EMA Takes on Bullying in “Take One Two”

Erika M. Anderson, also known as EMA, is a singer/songwriter originally hailing from South Dakota. She began her musical career in 2006 as part of a Drone Folk band called Gowns, and marks her album debut with the recently released Past Life Martyred Saints. With her brassy vocals and fine tuned guitar plucking, EMA has garnered the praise of critics like Rolling Stone, Time Out New York, Village Voice, and was named one of NRP’s “Favorite New Artists of 2011”.

Anderson’s video for her single “Take One Two” recently debuted on Pitchfork. The video, shot by Anderson and featuring the artist herself, comes in the form of a compilation of footage she took in a trailer park during her teenage years. The video is visually interesting, but also meaningful, given it’s anti-bullying message. EMA said of the footage of she and friends being goofy in the mid ’90s, “This is especially remarkable as I know what was going on outside those plywood walls: getting called names, shoved into lockers, and threatening to get our asses kicked for being queer or punk or just plain weird. But despite all that, there is a joy, strength and self-acceptance in our faces that I find inspiring and wanted to pass on.” Taking the cause one step further still, EMA has pledged to donate the net proceeds from sales of “Take One Two” to the Jamie Isaacs Foundation for Anti-Bullying.

So, enjoy the soulful vibe of “Take One Two”, set to a snippet of life as a South Dakota teen facing opposition. As EMA said “This one’s for all the weirdos out there: cherish your friends, f–k the haters and let your freak flag fly.”