Category: Music

About Emily Best

     Emily Best is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and arranger residing in Vancouver, BC (unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm territory). Her unique orchestration and arrangements paired with distinctive melodies weave a patchwork of piano-driven pop, rock, and folk while melding the idiosyncratic leanings of jazz with the familiar nostalgia of southern country-soul. 

     With Best’s lush instrumentation and complex arrangements that incorporate harp, pedal steel, jazz guitar, strings and horns, her debut album “A Storm Came Through” is described as “a marvellous musical medley that combines old-time Americana, contemporary jazz, avant-pop and orchestral folk. It’s unlike anything I’ve heard before.” — The Permanent Rain Press. Noted as possessing “the same appeal as cursive writing—elegant and rare” [The Permanent Rain Press], Best’s “lush and soulful” composition and unique production style have classified her as “an artist who could be as comfortable on a folk festival stage as a jazz gig.” — The Vancouver Sun.

     Emily Best’s debut album “A Storm Came Through” was released in March 2020. It is an upheaval of the heart that transcends the boundaries of orchestral-folk and ponders the human condition with enchanting vulnerability. Garnering its title from the bittersweet resilience that accompanies that pivotal moment in life when everything seems to fall apart all at once, the album carries with it a resolve and determined acceptance in the face of exceptional personal challenges and of the external forces that can sweep across our lives suddenly and without warning.

     If you’d like to stay up to date with the artist and support Emily you can:

Buy/Listen to her album A Storm Came Through here: emilybest.bandcamp.com

Become a monthly Patreon donor to support Emily Best directly while staying up to date on new releases and what’s happening behind the scenes! www.patreon.com/emilybestmusic

Follow her on Spotify here: @Emily Best

Follow her on Instagram here:@emilybestmusic

About the Performance

     She is very pleased to collaborate with Knox Events on this performance which features a paired-down selection of compositions from her last album as well as new material from her upcoming album “Light up the Dawn” which is scheduled for release this Fall. Her upcoming release is a deep exploration of love and the many ways with which it has historically been understood, misunderstood, used and misused within our society since time immemorial. The overarching theme of the album reflects the pain of love lost and love misused while celebrating love gained. Each song on the album begs a reimagining of what love would look like both within ourselves as individuals and as a society that actively embodies love as honesty, accountability, reconciliation, truth and connection. 

     Both albums are self-produced, written, arranged and orchestrated entirely by Best in collaboration with engineer and co-producer Raincity Recorders’ Jesse Gander, and feature prominent members of Canada’s music scene including JUNO award winning guitarist Tony Wilson (Pugs and Crows) and Meredith Bates (Gentle Party/Pugs and Crows), Paul Rigby (Neko Case), Peggy Lee (Wayne Horvitz/Dave Douglas), Alison Gorman (Dan Mangan), Sally Zori (Aretha Franklin/Tomboy Survival Guide), Gavin Youngash (Star Captains/Dawn Pemberton), Elisa Thorn (Gentle Party/The Giving Shapes), Ellen Marple (Adele/Dan Mangan) and Joshua Zubot (Patrick Watson/Sam Amidon) among others. 

     The richness of Best’s musical imagination and thoughtful lyricism illuminate her competency as an emerging songwriter and arranger and shine through in this intimate performance at Knox United Church while the afternoon sun peaks through the church’s ornate stained glass windows.

     “I’d like to extend a big thank you to Tracy and KnoxVan for asking me to be a part of this project that supports so many local artists and businesses, and for coordinating all of the filming and sound tech to make this project come to life!” — Emily

     We hope you enjoy the show! 

“There is never a note out of place. Lush and soulful, this is an artist who could be as comfortable on a folk festival stage as a jazz gig.” 

— The Province/Vancouver Sun

“Vancouver-based artist Emily Best’s “debut album is a marvellous musical medley that combines old-time Americana, contemporary jazz, avant-pop and orchestral folk. It’s unlike anything I’ve heard before…From the strings, to the horns, drums, keys and vocals; the synergy between all the instruments is magnificent. You are drowning in emotion and heartache, only to surface and take a deep breath of peace.”

 — Permanent Rain Press