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Photo by Kirt Barnett

With the turbulence of life generally, and the post-pandemic mania specifically, it does feel like we are in a trauma bootcamp, searching and struggling to find our footing, voice, and equilibrium. Em Beihold feels like an exception, externally projecting a calm confidence that has one thinking she provides her own gravity, but on her stunning album, Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter, as the title poetically suggests, we find that maybe she has been faking it like the rest of us. Buoyed by the smash hit, "Brutus," the album is laden with evidence of Em’s quirky intelligence and mellifluous songwriting, but the pivot to meta-awareness is sewn throughout, a keen window of introspection backed by gloss-pop hooks (Soup! ss one song that is riddled with this). Wanting to know more, we stole Em away from soundcheck at our Anniversary party last month to hear all the tales of a shapeshifter:

OnesToWatch: Em, how do I make my life more exciting? How do I be more like you? 

Em Beihold: You need side quests. I love side quests. I went to a mushroom foraging class last weekend. 

Is that a real thing? 


It's a real thing. 

If you're a failed shape shifter, what does that mean? 

It means that I tried to be someone that I'm not naturally for a long time, and then I couldn't keep that up. So then I had to start over my life. 

Does this include your artist persona? 


Yes, I think so. 

What were the forces that were at play there? Was this internal pressure, external pressure, a combination of the two? 


I think a combination of the two. After a “Numb Little Bug,” it was amazing the way that the music world and opportunities opened up – I had so many sessions, but then, when you write with 100 different people, you kind of lose sense of who you are a little bit. When you're with these big names, you're sort of trying to audition for them to like you. You try to be headstrong, but it doesn't fit with what they like. You don't necessarily write like yourself ‘cause you're trying to impress. It was a very long journey for me to learn how to co-write in a way that’s helpful. 

It's definitely a different form of artistry. Had you grown up writing with other people at all or no? 

I've always written by myself, since I was seven. 

So that was a new feeling for you, for sure. Okay, so this upcoming project is about understanding that and recognizing it's not truly who you are… are you at ease with this new version of yourself?

I am at ease with this new version of me. I feel very myself, I feel very much like I care less what other people think. I don't put pressure on myself, I feel just lucky to have my life, regardless of things that I once thought my validation would be based on. Also, when you get attention from music, it sometimes feels that it’s why you’re important. And then when the attention moves and dwindles – as it does for everybody –it feels like you’re nothing. It's important to find your purpose in other things. I've really done that and feel like a full human regardless of my job, which feels awesome. 

Regardless of profession, I think we all struggle with that.
So, kudos for doing it at such a young age. 

It took me a long time. It took a lot of therapy. 

Do you have goals as an artist with this new state of mind or are you now completely free with yourself? 

I still have big goals. My biggest goal has been and still is to play SNL. One day. 

That's a great goal. 

But I'd say most of my goals are not usually based on things I can't control at this point. That's my craziest one, maybe. 

If this project goes to plan, where does that take you? How do you feel? 


I feel great. If it goes to plan, I would feel great, I think... I don't mean to be this annoying girl, but I've had this conversation with Chappell. We became friends in 2021 before she got huge. But she was saying, you really can't control how famous you're gonna get. So if you dream of stadiums or whatever, it is truly out of your control. She was saying that before anything huge happened. I have kind of donned that mindset where it's like, sure, I have venue goals, but there's no pressure on being huge. I don't feel that way at all. Not having that pressure on yourself makes a difference. 

Do you have a songwriting process? Do you start with the top line, the melody? Does it switch every time? 


I think it has switched around. Usually I'll hear something in my head that's a melody with a concept, and I'll take it from there. I'd say rarely do I start with chords, but in co-writing, it definitely starts with a concept. 

If you could narrow down this project, Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter, what was the thematic intention? 

I mean, this album is four years in the making. They're from the time of “Numb Little Bug,” so I think they're a collection of all that time, the depression, the really bad feelings, but also getting more confident in myself. I think you can hear it on the album, to be honest. I remember playing it for my publisher and he was like, there's a shapeshifting vibe to this album. I didn't have a name yet. And I was like, oh, that really does tie these together. 

