Emm Gryner is a talented singer-songwriter from Forrest, Ontario. She has released five full length albums, and is currently touring with David Bowie as a backup singer, also playing keyboards and clarinet.
Born in 1975, Emm started playing piano at the age of five. By the age of twenty she had become proficient on bass and guitar, and had also started her own record label, Dead Daisy Records. Her first two albums, And Distrust it(1995) and Original Leap Year (1997), were released independently on Dead Daisy.
After playing small venues around town in Toronto, Emm was creating quite a buzz with her unique style. She was invited to play on the emerging artists stage for three dates at Lilith Fair, and in 1997, she signed with Mercury Records. Her first major label album, Public (1998) produced a radio hit, entitled Summerlong. Emm was nominated for the best new artist Juno, and it appeared as though there was nothing but success ahead for her.
The following year, PolyGram Records, the parent company to Emm’s label Mercury Records, merged with Universal Music and Emm was lost in the shuffle. She lost her record deal and with it, most of her career’s momentum. Emm is the eternal optimist, and was unfazed by the unfortunate turn of events. In fact, she went on to release a fourth album, titled Science Fair on her own Dead Daisy Records. Science Fair is a collection of 8-track recordings with a much more stripped down sound. Emm played most of the instruments, and produced and recorded it herself. The fans responded very well to this offering, making it the best selling album of her career. Eye Magazine called it “the best album of her career.”
As soon as Science Fair was released, David Bowie offered her a position in his band as a backup singer. She graciously accepted and continues to lend a hand to his projects to this date. In fact, Emm was featured on David Bowie’s 2001 release, Survive and his 2000 live album, Bowie at the Beeb.
In the year 2000, amidst a hectic itinerary while touring with David Bowie, Emm managed to find time to record the follow up to Science Fair, Dead Relatives. It included the original version of Summerlong recorded with Indie Rock darlings, Transistor Sound and Lighting Co. and a cover of Vincent Gallo's stirring Lonely Boy. This was followed up with Girl Versions, an album of covers that includes favorites from Ozzy, Stone Temple Pilots and Def Leppard, among others.
Emm has a unique style of presenting her new material. She has been doing “living room shows” in the homes of her fans. This is very endearing to those who are lucky enough to participate in one of these intimate shows, and it really shows that she loves and appreciates the people who stand behind her. Emm Gryner is a gem in a world of over the top pop music, and her versatility is prominent in everything she releases. Who else has guested on a Rob Zombie album and released a version of Thrush Hermit’s The Day we Hit the Coast stripped down to only piano and vocals?