Photo courtesy of Reed Schick
A man with paint-stained pants sits on a concrete ledge, jawline visible but face just out of frame. Emma’s head lays in his lap, staring into the camera, at us, with a meaningful gaze. It’s as if she knows and is trying to tell us what’s about to happen, as if she’s living outside of the moment with a perfect view of the future.
This is the artwork of Emma Ogier’s “First Base,” and it’s every bit as mesmerizing as the debut single. I had the chance to sit down with 19-year-old singer/songwriter Emma Ogier and discuss “First Base” ahead of its release on June 30, as well as gain some perspective on her ambitions as she embarks on the true beginning of her budding music career.
Growing up in a musical family with a grand piano and guitar always at hand, Ogier cites her father and brothers as the source of her love for music. As a self-taught instrumentalist, her desire to learn how to play was born out of necessity: “I’ve always loved to sing, and I learned (guitar and piano) mostly because I knew I wouldn’t always have my brothers or my dad around to accompany me every time I wanted to sing.”
It was also one of her brothers who inspired her to write songs. “I remember seeing him write songs and just being infatuated by the way he was able to say something real that I could understand — but I also couldn’t fully understand — and I really loved that form of communication. He inspired me to express myself in that way,” she explained. Ogier began to chase that form of lyricism in her own songwriting, putting her first few songs to paper in high school.
Originally from Houston, Texas, but now based in Nashville, Tennessee, Ogier has a blend of influences that shine through in different aspects of her work. Lyrically, she feels inspired by Joni Mitchell, Lori McKenna and Harrison Whitford, but she credits elements of her sound to some of the rock and soul greats like Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. “I spent a lot of time in rock cover bands in Houston, and I never thought that those songs would inspire my music, but the use of harmonies in music from that time is heavily influential on my sound now.” She also loves contemporary artists like Dijon, George Clanton and Big Thief.
Ogier’s style has the heartfelt yet slightly opaque lyricism of classic rock, infused with the soaring sound of newer indie rock and pop. In “First Base,” Ogier has captured the evocative ambiguity she admired in her brother’s songwriting. Her favorite lyric she’s written is from an earlier iteration of the single, centering around the theme of isolation and the longing for connection: “I’ve settled down, just doing my research / All I do is listen to these bullshit preachers / They call and they call but they never can reach her / Mother Mary listens better, maybe you’ll seek her / If you think about me when you break that fever, / I’m an open circuit, just hoping you’ll get in line.”
“I was trying to say that my mind is hard to understand, and I felt like there weren’t a whole lot of people that wanted to understand it.” This idea, which Ogier thought about a lot while isolated and sick with COVID-19 back in 2020, became her “muse.” However, “‘First Base’ is special in that this was the first time I was able to really express that idea; no matter what first base is for you — whether that’s kissing, holding hands or sex — you’re longing for someone to understand you like the way you want to understand them.”
This sentiment shines through in the current lyrics as well: “If you touch me like you cared to keep, would I take pills just to fall asleep, / Lonely when I wake / Hanging from your lifeline, I wish you’d wanna hold me in the morning time / So patiently I pace.”
“I don’t think I’ve been able to say it better since,” she remarked.
With every line, Ogier is reaching for something more solid and finding only air, filling “First Base” with longing and heartache. However, underneath it all is a chord of strength and stubborn desire, the desire to be understood and truly known. Paired with an addictive melody, “First Base” is a masterpiece of wanting and a stunning debut single.
In anticipation of her first single, Ogier has been on tour for the last few months supporting Michaela Slinger, learning along the way and living out her dream of performing her music live. Ogier’s face radiated happiness recounting her favorite moments from touring. “I had so many stories, I can’t tell you just one! Tour was so awesome. I learned so much. I was so grateful to Michaela and the team and my parents for making that happen. The tour just showed me how much support I have.”
While preparing to play a show in Woodstock, New York, Ogier was met with fans who had traveled all the way from New Jersey after discovering her on TikTok. The reality of her growing popularity was finally hitting, and she was honored to be so supported. “It was the most awesome, sweetest compliment I’ve ever gotten.”
Traveling was also an opportunity for her to meet up with past friends, including a childhood best friend in Philly and college roommates in New York. “Getting to play for them was really awesome, because to have someone who knows your heart and knows you that well watching you say your truest words is really special and doesn’t happen that often.” After connecting with loved ones on tour, it seems that the desire to be understood and loved is within reach for Ogier.
While “First Base,” released June 30, is Ogier’s first official release, it’s only the tip of the iceberg of the passion and skill she’s been honing for years, and it’s far from being her last. Her next single, “Consider Me A Winner,” is set to come out in the next few months and is one of her favorites. She plans to release an EP in the fall, as well as to continue to tour and share her music. You can stream “First Base” here, as well as keep up with Emma on Instagram, TikTok and her official site.