Twelve6 Ent, singer, songwriter Emma Klein infuses early 2000’s and modern-pop influences to bring us her vibey new single “Mood Swing.” Following up her momentum from American Idol and a tour with celebrity radio and TV host, Bobby Bones , “Mood Swing” currently stands at viral status on Tik Tok, with over 5 million views Want to know more? Check out our exclusive Q+A and the official premiere of the “Mood Swing” music video below.
Q+A
You recently released your single “Mood Swing,” tell us a bit about what inspired it.
In the past few years I’ve started to experience some pretty big mood swings and energy shifts. One day after getting really down on myself about my instability, I wrote down “Mood Swing” in my notes app where I keep my song ideas. I thought it would be fun to write a song called mood swing that would literally swing on the melody of the hook. The day of my session with Kline and McEwan I threw out the idea. As the kids say… they “understood the assignment.” Alex started building an awesome track and McEwan started to throw out really amazing rhythmic ideas. We had an absolute blast chasing it down. A few weeks later I posted it on Tik Tok and within one week it had over a million views… crazy!
It was really important to me that “Mood Swing” found a balance between self-aware, funny, and serious. This song is about something that legitimately debilitates me and many people. I’ve gotten a lot of responses on Tik Tok from individuals with bipolar disorder, other mood disorders, and mental illnesses. I personally have OCD and suffer from a particular theme of it that focuses on relationships specifically. The first line of this song takes the listener through what my brain thinks in a loop in regards to relationships on a daily basis. While I’ve written a few emotional songs that dive pretty deep into this, I had yet to write one that made light of it. Writing this song was like medicine to me. If I ever find myself starting to spiral now, I can think of this song, laugh it off, and get back to the present moment. “It’s just a mood swing, honey don’t freak out. If I go up, well I’ll come back down…” those words are being sung just as much to myself as they are to the love interest in the song. I’m so grateful to have a song that normalizes an experience that I’ve often felt very isolated in - and I’m over the moon that other people feel the same way about it.
Tell us about the writing process behind “Mood Swing.”
I wrote “Mood Swing,” with Alex Kline and Steve McEwan - two absolute legends. Steve has landed cuts with Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Brooks & Dunne, James Bay, Keith Urban, and even Eminem! Alex Kline just recently co-wrote and produced Tenille Arts’ number one hit single “Somebody Like That,” and her songs have been recorded by artists such as Ronnie Dunn, Reba McEntire, Mitchell Tenpenny, Terri Clark, Gary Allan, Bill Anderson, Meghan Patrick, Cassadee Pope, Jordan Rager, Mason Ramsey, Tara Thompson, and many others. While these writers have landed many hit songs in the country world, their writing and Kline’s production totally fit into the pop space, too. The “Mood Swing” session was my first time getting the opportunity to co-write with Kline, and the second session I had with McEwan.
You currently write for Nashville-based publishing company, Twelve6 Ent - tell us about your musical journey:
Here’s the story of how I got booked as an opener on my first tour: A few years ago, I was on season 2 of American Idol. Bobby Bones was the mentor on Idol at the time and he was doing interviews throughout Top 40 week. While the cameras were getting set up for our interview, Bobby and I were chatting and I told him I live in Nashville. In what I thought was just him being friendly, he said that if I got cut from the show he’d love to have me come play piano for his comedy band on the road. (I don’t know why, because I never played piano on the show, and I’m not great at it.) One week later I had gotten cut and was on a hike at Radnor Lake in Nashville. All of a sudden I hear my name being called by none other than Bobby Bones? He just so happened to be going on a hike at the exact same time in the exact same place as me. A few weeks later I was on tour playing keys for Bobby Bones! Eventually he caught on to the fact that I’m not that great of a keys player, so he hired Walker Burroughs. (Fun fact: Walker and I were in an a capella group together in college and were both on Idol together too.) Bobby asked me to be the opener for the tour instead, which I’d say was a pretty great deal for me!
As an artist and writer in Nashville, what challenges have you faced? Any advice?
I think the most difficult part about the Nashville scene, and maybe the music scene as a whole in the digital world that we live in, is feeling jaded and getting stuck in the comparison cycle. I’m 24 years old and there are days where I’m doubtful and not as excited as I want to be about what I’m doing, what I’m making, or what anyone’s making or doing. And it’s not that I don’t like what I’m doing or making or that I don’t like what other people are doing or making… I’m just overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by how much music there is, how many artists there are, how quickly things change, how good it all is, what good even is… is what I’m making good? Do I like what I’m doing? Or do I just know it’s what works so I’m doing it? I’m realizing that while these doubts are common among nearly all the musicians I know, escaping the jaded mindset is a choice. Each day I have to wake up and choose the mindset that stands in awe of what is possible. I have to remind myself of how incredible and beautiful it is that we live in a world where the creation and distribution of music and art is accessible to nearly everyone. On the comparison front… I’m learning that sometimes I have to respectfully place my blinders on so I can focus on my artistry and stop measuring myself up to others, but sometimes I have to shut off my artist brain entirely, sit back, and just listen to and enjoy music.
We’re excited to premiere the video for “Mood Swing” - what can you tell us about it?
The “Mood Swing” music video comes out this Friday, February 25th! It was a BLAST to dream up and create. I wanted the visual portrayal of this song to be as dramatic and over the top as possible. It probably doesn’t look like it, but when I’m in the thick of one of my mood swings, I feel like each of the characters in this video. I’ve always felt like there are all these different personalities inside of me, but I only let the softer, more easy-going, “sunny” version out. This video shoot gave me the opportunity to express the extremes that exist within me for the first time. It turns out that borrowing your roomies combat boots and aggressively ripping bananas in half can be pretty therapeutic.
