Roxanne Emery

THERE are plenty of stories about people who escaped the City to get into farming, painting, charity work or plough any number of non-rat race new directions. However, in taking the City worker-to-pop star route, 26-year-old Roxanne Emery is pretty much unique. And refreshingly, the former trader’s change of direction wasn’t even because she wanted out.

“I loved working in the City and I miss it a lot,” she says. “I miss the adrenaline, getting up at 5AM and knowing what was going on in the markets, the non-stop banter with colleagues. It was great fun, and I worked very hard.”

Emery, whose debut single is released on Monday, spent three years as a trader in investment banking, first at Bear Stearns – she left two weeks before it went under – and then at Russian bank Renaissance Capital. After studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Warwick University, she went straight into the City, along with most of her friends.

“My best friends still all work in banking, so I still come into the City to have drinks, but life is so different now.”

Emery only picked up a guitar and started writing songs early last year. She found it an escape from the intense pressures of the banking crisis.

“It was a horrible time, we lost a lot of colleagues – you’d come in one day and your best mates would be gone, and you’d worry you were next,” she says. “I found music hugely cathartic.”

She began gigging on the open mic circuit, and after only her third live appearance, she was approached by a company wanting to manage her professionally, whose previous clients included Natalie Imbruglia. In return, though, she’d have to give up banking.

“I was weighing up three gigs against three years of investing in my banking career,” she says. “I decided to be sensible and stay at the bank – that was on a Monday, but by Wednesday I couldn’t work, I couldn’t ignore the impulse.”

Since then Emery has been mixing live appearances with writing and recording her album, Remember Me, due for release at the start of next year. First single

Real is an easy-going slice of whimsical orchestral pop.

“My music’s the least rocky thing ever,” she laughs, stating that her principal influences were her dad’s albums by the likes of REM, Jackson Browne and Bruce Springsteen. Another family influence is her brother, the leading house DJ Gareth Emery, who has provided plenty of support and guidance in a career gamble for which she gave up a £50,000-plus-bonuses salary.

“My life has completely changed,” she says. “But the biggest thing is how emotionally attached I am to my job now. I took banking very seriously, but I care about this so much because it’s personal.”

Real will be available for download on Monday on De Angelis Records. - City A.M.

An investment banker has turned her back on the financial world after landing a recording contract.

Roxanne Emery, 25, began writing songs to relieve the stress of her City job and has now given up her lucrative career to follow her dreams as a singer/songwriter.

Her male colleagues at Russian firm Renaissance Capital felt she was making a mistake and begged her to stay, leading to a dramatic moment when she sang to them on the trading floor to convince them about her new career.

Emery, who lives in Chiswick, said: "I kept inviting everyone to my gigs but they wouldn't come. So one morning, at 6.30am, I brought my guitar in and played it on the trading floor. It was a pretty odd but amazing moment. My boss said, 'You know what, if this is something you really want to do then I support you'.

"Work was stressful and writing songs was a real release for me. It is a massive risk leaving a secure job, but something I had to do."

Emery was spotted at her third gig and has now signed for west London indie label De Angelis Records. Her debut single Real is released on November 8 and her album Remember Me is due out next year. - The Evening Standard

Remember the modest little talent competition we ran with City Showcase during Nokia World 2010? In case not, let me summarise…

Nokia partnered with City Showcase to put on a few live performances from up and coming talent in the foyer and the experience lounge over the course of the 2 day event. We filmed a performance from each of the 8 acts, showcased them on this here blog and asked the readers who they thought would be the next big thing.

That was a little over a month ago and we’ve since come to learn that Roxanne Emery has been signed to Indie label De Angelis Records. Now, we’re not trying to take any credit for it, but rather to celebrate the signing of Roxanne and the amazing work done by City Showcase.

So, congratulations to the both of you and we look forward to Roxanne’s debut release next year.

