Canadian country artist Emily Clair takes you down the lonely road of forgiveness without ever forgetting with her new single "Limousine".
This song just brought me back to my childhood listening to Kelly Pickler, Lady A, and Miranda Lambert. I am also realizing how into country music I was as a kid, but I think that's why this song from Clair brings me so much nostalgia. It is a power ballad with a bold melody and stunning instrumentation. It has this longing quality to it that comes alongside moving on. It is emotionally powerful but shows Clair's incredible control.
Speaking about her interest in recording “Limousine” and the meaning of the song itself, Emily Clair says, “When I sing a ballad, I want people to feel emotionally connected throughout the journey of the song. As a demo, this song connected with me because of its message. It’s about the challenges that can come with forgiveness when we can’t forget, and how letting someone into your life can be hindered by difficulties of letting the painful memories of someone else go.”
Beyond the song’s emotional message, Emily Clair was eager to bring a song to life that was written by Conroy and Thomson – who recently co-wrote Lady A’s smash “Champagne Night” – and Mitchell, who she has always looked up to as a fellow Ontario artist.
“Limousine” marks the second single release of 2021 for the Ajax, Ontario native, after “Drive Me Home”, which became her fourth consecutive single to reach the Top 40 on CBC Country/Sirius XM in Canada. Two of the earlier singles (“The Sobering Truth” and “Me or the Whiskey”) also made the semi-finals of the Unsigned Only Music Competition.
While she is in the early stages of recording an album that will tease its first single release during the first quarter of 2022, Emily Clair will first celebrate “Limousine” and close this well-versed chapter of her career with a special 7-song EP in November that will feature all of her past releases as stripped-down recordings.
With an inviting style that resonates from the cherished storytelling roots of country music, Emily Clair’s soulful sound is stealing hearts, gaining fans, and leading her towards the next breakthrough in an ever-rewarding career.
Originally from Ajax, Ontario, Emily grew up in a musical family and showed early artistic inklings by singing herself to sleep as a child. Being raised around music brought out a natural singing voice, an early interest in rock, and ten years of vocal and piano lessons that soon followed.
After performing in talent shows and recitals, which found her singing everything from Aretha Franklin to Corrine Bailey Rae, a high school teacher introduced Emily to country music through the Dixie Chicks, who proved to be a lasting musical influence on her.
As she continued towards adulthood, Emily picked up an acoustic guitar and worked hard to hone her craft as a songwriter by capturing her life in lyrics and using passion and truth as a means of forming an emotional connection with every listener.
Since making the jump from budding singer-songwriter to full-fledged recording artist, Emily has enjoyed a series of momentous milestones. Her 2020 single “Bad Habits” was her third consecutive song to land in the Top 40 of CBC Country/Sirius XM’s rotation in Canada. She’s also a two-time semi-finalist in the “Unsigned Only” Music Competition, and recently won the Country category of the Djooky Global Song contest. Equally passionate about empowering other women in country music, she and fellow artist Amberlea Bruch co-founded The Songbird Series, an all-female songwriters’ round.
With a captivating voice and a pure country heart, Emily is hard at work with CMAO Award-nominated producer Shawn Moore to use her new music to boldly push boundaries and bring her soulful and sultry sound to the mainstream country music scene.
Review by Hannah Schneider