Meeting Emilie Cunliffe at our record store shoot in the heart of Manchester, it’s impossible not to wonder whether the singer-songwriter was born in the wrong decade.
The 25-year-old looks as though she’s walked straight in from the music scene of 70s LA, channelling the carefree aesthetic of Stevie Nicks. When we ask which record she’d like to play to set the mood of our shoot, she surprises us further by opting for Patsy Cline’s 1961 country-pop hit, I Fall To Pieces.
Emilie credits her upbringing for opening her eyes to the depth and breadth of the music industry. At the moment, she may be recognisable as the daughter of singer, actress and presenter Kym Marsh, but it’s clear when we catch up with her that she hopes her own debut album Stories will catapult her out of her mum’s shadow and earn her kudos as an artist in her own right.
“Some people are always going to say I’m only in the position I’m in because of who my mum is. They’ll have their opinions and I can’t change that, but I’d tell them to come and hear me sing or watch me perform and then make up their minds.
“If I couldn’t sing or act and I just wanted to be famous, then fair enough, but I can do those things. Sometimes those skills are in your genes – my mum is an amazing performer – but I am my own person. I’ve worked really hard to get where I am. That’s one of the things I’ve learnt from my mum – nothing comes easy. You have to continually work hard.”
Emilie admits, however, that it was Kym, 46, who encouraged her to take the ultimate leap into the music industry after she’d suffered a confidence knock when becoming a mother herself in 2019 at the age of 21.
“I’d taken a break from music for a little while to have my little boy Teddy and then Covid hit,” she says. “But Mum knew I’d never given up my passion.”
It was then that Kym introduced her daughter – whose father is Kym’s ex-partner David Cunliffe – to a handful of producers, who were amazed with the potential of Emilie’s vocals.
“Straightaway they said, ‘We need to do this’,” she recalls. “And I thought, if I don’t do it now, when will I? I thought, even if it doesn’t get me anywhere, at least I’ll know that I tried. Fast-forward, they flew me over to Nashville to record my music and it’s been all go ever since.”
Despite Stories having been made stateside, Emilie insists her vocals are far from those of country musicians.
“With it having been recorded in Nashville, everyone always thinks it’ll
be country music, but it’s not. There are some songs that
do have that nostalgic country sound in them, but I’d definitely say my music is a blend of a few genres.”
Emilie – who cites the likes of Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston and Michael Bublé as some of her favourite artists – adds, “It’s soulful, it’s bluesy, a little bit like Norah Jones, but also completely different to anything else that’s out there. A couple of songs have a bit of a Muscle Shoals vibe [the famous Alabama recording studio]. There’s something on the album for everyone, no matter your taste.”
Emilie – whose accountant fiancé Mikey Hoszowskyj is the father of Teddy, four – is stepmother to his daughter Polly, seven, and credits the children with inspiring several tracks on her album.
“My favourite song is called Little Boy, Little Girl, which is about them,” she says. “I really want to emphasise to my son that, if you really want to do something, don’t let anything stop you. Having children really does give you that extra fire in your belly to achieve your biggest ambitions because you’re no longer just trying for yourself, you’re trying for them too.”
The last year has seen Emilie embark on her first on-stage venture as part of the Greatest Days tour, in which she is performing alongside Kym.
“It’s been incredible,” she says, smiling. “My mum and I have always loved singing together at home, but to be able to do it in front of hundreds of people every night is just another level.
“Before the first show, Mikey was like, ‘Are you going to read the reviews?’, and I said, ‘I’ll read the first one and if I don’t like it, I won’t read the rest.’ Luckily it was a good one. And it’s been so amazing meeting some of the fans after the show. People wait near the stage door for you to come out and they’ve got pictures for you to sign – it’s really surreal.”
Emilie trained with Carol Godby’s Theatre Workshop in Bury from a young age, before appearing on Britain’s Got Talent and The Voice in her teenage years. And although she’s only now catching her ‘big break’, she says observing her former Coronation Street star mother living her life in the public eye has made her wary of fame and its dark side.
“I do feel quite prepared for the things ahead,” she says. “Seeing my mum receive criticism always made me aware of the risks, but I’ve seen her come through it and I know I’ll be able to do the same.”
As well as offering advice on the realities of stardom, Emilie says Kym – who plays the older version of her character Rachel in the Take That musical – is on hand to reassure her during her moments of doubt, especially after long days of rehearsals.
“It helps that I’ve got a piece of my family with me when I’m working away from home so much,” she says. “I do struggle being away from my kids. My son is only four, so he doesn’t understand where Mummy has gone most nights. He’s seen the show, so he knows I’m in it – although, he did fall asleep in Act II – but he doesn’t understand how a tour works, so it can be heartbreaking. But having my mum there reassures me that I’m doing the right thing.”
Another person fighting Emilie’s corner when it comes to self-doubt is Mikey. The pair met in November 2017 at the beauty salon in which Emilie used to work, with her general manager being the mum of Mikey’s friend.
“Things didn’t happen between us straightaway,” she says. “But we were both at an event at Rosso restaurant in Manchester and we got steak and beer afterwards. It just took off from there.”
Emilie says that Mikey encourages her passion for music. “I couldn’t have done any of this without him,” she says. “He’s doing his job as a dad and my job as a mum at the same time because I can’t always be there. He does the school run, the pick-ups, Polly’s hair, dinner time. I think he does enjoy it – and he gets equal enjoyment out of the fact that I’m succeeding in things I’ve worked so hard for. He’s the best dad ever. Seeing how the kids are with him absolutely melts my heart.”
The pair announced their engagement in November 2021 and have finally set a date for their long-awaited nuptials, with Emilie exclusively revealing that they’ll say ‘I do’ in a ceremony in Knutsford, Cheshire, this coming August.
“I can’t say too much about where we’re doing it,” she teases. “It’s coming around so fast though. Mikey has been our official event planner, which I didn’t expect. People usually joke that the men just turn up, but he’s taken charge of absolutely everything.
“I can’t give anything away about my dress either, sorry!” Emilie says, laughing. “I’m trying really hard to keep it a secret from Mikey, but he’ll want to read this interview, so my lips are sealed. All I can say is that it’s a really gorgeous gown and I’m so excited to finally wear it.”
Emilie also says that Polly and Teddy will be dressed to impress on the big day. “They’re going to look so cute in their little dress and suit –
I bet they have everyone crying,” she adds.
Asked if she could see Kym’s band Hear’Say getting back together for one night only to provide entertainment for the evening, she smiles, “Can you imagine? That would be amazing. But no, sadly there are no plans for that. I was only three when my mum joined that band, can you believe that? They’ve got some really catchy songs!”
When it comes to whether or not she could see her own kids following in the family’s musical footsteps, Emilie appears bursting with pride.
“Teddy can actually hold a tune. It’s really funny to see. My parents always told me I could do whatever I want in life, so I’ll be saying the same thing to him when the time comes.”