Here’s Roxanne performing her single “Late” from Nokia World 2010. - Nokia Entertainment

If you thought there was no more room in the music industry for another cute female singer with Florence, Ellie, Diana and the gang dominating...think again. Real is the debut single from Southampton songstress Roxanne Emery whose name will be just as familiar as the aforementioned if her first single is anything to go by.
The wistful tone of Roxanne's voice combined with the delicate lyrics of love supported by an accoustic guitar and cello culminate in one of the best ballads we have heard here in thestreetsavvy office for a long while. It is the innocence of Emery's voice which simply captivates and even with only one song to consider right now, the combination of her voice and musical background - guitar, piano and clarinet, Roxanne Emery is destined to make her mark on the UK music scene.
Real is out through De Angelis Records on Monday November 8th - The Street Savvy

Roxanne Emery was back at the Boleyn on Saturday promoting her new single Don't - which has been released in aid of the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK.
The singer has been hard at work working on her first album. "It is going really well," she told West Ham TV. "The new single is called Don't and I am really happy that every penny we raise will go to the Bobby Moore Fund.
"It is a cause close to my heart. My mum passed away four years ago from cancer and I dreamed of doing something for cancer research. This is a perfect opportunity. It is a real honour to work with the Fund and raise money for such a good cause."
A former city trader, Roxanne was spotted and given a record deal while performing what was only her third gig in Notting Hill. Likened to Taylor Swift and Pixie Lott, she swapped her job of three years in the banking industry for the world of music and has not looked back.
If you would like to view Roxanne Emery and hear her music, including Don't, click here - West Ham United Website

Let us introduce a brand new talent we are loving in the HTF offices, Roxanne Emery.

Roxanne started off her working career as a banker in the City and after playing to her colleagues on the trading floor at 6.30am she decided music was really what she wanted to do. Now she’s just released her debut single ‘Real‘ from her upcoming album ‘Remember Me‘ and we could all be hearing a lot more from her real soon.

Check out the video below for an acoustic version of ‘Real’ and you can grab yourself a copy of the single here – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Real-Radio-Edit/dp/B0048854NI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1290099902&sr=8-1 - Hit The Floor Magazine

FORMER city banker and Warwick University student Roxanne Emery is making a career for herself as a talented singer-songwriter.

The Coventry graduate has swapped the testosterone-fuelled world of investment banking for the music industry.

After writing only five songs 26-year-old Roxanne got snapped up by a record company at her third ever gig last August.

Her debut single, Real, is out on Monday and she will be performing it live on Warwickshire’s Touch FM in Kenilworth, the same day.

And next year Roxanne’s ‘folky-pop’ album, Remember Me is due to be released.

The album includes the emotive, Late, a poignant song of praise to her mother, Linda, who died of cancer four years ago.

Roxanne could have fast-tracked herself onto the Cabinet after studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Warwick University – but instead she chose to become a high-flying trader at a top London investment bank with a five-figure salary.

“Do I miss the banking world?” she said, “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss certain aspects of it, the adrenalin rush and the excitement of the 6am starts, but what I’m doing now is more than I could ever have dreamt. I love to sing my songs. I really do.”

She now shares an apartment in Manchester with her best friend and her older brother, Gareth Emery, another Warwick University graduate – who says he is the ninth biggest DJ in the world.



Read More http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2010/11/05/warwick-university-graduate-roxanne-emery-releases-debut-single-92746-27607000/#ixzz1NINzcG7U - The Coventry Telegraph

There are not many singer-songwriters that burst onto the music scene with blazing potential and a sense of fresh reality; but Roxanne Emery is a different situation altogether, and this is her story…

Originating from a little south-coast city known as Southampton, the harmonious beauty has finally gained the courage to share the experiences that have been bestowed upon her. Having left Warwick University with a degree in Philosophy, Politics & Economics (PPE), Roxanne found comfort in full-time employment as a high-flying banker in London. It was only a matter of time before her desire of money transformed into a passion of music, allowing her to step out from the shadows and into the spotlight.




The soothing tone of Emery’s voice really allows the listener to fall for her and the lyrics she projects – encapsulating the entire emotion of her songs. There’s a sense of honesty and warmth about the southern songstress, as she sings passionately during debut single ‘if we let go now, would we fall down, are we holding on too tight for this to be real now?” With similar attributes to songwriters including Colbie Caillat and Joshua Radin, it comes as a big surprise that Roxanne grew up listening to the combined efforts of The Offspring, REM and Alanis Morissette.

