Conversations with Emily Laliotis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Laliotis.

Emily, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My grandparents on both sides had deep connections with music. Papa took my mom and aunts to life-changing concerts and always had music on in the house. Papou came from Greece, bearing the name Laliotis, which loosely translates to “song bird.” Arriving in the US in the late 50’s, Greek folk music is how he stayed connected to home.

I didn’t know early on how lucky I was to have music in my home— my parents encouraged my love of singing and performing in the form of lessons, musicals, Greek dance, and performances of all stripes.

As a teenager developing my own taste, I started writing music. My high school sweetheart-now-husband and I would make recordings and music videos together all over San Diego, bonding over our love of organic, truthful music. We still make art together.

My musical identity changed when I pursued a degree in classical voice— learning how to sing with precision and intention changed the way I wrote and performed.

Seeing the journey (so far) from a Birds Eye view, I can trace the path that has brought me to today— living in LA, performing for a living, writing and making folk/Americana music that I love. Telling stories.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
After finishing school, it was a struggle to find my voice and my motivation. I was plagued by self-doubt and creating in a vacuum when I was introduced to the Artist Way. The book, which has been healing creatives for decades, took me on a journey that reconnected me to the why of music. At the same time, I met my favorite writing partner. We committed to writing a song every day and did so for three months, often collaborating via Zoom to write and cheering each other on. Many of the songs I wrote during my song-a-day period I’m still performing and releasing.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m best known for my voice. My training in classical and byzantine singing gives my voice a distinctive, evocative quality. People who see me live comment on feeling drawn in and held like a spell— I relish in using the voice as its own instrument, taking the audience on the journey with me. You can communicate the message of the song not only with the words but with the way you sing them. I like to experiment and vary my delivery every show, much to the chagrin of my band.

As a writer, I aim for simplicity and truth. My music explores the inner workings of being human, being unsure and unsteady, and living life anyways.

Any big plans?
I am releasing my EP— my first big project in many years— on October 6th. It’s a set of songs that I am so proud of. Most were written in quarantine and brought to life with the help of my friend and producer Gregg Leonard. We recorded much of it here in LA but finished remotely as he moved to Australia.

I’m super lucky to make music full-time, playing at restaurants and parties, corporate events, and things like that. When I look to the future, I hope to bring more of my own music into that space.

I’ll be playing some shows out of town for the first time around the release of the EP, and I am stoked to bring my music to some new audiences. I’m in an OC-based band as well, and we have some exciting things coming up in the next year; we’re called Alexander Parlee & the Ellipses.

What most excites me most is working with other folks, collaborating, and making more music. I have a suspicion that community is the secret to longevity in this business. I’m still working on building mine.

Contact Info:

• Website: emilylaliotis.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilylaliotis/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/EmilyLaliotisMusic/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@EmilyLaliotis

Image Credits
Jason Lee Segal