Born on a small farm south of Boston to a musical instrument-collecting father and accordion-playing mother, Emilia was destined for a life of music. She started piano, formally, at the age of five and trained
classically for the next thirteen years. It was Christmas day, 1996, when Emilia decided she wanted to play the guitar. She went up to the attic,
pulled out a warped and worn guitar, that once belonged to her great grandfather, and started to play. She never stopped.
After a brief, post-graduate stint in San Francisco, she moved to Portland, Maine to attend a grad program in documentary photography and supported herself by singing in the streets of the Old Port. Here, she fostered her love of storytelling both visually and audibly. Upon graduation, in the midst of a full fledged love affair with Maine, Emilia settled into the Portland community and started building a career as a full-time singer/songwriter.
Now, wielding a voice that defies the size of her body and strong storytelling sensibilities, Emilia Dahlin has carved out her name as a unique songstress. She weaves mesmerizing tales (complete with Greek myths, robotic messiahs, epic floods, and tax evaders) with raw, rootsy folk and dynamic jazz vocals. Her well-crafted songs sound as if they've been left outside where time and weather have worn cracks for the wind to whip through. Her sky-rocketing energy is delivered with honesty. She's a “self-made original” and the quintessential indie musician, wearing the hat of artist, manager, booking agent, and publicist at once.
Emilia still resides in Portland, Maine where she was voted "Best Singer/Songwriter of 2006" and "Best Female Vocalist of 2005/2006". Her highlight of 2005 was being selected as a finalist in the NEMO Songwriting Competition out of the 1,800 submissions. Her highlight of 2006 was being namesd a finalist in the Telluride Bluegrass Festival's Troubadour Competition. Emilia has also showcased at NEMO (2005), at the National Association for Campus Activities regional conferences in Boston and Cedar Rapids, and at NXNE 2006 in Toronto.
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