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| EmiSunshine no longer looks like a child star on the cover of her new double album, Miss Demeanor. |
EmiSunshine,
one of the opening acts for Chris Knight at the Spirit of 76 Celebration
concert on July 4, is only 22 but has been in the music business for 15 years.
Emilie
Sunshine Hamilton recorded her first two albums at 7 and found an international
following at 9 when a fan posted a video of her flea-market performance of
Jimmie Rodgers’ “Blue Yodel No. 6” on YouTube and it became a viral hit. That
led to an appearance on the Today show and a spot on the Grand Ole Opry. She
was soon opening shows for Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn and Tanya Tucker and had
appointments to write songs with Nashville songwriters. While
she still has elements of that little girl from Madisonville, Tennessee, EmiSunshine’s new album, Miss
Demeanor, is a testament to who she is now. The songs are more personal, more
mature, and give honest insights about growing up in the spotlight, writing and playing country, folk, blues and rock. “It
takes a double album to represent who EmiSunshine is now,” her publicity says. “There’s
plenty of familiar dark themes, old-time country stylings, and the clever
lyrics and odd twists that have always been Emi’s signatures. This time,
though, they’re delivered with a more nuanced and mature vocal style. One track is “Now You Know,” Emi’s first public
acknowledgement that she is gay. “I
had a fan base that had a false perception of who I am,” says Emi. “This is the
first time I’ve talked about that. . . . I loved every moment of my spotlight.
It was an important part of my journey, but if I could go back I’d be more
honest about who I was.” Emi’s publicity says, “If she loses a few fans, so be
it. She’s more concerned about reaching people who want to connect with who she
really is. There
are fans whom Emi is happy not to have. Her song “P.D.L.M.A.” (“Pedophiles
Don’t Love Me Anymore”) depicts creepy requests and inquiries she got as a
child. She says it isn’t really intended to make light of the subject: “It’s a
way for me to deal with what happened.” Emi
knows she’s making a statement with her new album. “I’m re-introducing myself
as an artist,” she says, “and ending the child-star era of my life.”
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