Emerging London artist Ema Wine has crafted an intense rock sound shaped by dark melancholy and pure, visceral rage that she describes as “brutal, melancholic and electric.” While not necessarily a band – only our second New Band of the Week not to be a full band – Ema is backed by a group of musicians to play live and record music.
Ema was born and raised in the dark, electric streets of Camden Town. And her sound and approach have been shaped by the local area, from the madness of Camden Market to alleys still haunted by Amy Winehouse and punk legends, and iconic music venues like Underworld.
The 23-year-old started out playing at open mic nights and small gigs, where she bumped into musicians who shared her love for raw, honest music. That led to her meeting her bandmates, as she explains: “We kinda came together by chance – one rainy night at the night market, a soaked mate introduced me to this punk drummer in a horned helmet. We ended up jamming in an empty bar, drinks spilled everywhere, and boom, the chemistry was there. Every gig since has been wild, but no one forgets that horned drummer and our first improvised rehearsal!”
And on the sound she’s crafted since, she told us: “Visceral alt-rock: saturated guitars, sharp rhythms, and a voice that shifts from dark whispers to liberating screams. It’s rough, but captivating. On stage, I bring raw energy, flipping between deep melancholy and pure rage.
“It’s just me at the heart of it all—my thoughts, my stories, my music. I do have an amazing band with me, and they bring so much energy when we play live or record together, but everything starts from something super personal. I’ve always wanted my music to reflect my own experiences and vibe, and luckily, the team totally gets that and supports me so I can stay true to myself.”
Our first taste of this is Ema’s debut single Let Burn, which was released earlier this month. It opens up with light guitars that continue under Ema’s mellow but engaging vocals that gradually build with little drumrolls creeping in. Everything drops, setting up a gigantic chorus dominated by Ema’s deliciously heavy vocals delivering the feisty lines “Let them burn, Let them break, Let them drown in what they make, I don’t care, I don′t bend, I don’t need a single friend.” A second chorus ends with intense cries over lively guitars, dropping into spoken vocals and slow drums, setting up a big final blast of the chorus bringing the track to an intense conclusion.
On the track, Ema told us: “Honestly, I expected some people to get lost in my raw, disillusioned lyrics, but the underground press and fans loved it. If you haven’t heard it yet, expect a killer riff, relentless rhythm, and a voice that’s both biting and full of feeling—all wrapped up in a raw, no-filter production.”
A week on from releasing her debut single, Ema dropped her debut album Ashes. On the album, she said: “Ashes is a deeply personal journey—detachment, resilience, and searching for identity. Every track is about feeling out of place and finding strength in being independent. It’s a mix of intense sounds and quiet moments, capturing the chaos, loneliness, and freedom of our lives.
“The biggest challenge was balancing raw darkness with real vulnerability – without getting cheesy. I loved those late-night studio sessions, mixing sonic experiments with live spontaneity to keep it real. The hardest part? Getting people to hear our music, not just us, but what we want to say.”
From the album, Ema is keen to highlight its opener Mama, a track she describes as “beautiful, diving deep into regret, guilt, loss and despair, but still searching for light and hope.” It starts out with Ema’s impressive, high-pitched wandering vocals, before echoey, moody vocals take over and feed into high-pitched cries that feed into a catchy chorus “Mama, I lost your light, Mama, I’m rotting in my dust, Mama, I’m begging in the dark, Oh, Mama, let me fall apart.” It’s a deliciously vulnerable, dark and beautiful track.
The album offers up a diverse range of tracks, including the feisty World’s A Cage, which features a big singalong rocky chorus, the intriguing Idiot, the engaging, powerful and haunting Kill The Screams and Scream The Darkness, and the anthemic Better Alone, which shows off the gritty edge to Ema’s vocals and you can check out in the video below.
But a personal favourite is the dramatic Call My Name., which opens up with string bursts answered by Ema’s engaging vocals, before dropping into choral vocals over strings and guitars. It drops into a light, playful opening verse that gradually builds to a huge chorus led by Ema’s impressive vocals. A second verse sees light vocals supported by light stabbing strings, feeding into another powerful chorus. The pace slows with light vocals, that end on a held note setting up a big final blast of the chorus supported by strings and guitars. This is a certified banger, have a listen below:
The Ema Wine sound has been shaped by the likes of Amy Winehouse and the raw energy and no-filter attitude of punk and post-punk legends like The Clash, PJ Harvey, Nirvana, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Ramones. And we’re hooked on the darkness and vulnerability of Ema’s delicate yet powerful rock sound.
On what inspires her to write music, Ema explains: “Urban life, stories about being an outsider, and raw emotions. My lyrics are about searching for belonging, facing inner contradictions, and the strength that comes from independence.”
She may have only just released her first album, but Ema is all set to release her second, LONG LIVE THE QUEEN OF THE END TIMES, in September. She’ll be releasing a few singles beforehand and will be playing a small tour in alternative clubs.
And Ema added: “I want people to hear my lyrics. I put a lot into my writing, and I’m not here for the 15 minutes of fame. It’s not about me – it’s about the music.”
You can follow Ema Wine on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and check out her music on Spotify and YouTube.
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