It is no wonder why Emmaline is selling out tours. Yes, you read correctly… tours! Fresh off of her sold-out Christmas tour, I caught her at Eddie’s Attic for her “Be My Valentine” tour where she performed two emotionally driven and engaging sold-out shows in one night!
Emmaline, for those of you who don’t know, is a very proficient and well-trained violinist who uses her instrument to complement her voice, which can captivate a room in seconds on its own. She sings creatively reimagined jazz covers as well as beautifully crafted originals that feel like instant classics. I can only imagine that seeing her is what it felt like to walk into a New York jazz club in the 1940s and hear someone like Billie Holiday or Ella Fitzgerald. She also has a way of traveling through time and incorporating other styles like R&B and Soul but weaving it together with a modern approach that feels nostalgic yet so fresh.
As much as you can hear these styles in her music with her ability to scat or add in soulful runs, it would not be fair to her to put her in a box and say she’s limited to any specific genre or is just another version of any other artist. She is Emmaline. She has refined herself to have her own sound and I for one, am so excited to see what she does with it! I don’t seem to be alone in that taking into account the sold-out tours and almost 200k monthly listeners on Spotify, with one of her songs exceeding 3 million streams!
Let’s talk about the music! I do not want to spoil the show for anyone who is lucky enough to have a ticket by giving too much away about what to expect. But I would love to mention a few parts in the show that stood out to me. Emmaline’s original songs each have so much character. And with the massively talented musicians backing her, they were able to bring so much life to all of them in person. As I looked around the room, I saw smiling, laughing eyes and ears locked in to each new adventure we were brought on. I only saw phones come out to take videos and photos; in fact, I saw one person put their phone away during the first song that was streaming the Super Bowl as we were waiting for showtime!
People were tapping their feet, clapping, singing along… it was such a wholesome atmosphere. After suffering Atlanta’s infamous traffic snarls to arrive, when the music started, it was as if the room let out a sigh of relief as Emmaline brought her zen-like comfort to anyone in earshot. Her storytelling was a lot of fun as we got to learn about her impressive musical background and also see the human side of her as she shares the inspiration behind each song. From the delicate and nostalgic “These are the Memories” to the hilarious and coy “Quite like me,” every song has a great and well-thought-out story.
The dynamics, musicianship, and passion Emmaline and her entire band are able to deliver are enthralling, and it was so fascinating to me to see how comfortable they all looked while playing. It looked like every musical phrase came as naturally to them as someone speaking their native language. And on that note, the solos were phenomenal. Emmaline really travels to another plane when she picks up that violin. I didn’t feel the rigidity that a lot of classical players have. It was pure emotion. The notes and her feel on the violin pair with her smoky and intimate voice in such a natural and life-giving way that I had to force myself to pull myself away to take enough notes to share this story! And I’ll be honest when I say that I completely forgot to during the first show because of how captivating every song is!
I also have to give a lot of credit to her band. Each solo on the guitar, sax, trumpet, drums, bass, and of course, violin had me absolutely locked in as a musician, listener, and lover of all styles of music. Seeing a violin and guitar trade licks like I did on that February night in Atlanta in 2026 will always hold a special place in my heart. Also, as a Temptations fan, I was blown away at her rendition of “My Girl.” It was so unique that it breathed a new life into the 1964 classic, and the crowd response was immediate. I was also taken back to hear another one of my personal favorites, “Fly Me to the Moon.” This one came paired with a really sweet sax solo and guitar chords from a master who didn’t miss all night. Guitar is my first instrument, so naturally, I was captivated by Ryan Mondak’s playing. His chord choices and perfectly laid-out lead lines always fit the need in a way that only added to already captivating arrangements.
Her original “Retro Kind of Love” had to be my favorite of the night. Not an easy choice to make with every one of her originals being so intriguing in their own unique way. This one hooked me from the beginning with a feel-good violin intro and a beat that pulls you in. Another original, “Everything’s Breezy,” was a real treat. Ryan’s solo on this song was nothing short of incredible. His unique phrasing held the room at full attention. We were also treated to a funky impromptu bass solo and a drum solo that got everybody stomping their feet and clapping their hands. This man used the entire drum set to lay down some rhythm.
All in all, I have to say this show ranks in as one of my favorites, and I hope I was able to capture any of the emotion and energy in the room that night in these photos. I highly encourage you to act fast and get a ticket as soon as they go on sale on the next tour. Right now, you can catch her in smaller venues and listening rooms, but she will undoubtedly make the jump to places like Carnegie Hall soon.
If you do have a ticket for this tour, brace yourself for an incredible feel-good musical journey that transcends time. In the meantime, head over to https://www.emmalineofficial.com and keep an eye on tour dates. Also, stop by her online store https://emmalinestore.com to pick up CDs and vinyl. Emmaline is an independent artist, and she is building her career up one song at a time. There is a lot of work that goes into what she is doing, so let’s all work together and get those “sold out” tags that she’s seeing on her tour dates on her classic record albums as well.
Emmaline-Thanks for the sweet tunes, and I can’t wait to see what’s next!