Currently working towards the release of her single ‘Real’ that is available from November 8th, it’s her forthcoming catalogue of guitar-twinged melodies that will undoubtedly be one to watch in 2011. - Virgin Music

Roxanne Emery is set to become the country’s most irresistible new pop star. She releases her debut single Real on November 8th on De Angelis Records. Real is the first single to be lifted from her forthcoming album – Remember Me - which will be released early next year.
Until only last year, Roxanne was working full-time as a high-flying banker in the city. The City’s loss is our gain. Her forthcoming debut album, Remember Me, is an understated, subtle delight, a record of perfect pop songs, but each concealing a hidden heart. Produced by Anthony Galatis and Rick Barraclough and mixed by Jack Joseph Puig (U2, Black Eyed Peas, Pussycat dolls, No Doubt , Rolling Stones), her songs combine the honeyspun melodies of, say, early Bangles with a voice as spine-tinglingly clear as Natalie Imbruglia circa Torn.
Roxanne Emery was born in Southampton and studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Warwick University before going on to become a trader in the city.
She has always been a gifted musician (she is a grade 8-level pianist and a clarinettist) and last Autumn she quit the bank, her flat, and the capital itself, and moved up to Manchester, and into an apartment with her close friend and her older brother, Gareth (himself rated the ninth biggest DJ on the planet).
She has performed at Alexandra Palace and has created an album that has taken shape with the kind of natural ease other artists could not help but envy. - Entertainment Focus

At Sugarscape, we love all lovely things. Sunny days, ice cream, cuddling up on the sofa, kittens, puppies, nice songs. So if you're anything like us, you're probably going to love new music sensation Roxanne Emery.



Her voice is sweet and soothing, her sound described (by Roxanne herself) as 'rocked-up-folky-pop', and her background a rather interesting one. Now in her mid-twenties, Roxanne studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Warwick University, before becoming an Investment Banker for three years! Brainy eh?



Her love of music was too strong to deny though, so she left the trading floor to focus on her music full-time. And boy, we're glad she did, because her debut single 'Real' is really rather good! Available to buy from November 8th, we've gotten hold of a preview video of Roxanne singing an acoustic version of the track for you. Take a look...



If you liked that, have a listen to Cold Heart too, which incidentally, you can download for free from her website! How nice.



Aside from her lovely voice and cool songs, the fact that she's a Grade 8 pianist, and can play both the clarinet and guitar, we're also quite envious of Roxanne's style crush potential! Watch this space we reckon.



What are your thoughts on Roxanne Emery? Are you liking Real? Will you be downloading Cold Heart? Is she a HIT or MISS for you? Comments please! - Sugar Magazine

Much can change in the space of 12 months, sometimes even total reinvention. Take, for example, Roxanne Emery. This time last year, the 26-year-old was holding down a high-flying job in the city at an investment bank. This year, she is suddenly the country's most irresistible new pop star.

"Do I miss the banking world?" she says. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss certain aspects of it, the pressures and the excitement of the 5am starts, and the intense atmosphere, but what I'm doing now is more than I could ever have dreamt. I thought I'd never say this, but I love to sing my songs. I really do."

The city's loss, then, is our gain. Roxanne's forthcoming debut album, Remember Me, is an understated, subtle delight, a record of perfect pop songs, but each concealing a hidden heart, her songs combining the honeyspun melodies of, say, early Bangles with a voice as spine-tinglingly clear as Natalie Imbruglia circa Torn. You wouldn't have necessarily expected her to have grown up a gifted, grade 8-level pianist and clarinettist with a penchant for Green Day and The Offspring, but as we have already seen, initial appearances can be deceptive.

There is more to Roxanne Emery than meets the eye.

She was born in Southampton to academic parents, and by the time she was at Warwick University studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics - the chosen degree of so many in government - the woman could have fast-track herself into the cabinet had she been so inclined. Instead, what really appealed to her was the E in PPE - Economics.

"Banking is a very male world, very aggressive and even intimidating," she says. "You wouldn't find many 21-year-olds working in that kind of environment, except of course the secretaries to the all-powerful money men. Banking was, back then, terribly sexist. It probably still is."

