But her voice has always been just the bait – it’s her songs that hook you. Her decision to collaborate on a handful of the albums’ tracks resulted in some of her most emotional writing yet. The aches and swells of the cinematic title track “Backseat Heroine” (co-written with Nicole Atkins) and the almost painfully intimate final cut “I Could Live With Dying Tonight” (co-written with Jill Barber) showcase the startling strength of her vulnerability. “I really only discovered the potential of co-writing on this album. I was hesitant to open myself up so much in front of another person, in some cases – total strangers! But once I learned that letting the walls fall down meant finding the buried treasure I threw my fears out the window and haven’t looked back. Some of my favourite songs on this record are collaborations and I have taken away more than just songs, co-writing is a learning experience, a sharing of secrets and tricks.” The success of these sessions lead to another adventurous move – after writing “Today’s Another Yesterday” with Luke Doucet, Emma-Lee invited him to sing it as a duet.
Some of the songs written by Emma-Lee alone such as “Not Coming By”, “Just Looking” and “Phoenix” leave the impression that she is still very much in touch with her own muse. “I wrote some songs in probably under an hour each. It’s a satisfying experience when I’m able to access what my subconscious has been whispering to me for weeks, months, or even years. What I enjoy about those songs is their sense of immediacy. You can’t hear me thinking, it just sounds natural.”
While the voice and the songs are certainly the driving force behind Backseat Heroine, at its core it’s held together by the love and passion of the musicians around her. “I had a number of meetings with different producers but eventually decided to co-produce the record with two of my best friends – Karen Kosowski and Marc Rogers.” she says. “I knew that they would pour their heart and soul into this project and they exceeded my every expectation start to finish. It was also important to me to have the band that I play with live make the record with us. My band is usually the first people to hear my new songs. They are my circle of trust, they support and encourage me and inspire me to work harder – but above all they are simply incredible musicians.”
Most of the album was tracked at The Chalet, a studio near Uxbridge, ON. The goal was to record live-off-the floor band takes and capture the raw energy of what it sounds like when you play a song only once. The days were split into three sets – an afternoon set of the more chilled-out “happy” songs, an evening set of the moody up-tempo numbers and a late-night set of the acoustic fully live-off-the-floor takes. “We would make dinner together every night like a family, have a few glasses of wine and then make noise,” she says. “I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun or been more relaxed recording. During the late night sets when it was just me in the live room Marc and Karen lit candles all around me and I’m sitting in this beautiful space with windows looking out on snow covered fields. It was an absolute dream and I think you can really hear the warmth and mood in the takes we captured.”
Thematically Backseat Heroine sounds more defiant and hopeful than its tender, broken-hearted predecessor Never Just A Dream. Songs like the sparkly “I’ll Dream For You” and middle-finger-waving goodbye anthem “Figure It Out” frame Emma-Lee a confident heroine – and yet as a whole it still leaves you with the sense that you’ve stumbled on Emma-Lee’s secret photo album, containing snapshots so personal they were never meant to be seen…or in this case, heard.
Emma-Lee’s goal was to make a record that lived and breathed in its own world and could cross genres while still being a soundscape that was complete from start to finish. “In the liner notes of the album there is a quote from my Dad that says ‘This album should be listened to from start to finish, without interruption.’ and I agree.” We may live in a world full of singles but at some point everyone likes to escape and take a little trip.
Phoenix
Emma-Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
shine your shoes
before you walk out on me
yeah I’ll make it easy to
forsake your integrity
Thought that you could dig me a shallow grave
Thought that you could bury my name
But I’ll rise up singing
Like a bird from the ashes
The bells will be ringing for me
The choir is there, wild flowers in their hair
I can see it, I can see it, I can see
You ate from my silver plate and it
seemed like fate
until I ran out of food
but by the time it was too late
you’d bit off more than you could chew
Thought that you could dig me a shallow grave
Thought that you could bury my name
But I’ll rise up singing
Like a bird from the ashes
The bells will be ringing for me
The choir is there, wild flowers in their hair
I can see it, I can see it, I can see
Ooh you don’t scare me
And I’m better off without a deadweight deadbeat
You won’t get to see the kids
But you will regret this
But I’ll rise up singing
Like a bird from the ashes
The bells will be ringing for me
The choir is there, wild flowers in their hair
I can see it, I can see it, I can see
I’ll rise up singing
Like a bird from the ashes
The bells will be ringing for me
The lyrics of "Phoenix" by Emma-Lee are about rising up from the ashes and overcoming adversity. The song tells the story of a relationship that has gone sour, with the singer being betrayed by her partner. Despite this, she remains resilient, standing up for herself and refusing to be buried in a shallow grave. She instead chooses to rise up like a Phoenix, singing and soaring above the situation, leaving the person who wronged her in the past. The powerful lyrics are a reminder to anyone going through a tough time that they too can rise up and overcome their struggles.
The imagery of the Phoenix in the song represents rebirth, renewal, and transformation. The Phoenix is a mythical bird that rises from the ashes of its own destruction, symbolizing the strength and resilience needed to rebuild after suffering a defeat. The bells and choir mentioned in the song represent celebration and victory, as the singer rises above her troubles.
The song's message is ultimately one of empowerment, reminding the listener that they have the strength to rise above any obstacle that comes their way. Emma-Lee's beautiful voice and the song's uplifting melody make it a powerful anthem for anyone who has experienced heartbreak or adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
I’ll get the door for you and I’ll shine your shoes before you walk out on me
I am trying to make it easy for you to leave me by serving you and giving in to your whims
yeah I’ll make it easy to forsake your integrity
By being an easy pushover I encourage you to act without regard for your own morals
Thought that you could dig me a shallow grave
You thought you could bring me down easily with your deceitful ways
Thought that you could bury my name
You thought you could ruin my reputation and make me look bad
But I’ll rise up singing
I won't let you bring me down and I will triumph over your attempts to hurt me
Like a bird from the ashes
I will rise up stronger than before, like a phoenix from the ashes
The bells will be ringing for me
Everyone will know of my victory, and celebrate my success
The choir is there, wild flowers in their hair
Even those around me who were not directly involved in my struggle will revel in my triumph
I can see it, I can see it, I can see
I know that I will be victorious and can see the future where I have overcome my challenges
You ate from my silver plate and it seemed like fate
You took advantage of my kindness and generosity but it felt like destiny to you
until I ran out of food
Until I could no longer give you what you wanted
but by the time it was too late you’d bit off more than you could chew
By the time you realized it, you had already overstepped your bounds
Ooh you don’t scare me
I am not afraid of you or your attempts to intimidate me
And I’m better off without a deadweight deadbeat
I am much better off without you, who only holds me back and brings me down
You won’t get to see the kids
You will not have access to our children, as you have lost that privilege through your actions
But you will regret this
You will suffer the consequences of your actions, and will come to regret your choices
I’ll rise up singing
Once again I will emerge victorious, rising above the challenges and obstacles in my way
Writer(s): Emma Lee Moss
Contributed by Julian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.