Question of Taste: Singer-songwriter Emma Langford

The song features on her forthcoming album ‘Sowing Acorns’ due out this September. "I'm a quiet, introspective, animal-loving creative from the suburbs of Limerick city," says Emma.

"I still live at home; my folks are ideal housemates, and when we're not confined to within 5 km, I travel a lot due to people in other countries and counties wanting me to go share my songs and stories with them."

Best recent book you've read:

Helena Close's "The Gone Book" - I couldn't put it down - the story's gripping, and the characters terribly lovable. She manages to transport the reader into Limerick city, to some of the spots I spent my teenage years moping around. I have to say I love a book that paints clear images of modern Limerick.

It's also an easy read, which right now, with the world being this huge inconceivable mess, is something I need - I tried to read "At Swim Two Birds" by Flann O'Brien since, and my brain just could not process it.

Best recent film:

I went to see JoJo Rabbit when it was in the cinema - what a feckin' brilliant movie. Moved me to tears and laughter.

Taika Waititi is a genius, plain and simple.

Best recent show/gig you’ve seen (in the pre-virus era):

Literally the weekend before the proverbial hit the proverbial, I was opening for John Blek in the Triskel Arts Centre in Cork - that was a truly gorgeous gig.

He's an incredible songwriter and vocalist, but his manner on stage is so distinctive too - laconic and eloquent in equal measures, his inter-song patter almost feels like a spoken word performance. It was lovely witnessing the adoration Cork has for one of their own, too.

Best piece of music you’ve been listening to lately (new or old):

Laura Marling's new album "Song For Our Daughter" is an absolute gem.

I was introduced to her work about 10 years ago and it really informed my writing and vocal style at the time. I find the vulnerability and openness in this recent record really inspiring.

More locally, a bunch of Irish musicians have collaborated on an album called Calming Covers, and it features some stunning takes on classics, like Kildare women Inni-K doing "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" - sales from the album are going to Samaritans, which makes it extra lovely.

First ever piece of music that really moved you:

My mom discovered I could sing when she heard me belting along with Thumbelina from the next room; I immersed myself in Avril Lavigne's first album "Let Go" when I was in school and indulging my moody emo side, I started painting streaks in my hair with yellow and green highlighters; and I think I really fell in love with music one hazy wine-fuelled night in Galway when I stumbled into the Roisin Dubh and stood swaying among the crowd, gazing up at a band called One Day International, with their lead vocalist crooning "do you remember the moment we met? I can remember we spoke about shortness of breath...".

That was the first time I really felt the electricity of live music.

The best gig or show you've ever seen (if you had to pick one!):

I can't possibly put my finger on the best EVER, but Wallis Bird live on the main stage at Doolin Folk Festival in 2016 is a firm favourite.

I'd just released my first ever EP; I was testing the waters, and I'd been booked to play the White Horse Stage which is the smaller of the two stages at the festival.

Usually I'd avoid big noisy crowds, but having been a fan of her music for forever, I wasn't going to miss my first chance to catch a live gig.

I loved watching people fall in love with her for the first time; I loved watching the chemistry between her and her band-mates Aidan and Emma on stage, and the moment at the very end of the gig when she'd played all the encores she was going to play and manually broke every. Single. String. On her guitar to make that clear.

It was as much a piece of theatre as it was a gig.

Tell us about your TV viewing:

I don't really watch TV at all, but Netflix is great.

I'm hooked on Schitt's Creek right now, but I can't bear the idea of it being all over for good so my boyfriend and I are interspersing it with episodes of Brooklyn 99 and Community.

We've been separated since lockdown kicked in, so we're using a Chrome plug-in called Netflix Party to watch stuff together.

It's cool, you can have a bunch of people watching at once and it pauses and plays for everyone at the same time - it also has a little chat bar down the side so you can talk about what's going on. It almost feels like you're hanging out - almost.

Radio listening and/or podcasts:

My dad tends to switch on his little portable stereo in the garden and then leave it playing Lyric fm morning, noon and night, so they're kind of the soundtrack to my life now.

Apologies to any neighbours that aren't into Shostakovich... I listen to RTÉ Radio 1 quite a bit.

My favourite podcasts are ones that feel like good company.

Right now my faves are Sinéad Burke's "As Me", it's a masterclass in soundness; "Mad Notions", which is meant to be about famous music myths but mostly features the hosts, Belfast-based musicians Nathan O'Regan and Mick McCullough, absolutely rinsing each other; And "My Dad Wrote A Porno", this guy James' dad has written a series of erotic novels based in the world of pots and pans, and James and his pals Jamie and Alice read a chapter of it in each episode, it's hysterically funny - I have tickets to see My Dad Wrote a Porno live in October, should I hold out hope on it going ahead? I'm gonna hold out hope.

You're curating your dream festival – which three artists are on the bill, living or dead?

I'd love to see Lakestreet Dive, Ani DiFranco and this savage Cork-based collective Freezerroom on a bill together. I'd like to think there'd be a LOT of amazing collaborations.

Freezerroom is a bit of a cheat choice because they rope in loads of savage Irish artists on their projects, like Marlene Enright, Jack O'Rourke, Wallis Bird, and some stunning instrumentalists like Paul Dunlea too.

Your best celebrity encounter:

I was asked to help out some Music Technology Masters students in UL with an assignment: they just had to record a simple acoustic track, one instrument and one voice.

During a break from the studio I asked one of the students, Ferg, how he was finding the course. It was his first time in college, he hadn't done an undergrad, but said he'd been playing and recording in the shed at home for years - his partner for the assignment gave me a nudge and a wink and said "be careful now, or he'll put a drum part on your songs".

I laughed, but I didn't get the joke. I was all "ah fair play to ya, jaysis, can't be easy throwing yourself in at the deep end with a masters!".

So later on I met the course director and he asked how I had found working with Fergal Lawler, the drummer for The Cranberries. I wanted the ground to swallow me up.

You can portal back to any cultural event or music era – where, when, and why?

I'm not too well versed on the when's and where's of how my favourite music happened, I'm terrible at retaining that kind of trivia, but my gut feeling is that Laurel Canyon in LA in the mid 60's was the place to be - I'd love to have seen the likes of James Taylor, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, and Carole King just trying things out and working together.

We all start somewhere, I'd love to have been there for it.

Unsung hero – individual or group you think don’t get the profile/praise they deserve:

The folks running our animal rescues.

I've spent a little time out at Sera Husky And Animal Rescue in Kerry, and I've seen how much work is involved in just the day-to-day running of these places. Maurice who set the rescue up 6 years ago has done incredible work looking after dogs, cats, donkeys, snakes - everything! As an animal lover, I'd love to see these people get more support and recognition.

You are queen of the music biz for a day – what's your first decree?

There should be a fine for standing up front at gigs and talking, or looking at your phone, or watching the gig through your phone camera.

Oh, can I make 2 decrees? If a gig isn't accessible for all, to play or to attend, it shouldn't go ahead.

Dinky little venues are great, I love them, but ramps, elevators and wheelchair accessible toilets should be a legal requirement.