April 25, 2025 |
Emma-Jean Thackray’s latest album Weirdo opens with an affronting statement. “There’s something wrong with your mind,” the phrase twangs, looping continuously, channelling the cadence of an excitable ringmaster. Kicking off the album this way feels like London-based Thackray’s way of inviting us into her world; a place for people who feel different to the mainstream – a feeling Thackray says she knows well as someone who is neurodivergent. At only 30 seconds, the clip sets the tone for the rest of the album. In her pursuit of embracing what it means to be a ‘weirdo’ and reworking it as something to be proud of, Thackray isn’t scared to get the tools out and excavate the inner corners of her mind to do so.
Lyrics-wise, it’s refreshing how on the nose it is. The second track, which gives the album its title, is punctuated by the phrase, “Hey there, weirdo. I’m a weirdo,” whilst tracks four, five and six are clear and instructive in their purpose, titled Let Me Sleep, Please Leave Me Alone and Save Me respectively. Thackray doesn’t want to exclude listeners with abstract metaphors and convoluted narratives. The precision of her message is executed in a way that invites the listener to explore along with her.
Clear is by no means boring, though. Thackray’s aptitude for cross-genre blending means you’re never quite sure what’s coming next, but you are sure it won’t be dull. Her assured, brassy vocals reverberate through melodies that draw on a melting pot of genres like grunge, pop, soul, jazz, boom bap and funk. The rhythms are syncopated with a confident playfulness, meaning that despite the lyrics exploring heavier topics like isolation, grief and self-discovery, the album never feels too bogged down. It’s a skill that isn’t easy to master, especially when, for Thackray, it’s a record charting one of the hardest periods of her life. “Making this record saved my life,” she says. “I needed to find a way back to myself after being so lost and everything I am is music – nothing else matters… It’s a survival record – full of pain but also silliness.” Silliness is indeed present (and welcome) with the track Fried Rice stating that the artist just wants “to eat fried rice,” maybe then she’ll “be alright” – can’t blame a girl for hoping, right?
Released via the Gilles Peterson-founded imprint Brownswood Recordings and jazz heritage label Parlophone, the 19-song release was written, performed, produced, recorded and mixed all by Thackray in her South London flat. Weirdo is as personal as it gets, and Thackray’s ability to lay herself bare whilst producing music that is equal parts infectious and impactful is a pleasure to experience. Here, we sat down with Thackray to hear more about her about her favourite lyric from Weirdo, what she might do with her life if she wasn’t a musician and the most interesting objects in her South London flat.
1. What does weirdo mean to you?
Growing up I felt very isolated, outcast, outsider-y: a weirdo. I got called it all the time and it was not a compliment. It caused a lot of anguish to feel so othered as a child, to feel so different from everyone else for being neurodiverse, liking strange music, for being literally obsessed with music, for not understanding what was going on around me socially, and for so many other things. I think allistic people can sniff out the neurodiverse, even if they can’t put their finger on it, they know something is ‘off’. They don’t all treat you with kindness, though. I’m trying really hard to flip the moniker ‘weirdo’ into a positive one. To celebrate what makes me different.
2. What can fans expect from your new album?
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, it’ll change your life. Expect grunge, pop, soul, dance, jazz, all in one package. Expect honest and, at points, bleak lyrics, with sarcasm and silliness to balance it out. Expect big tunes to sing along to cathartically. Expect realness and honesty.
3. Favourite lyric from the album?
It’s a toss up between “I don’t wanna die, except for all the times I do” and “Why should I stay, I’m just paying some guy’s mortgage anyway”. I still laugh every time I sing those lines.
4. Who are your biggest musical inspirations?
So many. Miles Davis, Alice Coltrane, Kurt Cobain, Theo Parrish, Kate Bush, Robert Glasper, Björk, Herbie Hancock, Prince, I could go on and on and on. Basically anyone who is unabashedly themselves and searching for something bigger while creating honestly and authentically. The weirdos.
5. How many musical instruments can you play and which ones?
I don’t know to be honest. A few. Some better than others. I don’t play bowed string instruments. Literally anything else I can hold a tune on. If you give me an instrument I’ve never seen I’ll figure something out on it within half an hour. All instruments are kinda the same thing in lots of ways. I wouldn’t do a gig on most of them. At least not a jazz gig, as you have to have a much greater mastery on an instrument to improvise with it.
6. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?
When I was a toddler and the adults would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said artist. I’ve always known that this is what I would do and never for even a second in my life have I doubted that. So if I wasn’t making music, I’d still be an artist in some way.
7. Why did you write, record and arrange every part of the album yourself?
Because I’m a massive control freak that didn’t want to have to compromise with anyone else. But also because I’d been through something horrible and traumatic, was feeling so disconnected from myself, from the world, and I needed to find my way back to myself. I needed to make music, to be an artist again. I needed to make this album as my therapy, to process all of the horrible shit that had happened, and to have some agency over my own life. I shut myself away for a year, alone, and making this record saved my life. If I didn’t make this record in the way that I did, I wouldn’t be here today.
8. What’s the most interesting object in your South London flat?
I think it depends on who you’re asking! I’ve definitely got a collection of weird and wonderful objects in my house, hopefully ones that are interesting enough that when I die everyone will be fighting over them. Maybe there’s some sort of fist fight over who gets my painting of Gail Platt from coronation street, or my Quasimodo figurine, or the John Coltrane action figure. Maybe it’s my sketch books or instruments. I’m not gonna put who gets what in my will, just a singular clause that my brother has to sing “Danny Boy” at the funeral or he doesn’t get any money.
9. If Weirdo had a scent, what would it smell like?
For other projects I’ve made bespoke scents for them, but I didn’t for this project. I’ve often sprayed the scent before working on a project in order to help me be in the zone of that world, but for this one I didn’t do that. It wasn’t about getting in the zone, it was about saving my life. I did burn a lot of Palo Santo, though. My house smells like that constantly.
10. What’s next for you?
Might have a nap. This whole putting out an album thing is pretty tiring. Then I’m going out on tour!
Photography by Lewis Vorn.