But Roxanne, no shy and retiring wallflower, was more than a match. And so, shortly after her degree, she found herself in the full cut and thrust of a testosterone-fuelled world. She loved it - the early mornings, the late and frequently sleepless nights, the addiction to the Blackberry.

"I’ve spent at least six months having to deny my banking background," she laughs. "We had a terrible reputation, didn't we? Almost!"

But Roxanne was also a lifelong music fan. In addition to Green Day and The Offspring, she loved REM, Alanis Morissette and all kinds of dance music. Finding herself in her early 20s working in finance and living with three other women in London's West End ("it was very Sex and the City!"), she began increasingly retreating into her own, more creative world. She bought herself a guitar, and in the evenings, still pin-striped and in heels, but her Blackberry on silent, she would disappear into her room to write songs for no other reason than the simple pleasure of it. She never had any plans to do anything with them, she says, "I simply did it because I loved to write. It was a release after all the pressure of the day."

But then one day, a former boyfriend introduced her to a record producer, who teased a demo out of her. This demo then went out into the world on her behalf, and almost overnight she found herself in demand, and courted by at least three record labels.

"The idea of singing my own songs never really appealed to me," she admits. "I loved writing, but I thought perhaps somebody else could sing them."

For a while, she seemed oddly resistant to singing despite a voice born to do just that. In 2008, she lent her vocals to a song called A Day That Fades by dance act Cosmic Gate. A big hit, it prompted a slew of further offers, all of which she turned down.

"I just don't think I had the confidence," she says now. "But then anyone who heard my voice said that it had an edge to it, and that my songs had something to say – but by me, not by anybody else." And so, after some considerable persuasion, she agreed. "I felt, in the end, I had no choice!"

It takes guts to walk away from a lucrative career, to say nothing about the flat in the West End, but Roxanne did just that. Last autumn, she quit the bank, the flat, and the capital itself, and moved up to Manchester, and into an apartment with her close friend and her older brother, Gareth, himself a former academic dropout. Once upon a time, Gareth was a student of Politics. Much to the initial disappointment of his parents, he too decided instead to turn his attentions to music, specifically dance music. He is now rated the ninth biggest DJ on the planet.

Roxanne, meanwhile, now surrounded by like-minded souls, started to write more songs, and began gigging in earnest. She played to friends, to strangers, at corporate gigs and even, once, at Alexandra Palace ("amazing!"). She hooked up with the De Angelis Records team whose Anne Barrett, the woman who first nurtured Natalie Imbruglia's early rise to fame, and began work on an album that took shape with the kind of natural ease other artists could not help but envy.

"It's all happened so unbelievably quickly," Roxanne says. "I still can't quite believe it. I mean, this time last year I was still at the bank; now, I've completed my debut album, I play live a lot, and more and more people seem to be interested. It's like a dream. I keep having to remind myself it's actually reality."

But this all makes perfect sense. Remember Me is an unusually charming record produced by Anthony Galatis and Rick Barraclough and mixed by Jack Joseph Puig (U2, Black Eyed Peas, Pussycat dolls, No Doubt , Rolling Stones). Its songs appear tailor-made for heavy rotation on daytime radio, all twinkling and glistening and, like their author, terribly pretty. But it is also a record that goes deeper than the surface sheen, for its lyrical themes reveal a darker, and occasionally more troubled, heart.

"In real life, I often have trouble putting into words precisely how I feel," Roxanne explains, "but in song, for some reason, I don't."

And so Remember Me features songs like the stunning debut single ‘Real’ (out 8th November) and other stand out tracks including Burning Blue and The Fall- each song relayed in language people will instantly identify with. And then there is LATE, an unbearably poignant paean to her mother, who died three years ago.

"There was so much I wanted to say to her, but I never got the chance to do so in person," she says. "It's a difficult song to sing, and I frequently cry while doing so, but it's also, I think, my favourite."

And it is this very depth that characterises so much of Remember Me, as it does the woman herself. It's a tricky thing to make music seem so effortless, as natural as breathing, but Roxanne Emery does it, with humility and authenticity, and with the most beguiling of tunes.

So, is she considering a return to banking any time soon?

