Originally from the small city of Champaign-Urbana, IL, OTNES (they/she) fell in love with music at an early age. After growing up learning flute, piano and voice, OTNES got their degree in creative writing at UIUC and moved to Chicago where they became a staple in the music scene under the name Emily Blue. There, they frequented venues like Lincoln Hall, The Metro, Schuba’s, & more.