Dear Willow

Dear Willow is the creative voice of Sunshine Coast artist Em-J Dau. Through this voice, Em-J has been able to express herself with an impressive versatility; since 2012 Dear Willow has at times been a poet, a solo acoustic act, and a full band. Testament to its creator's talent, Dear Willow is both Em-J's nom de plume and her persona artistica: a vessel that can change shape and direction, allowing her to truly explore her creativity. Dear Willow's first single, Father's House (2015) introduced Em-J's wonderfully smoky voice to the big wide world, capturing a beautiful sense of yearning that is often present in her lyrics. As her songwriting developed, flourishes of indie-rock and post-grunge began to infiltrate her earthy tones. Upbeat and optimistic, yet delicate and vulnerable, Dear Willow's 2016 single When It Burns proved that Em-J's songs had translated perfectly to a full-band lineup. It was time to hit the studio... On Dear Willow's forthcoming debut EP, there is a wonderfully refreshing absence of digital augmentation: Em-J's voice is untouched by auto-tune and her songs move through time and tempo naturally, untethered to a metronome. The result is soulful, organic and beautifully real. Sounding in the studio as she would on a stage, the honesty in Em-J's music is captured perfectly on Dear Willow's debut. As a solo artist, Dear Willow has been a fearless traveller, touring Australia and earning her stripes as a live musician. Within a few years she had advanced from a timid songstress to a seasoned performer; clocking up thousands of miles and hundreds of gigs... and the horizon always beckons. With the release of Dear Willow's EP will come more touring and road-tripping, as the talented young songwriter sets out to make her mark on the world. As enchanting a festival performer as she is a troubadour, Em-J's musical journey looks set to bear exciting times, and with a full band at her command, it seems there are no limitations on how far this journey could take her. - “One of those voices that is soft and slightly melancholic, yet has a ferocity to it” -The Point A sound that evolves as a I evolve.