EMSKIII on Rainbows and High Vibrations

The EDM community is full of vibrant, colorful, and welcoming artists and fans alike and is one of the most accepting music communities in the world. Electronic music is an incredible way to connect with people, express your identity, and share the love of being true to who you are. 

OFM got the opportunity to connect with the up-and-coming queer, femme, EDM artist EMSKIII to learn a little bit about the inspiration behind her music and hear about her journey as an artist in the EDM realm.

Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas but now local to the Austin area, EMSKIII is a multi-talented artist who graces her listeners’ ears with high vibrational beats and showcases her skills as a drummer by performing live at her shows. As someone who struggled to fit in growing up, she is now embracing what it means to stand out, while spreading that message of love to all of her listeners.

Who is EMSKIII? 

EMSKIII is my solo, electronic music project. And it’s also definitely still evolving. That’s kind of like the central theme around it, identity. So when I think about what that is, visually, I think of this amorphous blob. Something that can be constantly changing, and forms as I grow and transition and change and who knows what the heck that means, whether that’s my identity or my sexuality. This is a project that’s hopefully going to morph and grow with me but it’s also hopefully a music project that cultivates a safe space for people to, you know, just shake some ass and feel comfortable however they identify. And this is a newer project but I feel like it’s always been a part of me because the name EMSKIII comes from a team nickname on my ultimate frisbee team and an outing I had out on Sixth Street one night in Austin while I was in college. 

When did you first discover your love for music and what was your inspiration? 

Drumming was my main thing. I’ve always been a drummer. In elementary school, like second grade I went in to ask my music teacher a question after school about something choir-related. I had never touched or ever looked at drums but being the annoying, sporadic child I was, I was banging on all the bongos and messing around while she was on the phone. Then she hangs up the phone and comes over and is like ‘can you do this pattern again’ and so I played it for her and then she was like ‘I’m gonna put you in the fifth grade percussion group.’ So I was like, cool. And from there I just got obsessed and have been drumming since I was 8 and I have been my whole life through high-school, college and after college in some bars and whatnot. It wasn’t until the pandemic that I really decided to pick up producing and electronic music, and I got really into that and realized that drumming and producing and rhythmic abilities go really well together but it’s still a huge learning process. 

Tell me a little bit about your style of music? 

Definitely house music. But with this release single that’s coming out that has like a UK garage backbeat drum pattern so it’s infusing some other genres of house but definitely always house. But, again, it’s like another thing that might continue to morph and change, and that’s what I’ve been starting with but who knows, I might morph into bass.

What has it been like as a queer/female artist in a male-dominated field? 

It’s exactly what you would expect it to be. It’s difficult to get the respect or just the benefit of the doubt whenever you tell someone, oh, I do this thing and whatever. Like, normally it’s just hard as a woman alone, like a woman drummer. That was like, really tricky in the beginning. Because they were like, ‘oh, yeah? Do you even hit hard and like stuff like that?’ And it took me during the pandemic, to be like okay, screw this. I decided to start a little YouTube channel and just made some drumming videos here and there more so as like resume pieces. And it wasn’t until it got circulated in the little small Austin community music scene that people really started to see some response. That is a common story for any female musician or female identifying musician. So then lumping in, you know, the other intersection of being queer, it kind of continues to marginalize and narrow the spaces in which you feel like you can do anything.

In Austin being a DJ and a queer female DJ, you’re kind of limited to like queer bars and spaces like Charlie’s or whatever and yes those are dope places, but being able to branch out and show people that you have a plethora of music and show off your abilities of being adaptable and flexible are just as important. So that’s tricky. And DJ’s are stereotypically white, cis, males so we’re trying to break that whole thing down. And it’s like, consistently I’m seeing them churn the same male DJs that like I’m obviously happy for them congrats to them, but like, I don’t know what it is. It’s like there’s nothing really besides the fact that they trust them more. I think it’s all based on trust. 

How do you incorporate your queer identity into your music and as an artist? 

Similarly to what I mentioned earlier, I don’t think I’m labeling my music as like queer music or anything like that, but more so taking that idea that lives within the LGBTQIA+ community of acceptance and evolution and growth and trying to put that into my messages. So again, with the visual concept of the blobby, amoeba and amorphous thing, the central theme of like identity, and subtle things like even having a song that talks about me as a female talking about another woman or using pronouns in my songs. Because like growing up you always only hear songs where it’s a guy singing to or about a girl, so changing pronouns to make it fit for you, and trying to make it inclusive like that. Because I’m talking about my own queer experiences in my music, so maybe sometimes it’ll say she/her or he/him, but yeah, I’m just trying to keep it all around a safe, inclusive space. I want straight people to feel just as comfortable as everyone else when listening to my music.

What is something you want your fans and followers to know? 

I want people to know that this is a place for you. You’re totally safe here and you’re accepted in whatever form and this music is for you to interpret and feel and dance however you want and hopefully vibe with it. Maybe it’s something you can emotionally connect to, maybe it’s just some background music you have on when you’re learning a new skill or something. But that is pretty much my biggest thing. As someone who never really felt accepted, this music has been my thing. Like this is the one thing that as a queer, redheaded woman I can have. I want people to come to my show and say ‘Oh hell yeah, I’m amongst my own people.’ And everyone can be how they want to be, everyone is different so I want it to feel like a place of safety, acceptance, love, and the ability to just express yourself. Whether that’s dancing like a weirdo or just standing they’re and bobbing your head, I just want it to be that cool, accepting spot.

Streaming my music and hearing it live is also so different. I feel like the live experience is a really different thing and I want to cultivate and create that cool environment. I sing, I DJ, and I also drum while I’m performing so it’s this whole live experience. I create custom visuals behind me and have laser shows that are custom and proprietary to the show and each song so it’s a really different experience live. Even the aura and essence of just being there with this really cool vibration that is put out through this music I just hope touches everyone in some way. I want to bring and spread fun and love. That’s the dream, the goal, the mission of this project and music. 

EMSKIII’s newest single “PSYCHO,” and accompanying music video will be released later this August. You can stream EMSKIII on Spotify and Apple music. 

Follow EMSKIII on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to stay up-to-date with live shows! 

Photos courtesy of EMSKIII