Her smile is a coy one. "No," she says - Glasswerk National

I’ve heard it said that there is a definite correlation between music and maths. Scientists claim this has something to do with the fact that both disciplines use the same side of the brain.

In the case of Roxanne Emery, the suggestion seems to be a very apt one.

“If you had asked me what I was going to be when I was a teenager, despite my love for music, I would never have considered a profession in the pop world.”

Confident, attractive and certainly focused on her music career, Roxanne grew up in a family that was focused on the importance of academia.

“Both my mother and father were teachers and they continually impressed upon my brother and I about the significance of achieving a good education.”

Following university and a degree in economics, Roxanne began her career in finance and investment banking but as she became accustomed to life behind a desk, her creative side began to rebel.

“Most people go through a couple of career changes in their lives and for me, after 3 years spent in finance and banking, I suddenly realised that my calling lay elsewhere.

“My father has a lot to do with the music I listened to as a child – REM, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen – and he likes to joke now that he was the inspiration behind my decision.”

But that didn’t mean when she decided to leave her job that he was keen on the idea.

“I remember calling dad and saying I have some great news and I could tell from his reaction that he thought I was going to say I have received a promotion. When I told him I was giving up my well paid, secure job to pursue a career in the music industry he wasn’t exactly enthusiastic with my decision but he did remain supportive.

“Unfortunately my mother wasn’t around as she passed away a few years earlier after losing a battle with cancer but I’m sure her initial reaction would have been the same.

“Her death naturally left a great hole in my life and she also had a profound impact on my music.”

With her new single Real out this week on iTunes and her album Remember Me due for a digital release early 2011, it has proved to be a rollercoaster ride for the young singer from Southampton but she has managed to keep her feet firmly on the ground so far.

“We only completed the album a month ago. It’s so exciting and I have a huge belief in my material. I have worked very hard to get where I am but I have also been very fortunate in what is a fairly short space of time. I had actually only done 10 gigs before I got my record deal which isn’t a lot when you consider how competitive the music industry is today.”

And in the early stages, it was the performances that proved most problematic for Roxanne, as she battled to overcome her fear of playing before an audience.

“At first I was nervous to the point of being sick but I knew I had to get through this hurdle if I ever wanted to make a success in the industry.”

Fortunately, it was a challenge she was able to meet and now getting up on stage is almost like second nature.

“I absolutely love it now and I see it as a privilege to have people singing along to my material or paying to come and see me perform. Whether it’s two or two thousand, it still remains a very intimate experience. Each of the 10 songs that make up my album is very personal to me – a little like a musical diary of my life – and to share these snapshots with other people is very rewarding.”

I asked Roxanne who she would perhaps most like to perform with in the future and she was quite definite with her response.

“James Blunt. I think he is great. I’m also a massive fan of Ellie Goulding and Nerina Pallot is another artist I have huge respect and admiration for. Her song Sophia still makes me emotional when I hear it.”

I concluded by asking her what she believes her mother would have thought of her now if she were still alive and there is a short pause of contemplation before she answers.

“As I said, mum died before I switched careers and although I am sure if she had been around she would have raised an eyebrow of concern, she would have supported me just like my father has and she would be proud of me now.

“Not long after she passed away, I found a letter from mum and in it there was one line that sort of justified things for me. She wrote “Whatever you do in your life, never be scared of changing paths”. That remains one of my greatest and enduring sources of encouragement.”

If you would like more information on Roxanne then check out her myspace page at www.myspace.com/roxanneemery and be sure to catch her single which is out now. - Women Talking

When budding songwriter Roxanne Emery sat down to pen her first lyrics, she couldn't hold back the tears.

Emotions that had built up over the two years since her mum died flooded on to the page.

And now LATE – a song dedicated to mum Linda – is the most personally important track on Roxanne's debut album.

Linda was diagnosed with cancer when Roxanne was 18 and had only just left her Locks Heath home for Warwick University. She died almost four years ago when Roxanne was 22.

She recalls: 'It was really tough for all of us. When she was diagnosed I'd left and felt far away from the situation. My parents were determined I would continue at university and make a life for myself. They were making a sacrifice for me. But if I could go back now, I would go home.'

