Emma van Heyn’s new single is called Looking for Amanda. Picture: Allister Christie
Rondebosch artist Emma van Heyn has released a new single and music video.
Emma has written and composed music since the age of six, later shifting her focus to music production and sound design.
Bored and part-tormented during her year-long stay in a hotel room in Shanghai, she was approached by a fan, Moses Martinez from San Antonio, to write a song with him.
He sent her a guitar riff and a concept and so she took on this challenge in full stride.
Drawing from a recent ordeal with a 15-year-old mega-stalker, Van Heyn decided to write something from the troubled adolescent’s perspective.
“Moses requested three things from me: To have a female name in the title; the landscape should be of the seaside; the narrative should be about a man that really wants to be with a woman, but her heart lies with someone else,” says Emma about the new track called Looking for Amanda.
The creative process morphed into a collaboration between artist and fans from far and wide.
Through voice messages and virtual back and forth narratives, she wove an intricate web of storytelling through this Warhol-inspired musical art project.
Her music video, co-directed with Allister Christie, stars Van Heyn and Christopher Sherwood-Adcock.
The music video can be viewed on YouTube and the song can be downloaded from music platforms.
Something sparked in Emma’s career when she was invited as a guest performer at the KykNet Fiësta’s in 2020. She was nominated for Best Newcomer for her autobiographical one-woman show, Met Slenterslag na Shanghai. This show is based on her experience working as a residency musician in a brand new business development in Shanghai.
Met Slenterslag na Shanghai will be performed at Die Boer in Durbanville on Wednesday November 3, at 8pm. Tickets cost R150. Book at www.dieboer.com