“I like breakfast all day. I wish I lived in a lighthouse in the middle of the city, or a cathedral in an enchanted forest. I enjoy singing to trees, streetlamps, hungry ghosts, desert rocks & people who like music.”

A young artist with an old soul, she covers the best from Joni Mitchell to Tom Petty, yet her voice is nothing but her own. Singer songwriter Ainjel Emme is a talented self taught multi-instrumentalist who uses music to share her reflections on life. Her roots are planted deeply in folk and Americana but says her music is “always changing”; especially with the times, adding influences from electronica and rock to her craft. Ainjel is self described as a lyricist that is “unabashedly personal”. “I try to document the world with my writing”, Ainjel says; “It is important to be honest”.

Born Angela, Ainjel views her name as a temporary moniker. Her ever changing name is a refection of her life experience. Now based out of LA, though raised partly in Texas and Oakland, CA, her heritage is strongly rooted in a variety of Native American tribes. Not much has remained constant for Ainjel, but music has been her unchanging passion and anchor through the good and the bad. “I can give up the sex and the drugs, but not the rock and roll”, Ainjel quips, “I am a musician because all of my life I have seen the way music brings people together”. Togetherness, an important theme for Ainjel, runs through her blood. She explains that music is not just for her, but her family and her tribe.

“The studio is where I come alive.”

Stage fright in her youth didn’t help past issues with substance abuse but sobriety did help shape her goals for future music endeavors. Ainjel says that she is mostly focused now on writing and production but certainly hasn’t given up live performance. Music is what makes her shine and feel centered. Once in the spotlight, she says, “I’m a bit of a comedian… [but off stage] I’m socially awkward”. Much of her current work is focused on making music art projects out of remote or abandoned locations, using them either as a venue for performances or incorporating the beauty of the area to supplement the music for shoots. “I have always wanted to start a record label of my own”, Ainjel says describing her ultimate goal. “Helping other artists like myself” produce their own work as well as having the ability to “control the integrity of my art” would be the dream. “I’m very hands on”, Ainjel remarks, “The studio is where I come alive. If you really understand what goes on into making a record you realize that it is affected by everyone in the process.” Regarding performances, Ainjel says, “If I had it my way I would play my shows from the back of my truck, at the edge of a canyon” Also, “I would love to play in a cathedral…or Pompeii…or Stonehenge”. Ainjel plans to begin with an installation series playing in remote locations.

Her lofty goals, however, should not overshadow the accomplishments of her past. Ainjel‘s interest in music started at a young age. Though guitar is currently her primary instrument, the piano was her first musical passion. “There was a piano at my preschool”, Ainjel recounts, “I just loved it” from the beginning. Since, she has taken on several additional instruments including bass, drums, and a variety of other strings, most notably the dulcimer. Her mother, considered to be her biggest influence, was a traveling musician in her day. “I’d be more of a drifter (myself) if I could afford it”, Ainjel says.

Like many musicians, Ainjel has endured the starving artist syndrome. She waited tables to make due and recently made the leap to quit and give her music full time attention. Even with additional jobs on the side Ainjel managed to make headway in producing and distributing her music. She has two recorded albums finished and is currently working on a 3rd (title to be announced). The first one entitled “Heartache is boring” was completed in two weeks, and her second album, “Everyone is beautiful” was recorded with “a year of Fridays”.

With Ainjel, the music’s integrity comes first and and music has given her the same integrity in life. Listening to her musical voice is hand in hand with listening to her.