Secret Emchy Society Media Kit
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If you ask some folks, Cindy Emch is so goth and so punk. But if you ask her, that description blows her mind. “I thought I was Joni Mitchell on a lakeside singing you a sweet song,” she quips with a chuckle.
As frontperson to the Secret Emchy Society, Cindy sits on the corner of shit-kickery and tenderness, her voice something of a marvel to witness in her live performances. There’s a reason the group has wracked up plenty of accolades and recognition in recent years. TheBoot.com named them one of the Ten Queer Country Bands for Real Country Music Fans to Listen To; The Bay Area Reporter nominated them four times for Best Live Band; and they landed in End of Year 'Best Of' lists from No Depression, Concert Hopper, and the Atlanta Auditory Association. Additionally, they are featured in the documentary, Lavender Outlaws. Not too shabby for a collective that’s certainly had plenty of ups and downs. In live performances, Cindy’s style is hypnotic – often drawing comparisons to Nick Cave. The aesthetic, the vibe, and the songwriting conspire to spellbind audiences everywhere she sojourns. There’s no denying her capability to turn a phrase and flip a melody on its head. That’s just her way. Secret Emchy Society was formed in 2016 after Carolyn Mark surprised Emch with a 40-minute set, a mere 10 minutes before showtime. It was a life-changing moment that set in motion her entire breakout career. “I actually named the band that because it was a secret to me that we were even a band playing,” she laughs. Over the coming months, she’d cobble together shows based on what musicians were available on any given night. “It was a pretty informal process for a while,” she shares. Through the years, the lineup has rarely changed and currently boasts some of the most talented players in the business. Those include Hans Winold (upright bassist, harmonica, backing vocals), Tommy Salami (drummer, mandolin, backing vocals), and Clinton Cleveland (lead guitarist). Cindy serves as the rhythm guitarist. Recording and touring band members sometimes include a laundry list of equally talented musicians and vocalists. Those are Marco Baroz (lead guitarist), Tolan McNeil (lead guitarist, backing vocals), Jacob Aranda (lead guitarist, backing vocals), Mya Byrne (lead guitarist, mandolin), Shawna Virago (lead guitarist), Carolyn Mark (accordion, backing vocals, piano), Terri Upton (backing vocals), Andrew Waegel (pedal steel), Jaxon Haldane (musical saw), Sean Malroy (fiddle), Jade Shipman (drums), Eric Ingerson (drums), and Hank Pine (cello). Several albums arrived since officially forming, including 2017’s debut Stars Falling Into Twangsville and Gold Country / Country Gold (2022). Now, feeling “super inspired,” a new record is coming down the pike, in addition to a potential five-song EP to plug while looking for a home for the new full-length project. “I'm trying to get that out this summer maybe and just do it myself,” she says of the EP. “Like super DIY, a little lo-fi moment. While we've been working on that, I keep finding old songs that I forgot existed and thinking of new ones. I just need to get these next albums out and focus on these songs. It's a good time for inspiration for me, and I'm definitely still writing a lot. When the muse strikes, she strikes hard.” For now, Cindy Emch will follow her muse wherever it takes her next. Whether that’s on the road, one-off shows, or her next record, it’s all about driving forward and letting the music touch people. She’s done an exemplary job so far, and she’s not about to stop now. The music demands it. |
What people are saying:
"Gothic queer country royalty from Oakland... one of the Top 20 Bands to see at SXSW in 2024" - Pandora.com - Secret Emchy Society's 'Gold Country / Country Gold' named 10 Favorite Americana Albums of 2022 by ConcertHopper.com Secret Emchy Society's 'The Chaser' named Best of 2020 by Americana Highways, Atlanta Auditory Association & ConcertHopper.com “Equal parts June Carter Cash, Nick Cave and Murder By Death.” - No Depression “Imagine Bill Monroe and Sid Vicious having kids together.” - From Under The Basement "Secret Emchy Society is a great storytelling songwriter with a huge catalog of both original music and cover songs." - Rock the Pigeon "Brilliant." - Belles and Gals "Americana band cherish live shows and boozy late-night rendezvous." - B-sides and Badlands "For fans of Buck Owens, Sarah Shook, Dwight Yoakam, Lydia Loveless and Shovels & Rope." - Post to Wire "One could describe Emch as if Nick Cave had grown up in Bakersfield with a dynamic swagger that could part the Red Sea." - NoDepression "In a world of frat dudes singing about Applebees, Gold Country ~ Country Gold is a welcome middle finger to modern country, offering up a brand of smoke-filled honky-tonk that's traditional as they come -- albeit delivered with a fiery, punk disposition. Also 'Think I Do' is the jam" - Cory "Round Up" Graves (Vandoliers) "Showcases Emchy's boisterous voice against a Bakersfield beat." - Wide Open Country "Cindy Emch of Secret Emchy Society is a standard bearer for queer country artists." - Rock and Roll Globe "If Nick Cave took his murder ballads to the next logical conclusion and leaned into his country side, his music would likely sound more than a little like Secret Emchy Society’s tragically underrated catalogue. The latest Gold Country/Country Gold is more of the same from Cindy Emch, The First Lady of Queer Country, and that is hardly a bad thing." - Americana Highways "The album finds the band with a rich, mature sound — the band has never sounded more confident. The album explores the gamut of classic country sounds, from honky tonk to outlaw to Western swing." - Adobe & Teardrops "The band led by Cindy Emch is at the vanguard of the modern queer country movement, not so much a genre as an insistence on inclusion in a genre that's never been known for its willingness to change." - Concert Hopper |
