Originally from Tasmania and now living in Sydney, Emma Howard has been writing music for the better part of the last ten years.
After a year of overseas travel (pre-pandemic) where she was attending a lot of music festivals, Emma decided to create her own persona and began releasing her own originals.Focused on tragic romance and nostalgia, Bambi moulds a heart-wrenching soundtrack of tones and melodies incorporating electronic music and dark pop layering violins, synths and drums with gorgeous harmonies.
Her current release is 'Religion'. "This song was written during a period of resistance. I had already written so many songs about the same thing, and I just felt a bit defeated.
"Then I started writing late one night with Timothy McArtney and what I call a 'hidden song' came out – a hidden story that would have been left unsung if we weren't sitting there in that exact moment. A memory sitting in my subconscious.
"I love that this happened so effortlessly, and I was able to reflect upon all the feelings I had surrounding religion (I grew up very Catholic).
"It's not easy being in any relationship where the beliefs are so brutally opposite. The woozy emotions between understanding and disbelief."
Who is Bambi O'Hara... I was travelling for almost a year and going to lots of music festivals, and I thought 'I've written heaps of music. I wanna be an artist.'
So Bambi O'Hara is a persona I made to release all that music. I've been singing and playing guitar since I was 14, so it came pretty naturally.
I sound like... Melancholia, romance and nostalgia – an emotional time-warp.
My first gig is... Going to be this Saturday (28 May) at the Golden Age Cinema in Sydney. Come!
In the studio I usually... Start humming melodies over the piano or guitar, and then write lyrics that fit the mood of those melodies (for me!). Interesting chord progressions and melodies definitely lead the mood. I get super obsessive with lyrics; I see it more as poetry.
If I could tour with anyone... Damn. Florence + The Machine, FKA Twigs, Marina. Too many artists to name if I'm honest.
Social media is... To be taken in small doses. . . if at all!
My favourite app at the moment is... Probably Dazz Cam. It's got so many fun features to edit any photos or videos in so many different processed ways, film wise. Never as good as the real film camera though.
To date, my most embarrassing moment was the time... There are many, but maybe this time I was bowling and decided to walk on the bowling lane – I had no idea it was incredibly slippery, and took a massssssive slip and fall. It was hilarious though.
Life on the road can be... Some of the best memories you'll ever have in your life. I've been to 44 countries now; can't wait to hit the road again. Whether it's a tour, or to just see where life takes me.
If you'll have me on your bill, all I ask is that the rider contains... Seaweed snacks?!
The most scary scenario I've found myself in, was... One terrifying scenario was when the accelerator in my first car stopped working, while I was driving on the Tasman Bridge, on the incline! The car started rolling backwards in moving traffic! I turned the car on and off, and it started up again thank god.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be your spokesperson... Damn. Maybe Queens Of The Stone Age (Josh Homme) – it'd be wild.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? Barcelona perhaps, or San Francisco. I've been to both, and really loved them both. I love a bustling city but easy/ quick escape to the water.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party? Roy Orbison, Jeff Buckley, Salvador Dali – it'd be a soulful, emotional, creative whirlwind with never ending conversation. I also love the idea of a time travelling dinner party, with people from different eras.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? Ummmm, probably pasta fettuccine with cherry tomatoes, parsley and walnuts.
When it comes to pets are you a lover or hater of our furry friends? Absolute lover. Even if my cat hair allergies are killing me. Worth it.
No matter the expense, send me a case of... Reece's Pieces.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... Last week for boxing. It's my favourite workout, and never boring. I get bored easily at the gym, so I need it to be a challenge or different every time.
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Vacuuming – doesn't everyone?
Do you have any phobias... Coulrophobia – fear of clowns. It's not as intense anymore, but when I was a kid, I hated seeing that Ronald McDonald clown. So creepy.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? Maybe 'Survivor' haha.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? Not really a prank, but I do love hiding somewhere in the house and jump-scaring my friends often, haha.
Best local takeaway joint for a midnight feed that will leave you with a food coma? Can't say sorry! I don't eat much takeaway. Does toast with Vegemite at midnight count?
Which fictional character best describes your personality? Phoebe from '90s TV show 'Charmed'. I love her feisty but care-free, loving nature.
Last show you binge-watched? 'Russian Doll'. This insane show about these two characters stuck in a time loop of the same day, and they keep dying! They wake up again each morning trying to figure out how not to die.
Bambi O'Hara plays Golden Age Cinema (Sydney) 28 May.
