Emeline Easton Has Local Roots and Global Ambition

Born and raised on the East Side, Emeline Easton is a young singer-songwriter – 18-years-old to be exact – bringing the heart and soul of Rhode Island to the stage, proving with every performance that she’s a force to be reckoned with.

Even though she is still a teenager, Easton is professional and determined. “I love what I do, and it’s all about finding a balance. My age is an advantage,” she explains, believing that when she turns 20 there will be others who realize that her dream is their dream as well. She writes her music, directs her music videos and runs all of her social media. She is a multi-hyphenate, Renaissance performer and she’s several steps ahead of the game.

East Side Roots
Around the time of Easton’s birth, her mother, Sally, learned that her maternal family lineage traces back to Amos Barstow, the third mayor of Providence. He had owned a section of the East Side, naming a street after his wife, Emeline. At the time, the family was living on Emeline Street and thought the name unique and meaningful. Sally jokes that some friends made fun of her because she named her baby after a street, but now we know that’s only half of the story.

It Began On Stage and On the Radio
At nine-years-old Easton fell in love with performing when she was cast as Annie in her first musical at All Children's Theatre. It was then that she knew singing and performing were her passions. To up the ante, her first studio experience was at a college radio station that interviewed her for her starring role. For her, studio work is not something she finds daunting, stating professionally that her work is something she takes very seriously and always feels prepared for when stepping in to record. She says that everyone in the business has his or her fair share of intimidating studio experiences, but as you can see from her videos and live performances she is quite comfortable behind the microphone.

Work, Work, Work
When this young artist is not headed into Boston to work in the studio, she is going to The Met School here in Providence, leaving Moses Brown to pursue her passion. She’s receiving her associate’s degree online and performing at many local venues. She speaks highly of the school, saying they are very supportive and want her to succeed in creating a career around her passion. There, she has met many different artists to whom she credits her new and ever evolving sound. Specifically, hip-hop and jazz influences, which are showcased in her new work. Now recording under the name Emeline, she likes to joke that she is the “artist formerly known as Emeline Easton.” She’s looking forward to sharing her upcoming EP, but hasn’t decided on a name. She’s leaning toward 17, and is set to release early next year.

For Easton, Providence is a great place, adding that because it’s the Creative Capital, so many artists are able to come together and influence each other; it is “a different industry scene, not like LA.” While she was performing with her band, back in October, a few kids watching got up and started break dancing during her set. She got their information and they performed with her as break dancing elves in her “All I Want for Christmas is You” music video. “My favorite part is meeting people,” she says. “They are so interesting, professional and working so hard.” Providence definitely influenced her music, and as she has met more artists her music has developed into “a modern, cooler sound.”

In the fall, Easton will be performing in Trinity Rep’s production of Appropriate, a particularly exciting production for her because she can finally call herself an Equity Actor. This means she will be performing in fewer RI local theaters, but believes it will be better for her career in the long run. She has also preformed in and written pieces for the Wilbury Theater Group. Her work with Trinity Rep and the local RI theaters has taught her to “be in this business with grace.”

An Artist of the 21st Century
Easton has a respectable following on YouTube and Vine (over 34,000 followers), among others. She says that “the Internet has made the network for artists and consumers infinite. For me it’s a space to share my creations, which has led me to an organically grown fan base.” By producing covers of songs by artists like Rihanna, alongside her own original work and posting them, she is able to reach a wider audience. This mode of getting her name and material to the public is quick and effective. By using modern platforms to her advantage her material is catching like wildfire. The Internet and social media, she says, “has completely transformed the industry, as people can now easily access, share and discover music on their own.”

Even though she is young and still honing her craft, she is gaining skills, experience and knowledge that are launching her into the next stages of her career. Easton is embodying the vibe of the East Side as well as modern culture, and is right at home with the current generation of young, social media savvy artists. This talented, hardworking, driven, young woman is surely one to watch.