Wildermiss – Emma Cole
Denver band Wildermiss has exploded this summer from a local act to a national act on the rise. They’ve appeared on Last Call with Carson Daly, played Hotel Café, and festivals nationwide. Wildermiss is Emma Cole, Joshua Hester, Seth Beamer, and Caleb Thoemke. They started off as a synthpop act and have evolved quickly into the pop field with songs like “Carry Your Heart”
They have released an EP called Lost With You. Their live music is as infectious as their recordings. They are an independent band that will quickly be making label appeal.
FEMMUSIC: What was the biggest challenge in making Lost With You?
EC: The biggest challenge in making our first EP Lost With You was knowing that there was a certain pressure of this being our first recorded music that would “define” our sound. The recording/production process as a band was fun and a great learning experience.
FEMMUSIC: Tell me about working with Joe Richmond & Caleb Thoemke. How did you choose them to be involved with the EP? What did they bring to the project?
EC: Joe Richmond is someone we’ve known in the scene for a while. We asked him to be a part of our first EP for producing, recording, mixing, mastering and he was such a gem to work with. Caleb Thoemke is the drummer of Wildermiss. He has a degree in Audio Engineering and helps run a studio, so it made perfect sense for him to lead us into recording our first single Keep It Simple.
FEMMUSIC: I see you’re now signed to 7s Management. They are a big name. How did that happen? What benefits does management give you?
EC: 7s is a great team of people. In addition to day-to-day management, there are touring departments, marketing departments, etc. Our manager joined their team brought us into this new circle of people who are helping us launch into this new season of Wildermiss. We are very excited and grateful.
FEMMUSIC: You’re currently an independent band. Do you have goals to sign with a label? Why or why not? What would you look for in a label?
EC: We are happily independent, but if the right contract from a label comes along we will happily consider it. We are not looking to be a radio band with a short shelf life, but develop the band to create a sustainable musical career for us.
FEMMUSIC: his summer has been you’ve blown up. How has the added attention and national shows affected you? Good & Bad?
EC: This summer has been one for the books. We are excited that hard work and dedication keeps showing us that anything is possible. The attention gain has been great and we can’t wait to get back onto the road to meet new fans.
FEMMUSIC: Can you describe your songwriting technique?
EC: Our songwriting process is very collaborative and is different every time. I personally tend to begin writing songs with a drum beat or with a rhythmic element – something that makes me bob back and forth. I experiment with melodies over rhythms.
FEMMUSIC: What song (not your own) has had the biggest influence on you and why?
EC: I absolutely love anything by Born Ruffians, one of my favorites is their song “Needle”. I am heavily influenced by drums like I said in the question before. I love how this song hits but still has space.
FEMMUSIC: As a woman in the music industry have you been discriminated against?
EC: In my experience so far, I usually do not feel discriminated against. However, I have encountered some rude jaded men that just don’t get it.
Also, I do notice a general over-awareness of female fronted bands. Does that make sense? I appreciate those who are trying to make things better and more equal, but sometimes it comes across as a hot commodity… like “let’s place only female fronted bands/artists on the same stage” at festivals. Why?…
Overall, there are plenty of things around this topic I could talk about. I would not be surprised if I have been discriminated against without knowing it.
FEMMUSIC: Whom would you most like to collaborate with, or tour with? Why?
EC: I do love Young The Giant and Sylvan Esso and would love to tour with either of them. They are two currently-touring bands that I really enjoy and I think their fans would connect with our music too.
FEMMUSIC: What one thing would you like to change about the music industry?
EC: I want people to understand the value of music in this world. Music is such an integral part of our lives: in the car, in the store, funerals, celebrations, evoking emotion, etc… yet it is seen as a lesser-valued job or as something that is unimportant by so many. Which leads to changing the monetary value of music. Streaming platforms are a big part of that. These platforms have decreased the monetary value of music and have made it harder for musicians to keep afloat. Of course, this industry is always evolving so I am intrigued to see where we place our value in the future.