New Music & Video Release - Em releases triumphant new indie-pop album 'Move' - 7th November 2025
Photo credit - Jack Mensah
Artist Name - Em
Release Name - Move
Release Date - 7th November 2025
Genre - Indie Pop, Pop Music, Indie Folk
Label - Independent
Em stakes her claim as one of Aotearoa’s most exciting new indie-pop acts with today’s release of her sophomore album, MOVE.
MOVE is a triumphant record, encapsulating a “triangle of genres” - indie-pop, spaghetti-western-folk and dance.
“In the end I think the album leans towards indie-pop to folk with the other elements adding some flair in places,” says Em who worked on the album with a cast of local artists, musicians, producers and engineers, including Arahi, Amy Boroevich (HINA), Alex Corbett, David Feauai-Afaese and Jeremy Loh; to name but a few.
“MOVE grew both visual inspiration and my desire to collaborate. When writing with friends and collaborators I gave two points of reference - an image of the Blue Dancers by Edgar Degas, and the requirement that all songs on this record should feel good while sitting in the sun.”
Em adds: “The subject of the songs are observations of my life at time of writing, and seek to take a snapshot of how I feel right now as I know I will grow quickly and won’t feel this way for long.”
MOVE contains the already released singles ‘Go’, ‘Lucky Star’and ‘Crush’, alongside new single ‘The Orchard’. Listen to ‘The Orchard’ HERE
A dreamy and nostalgic ballad, with a lullaby feel, Em wrote ‘The Orchard’ with her friend, David Feauai-Afaese. The song cleverly captures and conveys poignant moments centred around different homes.
“The first verse reflects on my flat during Covid that didn’t have a back yard. I remember rainy days staring at concrete wishing for the sun and a patch of grass to lie on,” she says.
“The second verse reflects on the flat I lived in during heartbreak and how my flatmates made it a sanctuary for safety and healing. Exactly what I needed!”
“In the final sections of the song I look at the flat David and I were in at the time - the flourishing fruit trees, daisies in the garden, flatmates I adore, and a space I found myself really yearning to come home to.”
The final section in ‘The Orchard’, also works as a metaphor for the good in life. “All of the seeds that I had planted during heartbreak have sprouted and grown and are bearing fruit. “The orchard she’s dancing. The orchard she waits for me” serves as the perfect end to the album.
Many will already know Em, AKA Emily Wheatcroft-Snape, from her achievements and accolades as one of the country’s leading sound engineers. In the last few years, she has also been making waves with her own solo work, which has been met with critical acclaim.
“‘Lucky Star’is a radio dollop of balearic /dream-pop with a touch of alt-country shimmer” - Under The Radar
“A spellbinding fusion of indie-pop instrumentation and dance-driven electronic drum beats ‘Love To Be’ speaks to living life to the fullest” - Sniffers
The artwork for MOVE, including the singles, was created by Jack Mensah. “The songs on this record are observations of my life at time of writing, and seek to take a snapshot of how I feel right now as I know I will grow quickly and won’t feel this way for long. The album cover encapsulates this, it feels as though I am making fleeting eye contact with the audience as I run past to my intended destination.”
MOVE was released on 11-track vinyl on October 24, before then going live today as an eight-track digital album.
Get MOVE on vinyl here: Elastic Stage / Bandcamp