Emma Lindquist
From early childhood moments shaped by iconic songs to crafting a deeply personal artistic universe, Emma Lindquist has built a musical path rooted in curiosity, emotion, and self-discovery.
In this conversation, we explore her journey from early songwriting inspirations to the creative and emotional landscape behind “Closer To You”, a track that marks an important shift both musically and personally. We talk about vulnerability, confidence, fantasy, and the delicate balance between control and release — themes that also sit at the heart of her upcoming debut album Hello Tiger, Be My Friend.
Honest, reflective, and refreshingly human, this interview dives into creativity, identity, and what it really means to grow alongside your art.
“Closer To You” is now available worldwide.
You grew up in Dragør and started writing songs at a very young age. What first drew you to music, and when did you realize it could become more than just a hobby?
The first song that really captured me was Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s a well-known story in my family that I brought the Queen CD to kindergarten because I wanted so badly to share my excitement about the song with the other kids. I must have been four or five at the time. When I was 14, I was a huge Taylor Swift fan, and she inspired me to learn to play the guitar. But learning other people’s songs quickly started to bore me, so I began writing my own. I wrote about intense teenage crushes and friendships.
Before “Closer To You,” your debut single “If I Met Somebody New” received strong international support. How did that early recognition impact your confidence as an artist?
“If I Met Somebody New” is a song that gives a good impression of my songwriting at the time. The production also has that atmospheric quality and a patient build-up that isn’t necessarily always appreciated in pop music. So the support it received gave me confidence that the universe of the song resonates with listeners. And that makes me eager to share more.
“Closer To You” feels like a new chapter for you. At what point did you know this song represented a shift in your artistic journey?
“Closer To You” represents a part of me that wants to be more free and versatile. A side that doesn’t know shame or insecurity, and that doesn’t hide behind humor, but balances the fun and the playful. The track expresses an important change in me as a person and as a musician and performer.
It actually wasn’t the intention for “Closer To You” to be included on the album, but it sort of insisted on coming along. For a long time it sat as a project I didn’t really feel I could “solve” or understand. It had a will of its own. It took a long time to find the final musical expression of the song, because it kept tipping over and feeling comical to me.
The song captures a very specific moment — anticipation, fantasy, and emotional tension. What was the initial spark behind writing “Closer To You”?
I wrote “Closer To You” while I was bubbling with infatuation for a guy who knew nothing about it. Expressing my feelings to him wasn’t even an option, because I felt too insecure and afraid of rejection. The song is written in a fantasy where those obstacles simply don’t exist.
You describe the track as an inner fantasy and a space where sensuality is allowed to surface. Was it challenging for you to write so openly about desire and vulnerability?
Writing about it has never been a problem for me. Music has always been the place where I could say anything. The challenge is more about owning the song all the way out to the audience. The challenge is standing on stage, finding that confidence, and trying to be what I’m afraid to be.
You mention the idea of daring to take the first confident step — something you’ve never done in real life. What did writing this song teach you about confidence?
Releasing “Closer To You” has been boundary-crossing for me, because I’ve had difficulty owning what the song represents. The idea of being flirtatious, confident, and seductive is something I tend to quickly brush away with a joke or by escaping the situation altogether. But it’s a confrontation I have to acknowledge. If I want to make room for this part of myself, I have to learn it while people are watching. And that’s scary.
Musically, the track is driven by a bold, restless beat with playful backing vocals. How did you want the sound to reflect the emotional energy of the song?
I wanted the song itself to help seduce the listener in a light and playful way. It’s hard to stand still when you hear the track, but it doesn’t necessarily create immediate sexual associations. I like that it sits a bit more beneath the surface — that’s also how it has lived inside me. It feels very representative.
“Closer To You” explores the balance between control and release, innocence and desire. How do you personally navigate these contrasts, both in your music and in life?
Life and music are about finding the balance between the unknown and the familiar. Something exciting happens when we move into places where we’re out of our depth. What I enjoy most about writing music is not knowing where it will end. I love working on a song and having no idea what I’m doing.
This song marks the road toward your debut album Hello Tiger, Be My Friend. How does “Closer To You” fit into the broader story of the album?
“Closer To You” is an important piece of the puzzle because it holds a sexually expressive side, whereas several of the other songs on the album carry a sensitivity and pain that this one doesn’t. It lives fearlessly in the roaring fantasy of being in love. That part of me is important to who I am as an artist and a person, but it doesn’t surface very often. This song is an attempt to become friends with that side of myself. Becoming friends with the tiger.
Looking ahead to the album release, what do you hope listeners will take away from this new chapter of your music — both emotionally and personally?
I hope people will form images and small inner worlds when they hear the music. I hope it will take them on a journey within themselves and confront them with their tigers, so they can become friends with them. I’ve previously been told that my music falls between genres. I personally see that as one of my strengths. You can’t quite figure it out — and I like that.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
Being excited by uncertainty, while at the same time being truly afraid of it.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
For a long time, choosing music came with very clear success criteria — places I wanted to play, people who should know who I was. When you see your dream that way, you give it a kind of expiration date and very narrow limits for what it’s allowed to look like. But over the past few years, I’ve really focused on creating a daily life around music that I’m happy with now. I don’t work in a way where the time I spend will be wasted if I don’t reach exactly the final destinations that used to define the dream. I have to create the life I want today, and give the dream the chance to surprise me.
What are your goals for the rest of the year?
My band and I are going to play concerts around the country and internationally as well. Sharing the album with audiences. We’re going to enjoy having spent two and a half years creating a universe that we can now play with on stage. Not being in a rush to move on to the next thing. Just enjoy.
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