Check Out Emily Rish’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Rish.

Hi Emily, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
We are a 4 piece femme fronted grunge/post punk band from Atlanta. Our origins start with all of us being in separate bands and really respecting each others music. Emily, our lead singer, was in a band called Dive Star and that whole band fell apart when it came to light that the bassist/ her former partner was cheating on her for months. Never date a band mate, am I right? Well, she found out the hard way and the band dissolved. This story has also become the inspiration of a few Baby Bites songs from our self titled EP such as “Without You” and “Not Interested”.
Osha, Baby Bites drummer, was the guitarist of a different local band and told Emily “One day this is all going to be great writing material for you. Whenever you are ready I would love to support you and start a new project with you.”
Lowell, who has fronted Tongues of Fire for a decade, was filling in for bass for the last few shows Dive Star had since the cheater bassist was not welcome and also expressed interest and support in starting a new project with Emily. Thus, the origins of Baby Bites was born. When we were looking for a bassist, Bennett was persistent in wanting to join Baby Bites from the beginning. Bennett is also in several other local projects so for him to make Baby Bites a priority was and still remains an honor. Upon our first practice all together aboit a year ago, it was clear we all had a magic together; an undeniable chemistry musically. We are all not just band mates, but really good friends with one another. And we always admired each others music separately so it’s been really rad sharing it all together.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I think the biggest struggle so far has been just starting. Once we got going it’s been so healing and so fun. We all genuinely enjoy each other and playing music so to be able to play together has been truly enjoyable. We are in the process of writing our first full length LP expected later this year and the writing process has been a learning experience. We are learning each other’s writing styles and figuring out what works for us but it has not been a struggle as much as it’s been interesting and I would say has broadened all of our perspectives working together, it’s so interesting how we all hear music differently but we tend to be pretty cohesive over all.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We are really proud of our self titled EP “Baby Bites” and we are really proud of the art and music we are creating together. Personally, I have grown so much as a singer, writer, and performer through Baby Bites. The support my band mates have given me sonically, personally, and professionally has been beyond healing and instrumental in my growth and self worth overall. I think what sets us apart is our authenticity. No shade but so many bands wanna “cool guy” and we are just weirdo emotional artist who just wanna make music together and explore/express our feelings through music. Thats not something you can fake and I think we do a really good job of being raw and vulnerable from a genuine place. I’m speaking for all of us but we are all so proud of each other for being able to listen to each other and make great music together rooted in honesty and a love for music overall.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Wow that’s a tough one. What I would like to see for the music industry is for musicians and artists to get proper compensation and autonomy over their art. It’s no secret there are a lot of people who want to monetize any aspect of music and it’s tough for artists to actually quit their day jobs even when on a touring level. Id just like to see the music industry start taking care of musicians.
Also, I’ve had to learn a lot about social media and creating content through the experience of fronting a band. I want to sing and write and play shows not make TikToks and reels but the reality is that it is apart of being successful in the music industry now. Who knows, one viral TikTok could change our whole lives. Seems petty and strange but that’s absolutely going to become even more relevant in the next 5-10 years for better or worse. I really think the music industry is undergoing a big DIY resurgence. People are sick of the exploitive conditions of big music business and I see a lot of people coming back to independent art. That is rad and I enjoy seeing that. I also have noticed a physical media renaissance. There is a renewed interest in tapes, records, and CDs. People are bored with digital media and there’s something about physical media that feels more intentional. I think people in the music business as well as lovers and fans of music are craving intention.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/babybitesband/