Meet Emily, Social Media and Content Manager at Rough Trade’s head office in London, and the face behind the brand’s social presence. As part of our Women of Rough Trade mini-series, Emily explains how RT is encouraging a positive in-store experience for women, and reveals the female artists she can’t get enough of…
Tell us about your role at Rough Trade; what does your typical day look like?
I’m Social Media and Content Manager for Rough Trade and no day is the same, which is a lovely thing. I look after all of our global social channels and also manage and coordinate our content, so things like our Rough Trade Radio podcast, Spotify playlists, live video etc. It’s pretty much my dream job and I feel incredibly lucky to do what I do for a living.
If you could have any band or artist play in store, who would you choose?
I am a huge War on Drugs fan, so I can’t really give any other answer.
How is Rough Trade encouraging more women into its stores?
We’re passionate about shouting about female musicians and have some incredible line-ups at our in-store events throughout the year. We support all sorts of records, books and projects – recently we held an amazing Q&A event for Sam Knee’s ‘Untypical Girls: A Visual Survey of Women in Independent Rock’. And of course, as you’re finding out now, we have some brilliant and passionate women working across the Rough Trade brand. It’s something that is very much already in place, but I’d love to see more women applying for jobs and working in our shops. Rough Trade is a great place to work and a great place to shop and we welcome anyone and everyone, always.
What’s your favourite thing about the music scene in London?
Just the variety and diversity of what’s on offer. Also the history of some of the venues we have is just awesome. And that excited feeling you get when you accidentally catch a touring band in your local pub, that you could have just witnessed a super-intimate set in the early days of a successful career. Discovery, really.
If you went to live on a desert island, which 3 records would you pack?
Ryan Adams – Prisoner
Literally anything by The War on Drugs
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – B.R.M.C or Courtney Barnett’s Sometimes I Sit and think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
Which female musicians are you loving most right now?
There’s a playlist I created for Rough Trade on Spotify called ‘GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS’ and I gotta say I’m a fan of each and every one of the bands in there. It’s a completely badass playlist and I encourage anyone listening to turn it up loud and proud. Amyl and the Sniffers in particular is a favourite of mine.
What are your tips for 2018? Any new artists we should know about?
I’m really loving the bands Lucky Number Music are working with right now – in particular look out for Dream Wife’s debut, Sunflower Bean’s sophomore outing and Hinds are releasing a second record later this year. I also have to shout about The Shacks. They came to visit us at Rough Trade recently and they’re so great, Shannon the lead singer, has an incredibly beautiful voice.
Find out how Rough Trade is celebrating Record Store Day ’18 here.