So how did you bind all these songs together, if it's over such a long period of time? Is there a throughline to everything? Was it a sonic throughline or narrative? 

I'd say it's narrative. Sonically they fit because I redid most of them. I wrote a bunch of them a while ago, but later found James Flanagan, who executive produced the album. I was kind of in a crisis because I had so many songs I liked, but they all sounded like a different artist. And so I was like, do I put out an EP called Identity Crisis and put five different genres on it? 
I was thinking that could be fun, but that doesn't really help build my world. So, yeah, it took a while to get it right for sure. 


Love that. What's the last thing you heard and made you think, damn, I wish I wrote that. 

I really love “Nonmonogamommy” by Lily Allen on her album. I probably would never write a song called that. I don't really write about sex and love, but I really love that song a lot.
She's one of my favorite artists. 

If your friends ambushed you at your place of residence and insisted you make a meal, can you? What would you make? 


I would make, perhaps, a vegetable stir fry with rice. It's classic. I'm really good at a vegetable stir fry. 

What are your favorite veggies to throw in there? 


It can be bell pepper, mushroom, spinach. We're gonna get some garlic in there, chickpeas, maybe. Broccoli. Onions for sure. 

Are these mushrooms you foraged? 

So, in truth, it was just a foraging class, and I thought it was a mushroom foraging class. So I wasn't looking. 

So, you could forage for anything. 

Yes, but I did learn how many things can kill you. I learned about poison hemlock. 

Socrates. He did not know about that. That's how he went out. 

Well, the guy who did this foraging class ate poison oak during the class, because he's immune to it now, because he eats it all the time.

Things to aspire to, for sure. Are there any similarities between going out into the near wilderness to forage and searching for sonic ideas? Are there any parallels? 

I like that question. You did good with that question. You can definitely have dead ends. I feel like you gotta pick the plant, you gotta try the idea out. And maybe it's eight hours wasted in a session or maybe you have a little chorus that's good and you can play with that later, maybe you have a full song… I think it is forging. 

What's the worst idea you have ever had? And did it become one of the best ideas you ever had? 

The worst idea I've ever had. I mean, there are some songs that I've written that are so boring. 

That's so honest. Are you bored with them now, though? 

I was bored with them then. I've written hundreds of songs I really hate. So I don't know if I can even pinpoint one. 

It's such a strong emotion to hate. 

Oh, well, I'm picky. 

Are you a perfectionist? 

Yeah. 


Very telling. Perfectionist pop stars. Can you take a bad idea and make it great? Have you done that?

I've definitely taken little pieces from really bad songs and reworked them. Or concepts or one lyric even. 

If you could be anywhere in the world, where is the most relaxing, peaceful place? What would you be doing? 

I love my home, my house, my cat. That's my favorite thing. It's so easily attainable, which is awesome. 

To end us out, I’d love a few recommendations. First, a non-music one. So it can be a place to visit, something to cook, something to read, something to watch, something to do, etc. And then I would love a music recommendation, something you've been digging lately. So we'll start with the non-music one. 


I liked One Battle After Another. That was a really good movie. Great movie. But everyone liked that movie. That's boring. I liked Sentimental Value, too. I feel like less people have seen that. 


You're just going for the hits here. I love it. These are impressive movies. And now music – do you have something you'd love to recommend? 

Slimdan. He has a song called Nosebleeds that I wish I wrote. Tiffany Stringer. She's really good. Just got signed, I think. Devon Again, but we already know that's happening. 

Last question is not a question.
It's your time. Any advice you want to share, promo, say hi to mom, or friends and family, whatever you want to do?

Album is coming out on February 27th. It’s my favorite songs I've ever written, the most me I've ever felt. Hi to Mom because why not? Love that woman. Also, my last name is pronounced Bye-hold. 

Thank you so much.