INTERVIEW: Andy Smith & Emily E. Finke

Originally hailing from Bristol in the UK and now based in South Australia, Andy Smith is an award-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who grew up learning guitar from his father before taking to stages across the UK by the late 90s. From pub gigs to packed arenas, he cut his teeth as a performer long before releasing his own music, including his debut solo album Rock ’n’ Roll Goal in 2012, followed by The Equidistant Years in 2020. His talent for melody and storytelling carried into his work with the band Howlin’ Haze, whose 2016 album All That’s Real confirmed his status in the indie and alternative rock scenes.

Never content to rest, Andy has earned a reputation as both a creator and producer, shaping music for himself and other artists alike. His 2024 EP I Want To Take You Far showcased his development as a songwriter with its title track taking home Single of the Year at this year’s International Singer Songwriters Association (ISSA) Awards and “Always Be This Way” earning a Top 10 finalist spot at the World Songwriting Awards.

Meanwhile, Emily E. Finke is a force of her own making; a multi-award-winning musician and creative entrepreneur, she’s spent her career breaking barriers and exploring a truly unique artistic vision. Performing at Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House and becoming adept in production, engineering and composition, Emily’s artistic skills span every layer of the creative process.

Split by continents but connected by creative endeavour, Andy Smith and Emily E. Finke have come together for a collaboration that feels like a meeting of two artists whose paths were destined to cross. Their new single titled “Legends” is the product of distance defied, offering a song penned across 10,000 miles and three continents yet unified by a shared artistic spirit. When the two artists met as members of the ISSA community, collaboration felt inevitable and in May, Andy and Emily began co-writing what would become “Legends,” a dazzling piece that explores themes of time, distance and memory.

The pair wrote and produced the track remotely, exchanging ideas between Australia and the United States, before recording vocals together while both were in Atlanta, Georgia, for the ISSA Awards that summer. The project was completed with mastering by Andy De Rosa at Wave Mastering in the UK, bringing their creative journey full circle.

Thematically, “Legends” is at once intimate and mythical, presenting a song about crossing mountains of gold and chasing cities of light. Its production mirrors its theme with a spacious arrangement that glides with delicate guitar notes, intricate strings and laid back drums capped by a spectacular duet from Andy and Emily. “Legends is a song I am incredibly proud of. It’s very different from my usual style, but that was the excitement of doing this project,” Andy shares. It’s a stunning collaboration from two talented artists, delivering a magical musical moment of timeless music brimming with alluring melodies and poignant lyricism.

Emily adds, “We completely opened ourselves up to the creative process and each other’s creative styles. We didn’t put ourselves in a box, and the result is a song that neither of us would have written on our own yet feels 100% authentic to us.”

We caught up with Andy Smith and Emily E. Finke to find out more about their musical journeys so far, their new single “Legends” and what they’ve got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with Andy and Emily below.

How did you get together to start making music?

Andy: We made contact via The International Singers Songwriters Association. Emily and I had both found out we had made it through to the finals and she put out a message asking if anybody was willing to collaborate.

Emily: We connected online in May 2025 through our shared affiliation with the International Singer-Songwriters Association. We just started talking with the idea to create something together and see where it could go.

Which artists do you draw most inspiration from?

Andy: The list is long. REM, The Bee Gees, Beach Boys, Oasis, David Bowie, Beatles, Kinks, Stones, Small Faces, Blur, a-ha, Shed 7, Jet – the list goes on.

Emily: I am heavily influenced by my classical training as well as my love of early-mid 20th century music. Artists/composers such as Dean Martin, George Gershwin, and John Denver have been very influential on my writing and performing style.

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

Andy: A lot of listening to music. Even when I have ideas for production, I listen to music by other artists to gain influence.

Emily: I am most inspired when I am in nature as that is when I feel closest to God, and He is the ultimate source of creativity and inspiration. I also find much inspiration in solitude and quietness for it is there that I can sit with my thoughts and hear God’s voice more clearly.

What’s been your highlight of 2025?

Andy: The collaboration with Emily 100%. Whilst winning Single of the year at the 2025 ISSA Awards in Atlanta was amazing, the whole process of creating Legends with Emily and then recording the vocals together in Atlanta was truly a special time.

Emily: While 2025 has been quite an eventful and exciting year, the highlight has definitely been my collaboration with Andy Smith to create our song, “Legends.” The entire creative process across 10,000 miles, our meeting and recording in Atlanta, and the eventual release of the song brought creative challenges, wonderful memories, and new friendship that I will cherish forever.

What do you love about your local music scenes?

Andy: Originally I am from Bristol in the UK. This has a very vibrant music scene in which I was part of and played live for 20 years or so before I moved to Australia. Adelaide has a great live music scene and they also host a fringe month for the arts every year too!

Emily: I am so grateful for wonderful friends and fans who support me and my music whether from near or far. In this age of the internet, social media, and live-streaming, I am grateful that a music scene is not restricted to a particular location but brings people together from all over the world. Whether performing in my hometown, across the country, or virtually, the musical experience is not limited to one’s location.

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

Andy: Put some phones on, close your eyes and delve into the dream of the song. Go with it and create your own legend in your head.

Emily: The perfect setting to enjoy “Legends” is where one can appreciate the nuances and poetry of the song that make it a whole and complete work of art. Just as a painting tells a story in each brushstroke, every note, word, and musical idea that went into creating “Legends” is an integral part of the story that “Legends” conveys.

How has your own style and sound evolved since you started out?

