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Emily chooses her ten favourite tracks in an interview in the April issue of The Bath Magazine.  Here they are:

Eva Cassidy – Fields of Gold

One of the most beautiful recordings of a song I think I have ever heard. It makes me sad every time to think that she died so young but she left such a treasure behind.

Tracy Chapman – Baby Can I Hold You

Her album Fast Car is one of my all-time favourites. I always loved singing along and making up harmonies. So many songs to choose from but this one is just gorgeous.

Bob Marley – Misty Morning

I was obsessed with Bob Marley as a teenager and when I got a guitar for my 21st birthday I taught myself to play it from his songbooks. The first song I ever learnt was Time Will Tell as it only has two chords.

Suzanne Vega – Gypsy

I used to sing this song all the time when I was 16 and working in France as a chambermaid. I’m an incurable romantic and it made me go all wistful thinking of far-off places. Years later I went to one of her gigs and sat there in floods of tears while she sang this song.

J S Bach – Mass in B Minor, Agnus Dei

I grew up with classical music at home and I still listen to it a lot. Although I’ve never liked opera, I love choral music. Bach and Bob Marley strangely have the same effect on my mind, making me feel all is well with the world.

Tom Waits – Martha

His album ‘Closing Time’, from which this song is taken, is another all-time favourite. He writes such beautiful melodies all sung with that unique, fabulous voice.

Joni Mitchell – River

I have to confess that I’m not that into her other records but her album ‘Blue’ is absolutely stunning and this song is one of my favourites. Again I get that lovely feeling of wistful longing when I listen to it.

Ben Powell – Farewell Ladakh

Ben is a superb guitarist and composer I met when he was busking in Bath. I love acoustic guitar music and both his albums are just brilliant.

Alanis Morissette – Thank U

I loved her album Jagged Little Pill and this huge song from the follow-up is fantastic. She always writes from the heart, as do I. I love her words, her voice and her kickass attitude.

Fauré – Élégie

I was classically trained as a cellist and I played this piece as a teenager at a masterclass with the world-famous cellist Paul Tortelier just before he died. It was an amazing moment meeting him and playing this incredibly passionate piece with my sister on piano.

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Today is World Bipolar Day. I was 23 when I was diagnosed. Here is the most direct song I’ve ever written about my experiences of being bipolar. It’s from my album ‘Bird Inside A Cage’ and it’s called ‘Over The Waterfall’. You can download it from iTunes.

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When I was 16 I was in a car crash which triggered a strange nervous system disorder called Fibromyalgia Pain Syndrome. For the next 10 years I was in constant pain from muscle spasms all over my body. Some of the time I was on walking sticks, some of the time I was so fatigued I could barely move.

I tried everything for the pain, every treatment under the sun. Nothing helped, except diazepam (which I wasn’t allowed because of its psychotropic side-effects) and certain types of cannabis. The pain varied – sometimes it felt like a burning, sometimes spasms or cramps, sometimes a deep ache – but always moving around my body. When it stayed in one place for a few hours I thought I would go mad.

This is nothing compared to what actress Cherylee Houston deals with every day. She interviewed me for a programme on Radio 4 called ‘The Agony and the Ecstasy’ which was broadcast today. She wanted to explore the connection between pain and creativity.

When I got a guitar for my 21st birthday and started writing songs my illness became a complete blessing in disguise – stuck at home, unable to go to university or work, I had all this time on my hands to write. For me, the urge to write songs has always been inspired by the need to overcome and transcend pain, either physical or mental.

Millions of people live in pain. It’s good to talk about it and think about how we can possibly transcend it through creativity. You can listen again to the programme here.

xx

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I was a bit star-struck meeting Dr Phil Hammond when I did a live session on his BBC Radio Bristol show yesterday morning. I saw his stand-up show at Komedia in Bath a couple of years ago and thought he was absolutely brilliant. In person he was lovely and I sang ‘For Free’ and ‘Start Over Again’ with Christian on double-bass. I’m doing a live Radio 2 session with Clare Balding on Sunday 30 April.

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Thanks to everyone who came to my gig at the Cambridge Junction on Saturday night. It’s such a fantastic venue and I really enjoyed it. And thanks to Jon Hill for a very cool pic. Next up is Artrix Arts Centre in Bromsgrove on 1st April.

xx