Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Berrigan. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Born to Scottish Immigrants but now local to Austin, EMSKIII is the alias for queer, pro athlete, drummer, and electronic artist/DJ Emma Berrigan. Emma’s story is one of uniqueness. Growing up as a red-headed, queer woman in Texas, she always struggled to fit in. But music has allowed her to embrace standing out. Emma started drumming at the age of 8 and continued through college, playing in multiple bands and gigging around Austin at places like Stubbs, Mohawk, and Swan Dive. During this time, she was also introduced to the sport of Ultimate Frisbee and currently plays on Austin’s professional women’s/non-binary team called the Torch.
Emma struggled to find her path in college, feeling pressured to pursue a stable, corporate career even though her passion lied with the arts. She changed majors multiple times before following a creative path in entertainment technology. After graduating, she entered the film industry, where she had the opportunity to film shows for major networks, including a ghost-hunting show starring Ke$ha. She also continued to drum as a hired gun on weekends. Over time, she grew tired of playing the same rock music every night and felt the urge to lean into her love of EDM. She taught herself to produce in less than a year and ended up releasing her first song under EMSKIII called “Free My Mind.”
EMSKIII’s music can be described as driving, dark, powerful, and “drowning in reverb.” The style of her music speaks to who she is – emotional and intensely feeling. EMSKIII’s goal is to create an experience for the listener that makes them feel empowered, accepted, and connected to their truest selves.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road is never smooth, but that is what makes life interesting, right? I have struggled in a lot of areas, from access to resources, knowledge, and education, to even some identity struggles. The music industry is a very heavily male-dominated industry, even more so in the EDM world and producer ring. I have had challenges breaking in and being seen as equal or respectable from the moment I started playing drums. I remember when I would tell people I played drums, and I’d get the “Oh, that’s cute” or “Can you even hit hard though.” It wasn’t until they would see a video or see it live that I feel like I’d get the respect. Its little things like these that have been challenging to get gigs or be seen as a competent and respectable artist – but this is also the thing that fuels me to keep going and push even harder
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an electronic music producer and performer, as well as a DJ and drummer. I’m known for my unique ability to infuse live digital drumming while singing and DJing modern electronic music. I create and produce all of my own music that I then either put into my live show, that is either a DJ set, a hybrid DJ set where I sing and play electronic drums, or my live set that I use multiple instruments live. I’m proud of how far I have come in a short time and always sticking to it. Consistency is hard, but when it’s something you love it’s easier. My live show is definitely something that sets me apart from other DJs; being a female DJ that sings and drums is something to see for sure. I also love to branch away from the typical serious DJ, and I like to dance and make myself look silly so everyone else feels comfortable dancing and maybe looking silly – as long as everyone’s having a good time, that’s all that matters.
What were you like growing up?
I was a crazy active kid. Always doing and trying 2 million different things, playing 5 different sports. I was so curious and excited about life. Although I’ve tried a million things and was in every club or org possible, music and drumming were the only things in my life that really stayed constant or that I kept coming back to. It was my only true interest that I loved and wanted to be a part of my life forever.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/emskiii
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emskiiimusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emskiiimusic
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/emskiiiiiiiiiii
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0JK4ShX4c7st78sPDVzDgx?si=Xk6lOxJfSN-0FUEfPiHVYQ
