EmiSunshine is a Ray of Ragged Dreams

EmiSunshine is a ray of ragged dreams with her recent release of her album, 'Ragged Dreams'. EmiSunshine discusses the story behind 'Ninety Miles', musical hero, and memories!

Ragged Dreams is an amazing work of artistry, what is your favorite song on the album and why? I have a lot of favorites on the album; I do like "Danny Ray" because I love the way it turned out. I had sung it differently before we cut it in the studio and the way I performed it before was fun, but didn't translate to the recording. So, I took a different approach in the studio and found a brand new love for the song.

Tell us where you get your ideas for songs. I get song ideals EVERYWHERE--from real life and my imagination. What I see and hear about plays a huge part in what I write. I'm and eavesdroper; what I hear comes out years later in something I write.

We understand "Ninety Miles" is very personal to you. Can you tell us the inspiration behind the song; why it was important for you to write and what you hope listeners will take away from the story line? Writing "Ninety Miles" was very important to me. I wrote it about my friend, Will, who has autism. I watched the way others treated him. It floored me how he was so misunderstood. I wrote it to try to give him, and others like him, a voice. Autism robs from those who suffer and they have no way to express that. I wrote the song with the hope to help the listener realize the impact autism has on people--the people who suffer with the condition and the people around them (family, friends, or passersby). I think most people are afraid of what they don't know. Knowing how autism makes them feel might just change the fear to understanding.

If you could share the stage with one of your musical heroes who would it be and what song would you sing? Miss Dolly Parton! I really would just love to know how she would react to meeting me and singing with me. I feel we could be friends; plus, we're both from the same area (in Tennessee) that shaped our sound and our careers. Practically neighbors!

Random Fun Question! What is your favorite television show? (Why and who's your favorite character?)I'm a huge scary movie fan; so, "The Walking Dead" is a favorite. I just love Daryl's character.

How did you and your team come up with the Title of the Album "Ragged Dreams"? I wrote the title track and as we were recording, it just spilled out like, 'Hey, here I am!' I just couldn't shake it. It screamed, "I'm your title track!" …and there it was…RAGGED DREAMS.

Please share a story about a fun, memorable fan moment. I will never forget when a little girl came to meet me after a show and she had a stuffed turtle that she was holding really tight. She looked at me and said, "Well, here you are with your make-up and glitter and hair all fixed...singing and playing that guitar. ...and here I am with just this stuffed turtle." She was very serious! I wanted to just take by the hand and run off to play. I was eight or nine and she was maybe about six. She made me see how others see me.

8. We understand you have some farm animals. What are they and tell us about their names and "personalities!"

I do have a few farm animals at home. I have several pot belly pigs! "Pig Pig" is a seven-year-old baby that still comes inside the house for lovin's. I have five more pigs that are all mischievous: "Bobbie Gentry" and "Billy Joe McCalister," the piglets, "Julie Miller," the mother of the family, and "Scarlet" and "Opal" - the Christmas pigs - they are all funny and sweet. I have five turkeys: "Mr. Turk," the oldest, and four new white ones: "Mr. Jefferson" (the disco king), "Reba" (the only female), "Merle" and "Steven." All the turkeys are real mean except for "Reba." (None of them are mean to me of course!) I have a huge rooster named "Hank," who prefers to be alone; lots of new chicks (yet to be named); "Fancy" and "Fred" are the dressed-up chickens. We have two peacocks, "George" and "Tammy;" a tabby cat named "Sammy," who brings me mice (ewe); two singing parakeets, "Johnny" and "June," my hedgehog "Loretta," and a hamster named "Edwina." I think that's all of the animal family...Whew!