Andy: Through creating new music and writing new songs. I produce and record myself and I always strive to challenge myself and make something different rather than the 2 guitars/bass and drums. I play everything you hear on my songs, Emily played the violin on Legends, but I do challenge myself on trying something different each time I produce.

Emily: Since starting my musical journey, I have learned and gained confidence in embracing every inspiration and musical idea that makes my style unique. Through experimentation and uninhibited creativity, I have explored and gained appreciation for a multitude of styles and techniques to bring my visions to life.

Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?

Andy: David Bowie, John Lennon and Ray Davies as lyricist. How moving but psychedelic would that be!

Emily: While not an artist, per se, my dream collaboration would be with producer Jimmy Bowen. His work with Dean Martin are some of my favourite albums ever recorded. He was most influential in discovering the sound for which Dean’s music became famous and loved, despite criticism from others in the industry for combining different genres/styles.

How did you find making your new single “Legends”?

Andy: It was amazing! We started out by having facetime time calls and emails and got to know each other a little first. Then we talked about what we wanted to write about. Emily had these lyrics across two different songs and the idea I had portrayed into those lyrics. I then put the tune to it and it all fell into place there. Every little step or decision was discussed and agreed on. Whilst we both wrote the song, we both produced it also. The recording of the vocals together was an amazing experience and even though we had recorded them separately beforehand, we both felt something was missing and so we decided to do them together into the same mic in a figure 8 setting. What we were after definitely worked and came across in the final mix.

Emily: The process of creating “Legends” with Andy Smith is one of the most incredible and rewarding creative endeavors I have pursued. We seemed to be so in-tune with each other through the process despite having never met in person. Our openness and honesty with each other throughout the process allowed us to put out our best work and build off of each other’s strengths.

What artist have you been listening to most recently?

Andy: I have been listening to a lot of independent artists who I met in Atlanta. Andrew Moore and Hooch, Andrew Chappell, Chad Rivette, Alan Garmonsway, Michael Botte, Pick Up Goliath and Graveyard Pete and the New Appalachian Sound. There are some amazing acts out there and these are just some of them. I have recently just begun hosting a new podcast with 2 other ISSA members. Sam George from Spain, Amy Jo from the US and myself. It’s called Tracks on Trial and we discuss different tracks in accordance to the category selected and then they are sent to trial. A great way to learn and hear new music.

Emily: My two favourite singers are Bing Crosby and Dean Martin, so their music is never far out of reach whether on a streaming platform or on my record player.

What message did you want to get across with this release?

Emily: I believe that whatever message the listener gets out of “Legends” is the message I wished to convey. Art has a wonderful way of connecting with and touching people in different ways – mentally, emotionally, or spiritually – when left open to interpretation. While the general theme and inspiration behind the song stemmed from our own story in creating the song across a vast space and coming together to create something beautiful, “Legends” is a song filled with nuance and subtleties that reveal themselves more and more with each listen allowing the listener to discover their own meaning in the song.

What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?

Andy: Enjoyment. I’m not here to state anything or even critique anyone. I just want people to enjoy what they hear and keep listening.

Emily: I have always had a desire to contribute joy and beauty to the world. Through my music, I hope to give people a work that provides entertainment as well as something that they can connect with emotionally. Most of all, I wish for people to feel my love for God and the hope I have through Christ in the music that I produce.

What’s been your favourite live performance so far?

Andy: I performed some big concerts in Bristol in the late 00’s which were good fun to a big crowd. But some of the best ones have been the intimate shows where the crowd were engaged with my songs and even singing them back and along with us. That is an amazing feeling.

Emily: In 2019, I had the privilege of attending a performance of the original Glenn Miller Orchestra. While the founding members of the band have died, the Glenn Miller Orchestra has not stopped performing since its conception under Glenn Miller. To hear the original arrangements in a live setting as they had been played approximately 80 years prior was truly a dream come true. As a lover of older music and artists, I knew I would never be able to see my favourite artists/bands perform live, so to have this opportunity was an unexpected pleasure and remains a treasured memory.

Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival? And where would it be?

Andy: Elvis, The Beatles and David Bowie! And then they all jam together at the end. It would be by the river at our Easter camp in South Australia on the banks of the River Murray!

Emily: My dream festival would be headlined by Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, and Wayne Newton. It would be held at The Sands in Las Vegas.

Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?

Andy: Don’t follow mine! ha ha ha. Be yourself, if you have ideas, stick to them. Don’t let anybody tell you what to do or how you should sound! Be true to yourself and your art and your ideas!

Emily: My advice to a new artist would be to never stop exploring and experimenting. In creativity, there is no true failure. Every “failure” is simply an opportunity to learn. Truly great innovators and legendary artists have discovered their unique sound through trial and error and have become more confident in themselves through the process.

Finally, what do you have lined up next?

Andy: I Have a new single out on the 11th December callled How do we keep moving on. Then I have a couple more songs that are in demo mode that will form a mini album, which hopefully should be out around Easter ish time. Then I would like to complete my Rock Opera/Musical, which has been 15 years or so in the making!

Emily: As a creative person that works in many different areas of the creative industry, a better question would be what is NOT lined up next. My list of future projects is longer than a lifetime, and that doesn’t include the spontaneous or unexpected opportunities that may arise at any moment. Over the next year, I have plans to record an album as well as 1 or 2 singles. I will also be continuing to work on a much larger project that I am not at liberty to discuss at length. True creativity never stops and knows no bounds of time. The creative process cannot be rushed or forced, so one never knows where the journey may lead.

Listen to Legends below