London/Los Angeles, 19th November 2021 “Brilliant and incredibly versatile writer with an emotional depth in her music” (Cinegirl)
“Rice captures a seamless mix of nature and technology in her recordings” (Forbes)
“Talented composer and storyteller through music” (International Film Review)
From West London to West Coast US, composer and rising star Emily Rice is now at the forefront of new wave of female European composers taking on Hollywood alongside the likes of Natalie Holt, Amelia Warner, Hannah Peel, Hildur Guðnadóttir and Isabel Waller-Bridge, to name a few. Usually known for her Film and TV scoring talent, Maybe It’s Because I’m A Londoner marks Emily’s debut artist album, and the first artist release on First Artists Recordings / MNRK Records on 19th November.
MIBIAL has allowed the Emily to present a different side to her work. The album was recorded with a line up primarily of piano, strings, synthesizers and bass along with select guest appearances including Gene Back on Violin and the Hi-Lo Singers on vocals on the beautifully stripped back choral track ‘Outpour’.
Talking about the creation of MIBIAL, Emily reveals: “I was in my studio and started humming – there was something about the melody, so I wrote it down and it sparked this process. It was the door to me starting the album and that humming became album opener and first single ‘Come With Me’. It was an invitation for me to start writing, and an invitation to others to come with me on the journey of the rest of the album.
“MIBIAL is a love letter to home. The fondness, pining, sadness and hope that came with all the emotions stirred up by the pandemic. In recent years, at times it feels like we’re living in a movie and there is definitely a cinematic feel to the soundscape of MIBIAL.”
British born Emily now resides in Los Angeles. Starting her musical life as a cellist playing in orchestras and rock bands, it wasn’t long before she was recognized as an emerging talent and was as the first composer awarded a scholarship from BAFTA L.A.. A music graduate of the University of York, Emily also holds a graduate certificate in film scoring from the USC Scoring for Motion Picture and Television program. She is an Art of Practice Fellow of the Sundance Institute and this album is supported via its Interdisciplinary Programme.
Among her credits, Emily scored The I-Land TV series for Netflix (executive produced by and starring Kate Bosworth). Her composition set featured in the 2018 second annual ‘The Future is Female’ concert catching the attention of an executive on the series, ultimately landing her the job. Emily is in increasing demand for feature films, and has composed the scores to documentaries 100 Years From Home, Self-Taught: Life Stories from Self-Directed Learners and For the Love of Rutland. In 2021, Lakeshore Records released the soundtrack to her score for the critically acclaimed feature Miss Juneteenth.
Maybe It’s Because I’m A Londoner will be the first release of many as Emily simultaneously builds her career as score composer and recording artist. It also marks the first artist release on the First Artist Recordings label.
