Photos by Dolliana
Interview by Jacob Tolédo
In the words of the pop diva herself, Emily Tressa is a “small town girl who moved to NYC to have a doll takeover, one club at a time”. She’s made waves in the NYC club scene as a socialite, and is equally celebrated as a trailblazer in the trans community. Emily has always known who she is. Now a rising star in the pop scene, Emily has got us in the mood (to shake some ass).
MOODY’s love-affair with Emily began when she performed at The Garden Of Moody release party, and we’ve been hooked ever since. From the stage to the screen we present to you, the star herself: Emily Tressa.
ET: I’ve always loved singing and performing. I did choir all throughout middle and high school and started making music when I was 17. When I listen to those songs now, I cringe, but that's just part of the journey. I’ve really found the sound that works for me now and I want to keep experimenting and challenging myself musically. I feel very blessed that I found an outlet to express myself. When I’m on stage, it feels like it’s just me and the music.
JT: Does your transhood influence your music in any way?
ET: Being transgender and feeling different my whole childhood, music has always been an escape for me. Lady Gaga and Madonna helped me gain the confidence to transition. They helped me realize that I shouldn’t care what people think about me; what life is worth living without being my true self?
JT: Your recent accident put things on hold for a bit. Despite such a horrible recovery process was there anything positive that came of it? A lesson learned? etc.
ET: I learned a lot from the experience. I’ve never had to pause and really evaluate my life like I did after that accident. Breaking my pelvis in a car accident was completely unexpected, and it really showed me how quickly life can change. I realized I needed to make my mental and physical health my top priority, and my perspective on life has shifted for the better.
Going through it made me realize how loved I am. At one point, I lost everything I knew and felt scared and frustrated, but it also gave me a newfound appreciation for every step I take and every breath I get to live. I still find myself amazed thinking about how I couldn’t do simple things at one point, and now I can. When I was in the hospital, it finally hit me that this was going to be a long and hard process, and I asked myself: am I going to sit here feeling sorry for myself, or am I going to come out of this and say I did it? And I did it.
Being home in New Hampshire with my family was really healing. The accident was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through, but being transgender and having faced challenges my whole life helped me handle it. I also channeled a lot of my experience into music, which became a huge creative outlet and source of strength.
ET: I would describe this part of my life as a completely new beginning. Now that I’m back in NYC there is literally nothing stopping me. This part of my life is about living with intention, and putting out my favorite music I’ve ever made. I can’t wait for people to see what I have in store because I’m really proud of it.
JT: You’re finally back in NYC! How was the Emily Tressa birthday bash? How did it feel to have so much love just waiting for your return?
ET: It was really full circle for me because I got to celebrate more than just my birthday. I got to reclaim the stage on my own terms and celebrate the hard work I put in to be on stage again. I’m so happy I could make my comeback. I was surrounded by love and it’s the best birthday I could ever ask for.
JT: What’s next for you in the near future?
ET: I’m really excited to put out my next single called “U LIKE IT OR LOVE IT?”. I hope you LOVE IT. Following that I’ll be releasing my debut EP. The rest of the project might surprise you. I love making fun dance music, but some of the other tracks are more personal to me and I want to share more of my vulnerable side. You can expect some crazy vocals.
I’ll of course be doing more performances and I actually just got booked for my biggest show yet. I feel the most confident in myself ever. I’m gonna be doing a show in Boston, taking over the scene I grew up with before moving to New York.
JT: What gets you in the mood?
ET: A world where the dolls are protected.