She says the song is quite metaphorical and is inspired by her experiences of growing up. But it also became something in which she could channel her grief.

'It's partly about the guilt I have felt. We got on wonderfully when I was a little girl and then of course I turned 13 and I was awful.

'I wouldn't kiss her, I didn't tell her I loved her. I just wasn't very nice to her. A lot of people go through that, but looking back is hard now because she's never coming back.

'One of the lines in the song is "the one lesson you're never taught is how to say goodbye". It was very painful to write and I was crying as I was doing it but it really helped me in the grieving process.'

Roxanne has also struggled to perform the song, but this kind of emotion-filled and deeply personal material is exactly what has been winning her fans in and out of the music industry.

There are high hopes for the 26-year-old, who is signed to De Angelis Records and releases her debut single Real on Monday. Her album Remember Me is due out early next year.

The fact that Roxanne is making her mark in the music world is remarkable as it's only been a year since she was donning a tailored suit every day and thriving in the cut-and-thrust world of City finance.

Armed with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics, Roxanne began working life as a sales trader with a City investment bank.

She was in her early 20s, succeeding in a male-dominated and very tough world and earning enough money to live with friends in a central London apartment.

'I wouldn't go back and change it. It was a great life,' says Roxanne, now 26. 'And I loved the job and the people. It was absolutely crazy but amazing too. I worked with some of the most clever and inspirational people, and they were very funny.

'If you work in a high-pressured environment, like that you have to have that kind of outgoing personality.'

Watch Roxanne Emery perform Real

But she must have felt the tug of a very different lifestyle because in the evenings she began closing her bedroom door on the world and, still in her pin-striped suit, writing heartfelt lyrics.

Now she has traded the power wardrobe for lighter, brighter and more casual clothes and is adapting to the life of a pop-folk songstress.

To some it may seem like she's followed her dream, but for Roxanne it hasn't been an easy transition.

A job she loved with a 50,000-plus salary wasn't easy to walk away from, especially in a recession, And then she had to deal with her own doubts.

'I started doing open mic sessions which is the scariest thing in the world. I was so nervous before the first one, I was sick,' she says.

Roxanne was spotted at one of these but it took a long time and a lot of persuasion before she left her job.

'For a while I was in these two different environments and it was strange. I'd talk to people in music and they were travelling all the time and doing charity work and things. I was working in a bank which was the least cool thing.'

But it was the words of her banking boss that inspired her to make the move.

'He was my mentor really, an amazing businessman who I respected. He didn't really want to know about my music even though I'd try and speak about it, he didn't think I should give up my career.

'But one day I took my guitar into work and I thought I'd play a song and if he said it was awful I wouldn't leave. He said: ''You know what, you're actually all right aren't you'. That doesn't sound like much, but from him that was an endorsement.'

Roxanne decided to move from London to Manchester where she lives with a friend and her brother, Gareth Emery.

An internationally-successful DJ, he provided his younger sister with inspiration. Gareth also took a risk in the music industry and turned it into a hugely successful career.

'He's been such an influence,' says Roxanne. 'Everyone's been saying how scary and how hard music is but I've got an older brother who cracked it on his own.'

The pair grew up in the Locks Heath house where dad Ken still lives. The early seeds of performing talent were sown here. A Grade eight level pianist, Roxanne also had clarinet lessons and was a keen dancer.

But she credits Ken's CD collection for her interest in music. 'My friends would come and look at it. He had loads of stuff,' says the former Brookfield School pupil.

'When I phoned my dad to tell him I was leaving my job, he asked if I'd been head-hunted. When I told him I was also going to try music, he said "not another one". But I think he's secretly proud. He keeps saying it's because he played REM to us when we were children.'

Roxanne doesn't get the chance to come home as often as she likes, but she is looking forward to doing an interview and live session on Fareham-based Wave 105 on Sunday.

Apart from being excited about fixed plans, like the single release, she says she isn't daring to dream about musical success.

'It's the time I spent in banking, I'm less of a dreamer. What I hope, though, is that people will connect with the songs. I want people to hear the music and hopefully like it and relate it to their situations.' - The Portsmouth News