility, delivered with raw honesty and wrapped in a percussive soundscape that feels simultaneously chaotic and cathartic.
Originally conceived as a meditation on neurodivergence and mental health, Weirdo evolved after the unexpected loss of her long-term partner from natural causes in January 2023, resulting in an album that feels deeply personal and universal. With intricate compositions, raw emotion, and an unflinching authenticity, Weirdo is more than an album; it’s a masterpiece of resilience, a celebration of individuality, and a bold leap forward for an artist at the forefront of British music.
Speaking on the album she shares: “Initially the album was a way to process and accept my own mental health issues. It then turned into a grief diary and inevitably, my form of therapy. In many ways, making Weirdo saved my life. I want the music to resonate with others who might be going through similar experiences, to let them know that there’s a way through it all, and that it’s OK to express whatever’s on your mind.”
The album features standout collaborations with American artists Reggie Watts and Kassa Overall on tracks like the recently released “Black Hole” and “It’s Okay,” but its essence is rooted in Thackray’s unique voice. Blurring the lines between genre and emotion, Weirdo evokes comparisons to Meshell Ndegeocello, Kate Bush and Nirvana—on the dancefloor.
Emma-Jean’s journey to becoming one of the most talked-about figures in contemporary music has been anything but conventional. Born in West Yorkshire and classically trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Trinity Laban Conservatoire, she spent her early career defying musical boundaries with her genre-blending sound. Her rise to prominence included her self-released EP Walrus (2016) and the Jazz FM award-winning Yellow (2021), which solidified her position as one of the UK's most innovative musicians and saw her performing at iconic venues and festivals, from the London Symphony Orchestra to numerous Glastonbury slots.
The new project heralds the start of a new musical chapter for Emma-Jean as part of the revered Brownswood Recordings (Yussef Dayes, Kokoroko). An institution proudly rooted in London’s diverse music community, the label has become a hub for eclectic genre-defying music and feels like the perfect home for a boundary-blurring musical force such as Thackray. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment