Emily Burns steps confidently into a new era of creative control this week with the launch of her new single, ‘Woodwork’ – a move that marks a fresh chapter for the London-based alt-pop artist.
Serving as Burns first fully independent release, the track marks a defining moment in the ‘Is It Just Me?’ singers next phase. Driven by punchy drums, glossy synth lines and flashes of electric guitar, ‘Woodwork’ lands with a sharp, yet understated sense of defiance.
At its core, the track plays out as a cathartic response to opportunism – the all-too-familiar moment when people resurface just as fortunes begin to shift. Burns leans into that frustration with a cool, self-assured edge, transforming it into a bold pop statement. Equal parts playful and cutting, the song delivers its message with a knowing smirk: a slick, tongue-in-cheek middle finger to those who only come calling when the spotlight returns.
Commenting on the all too familiar human behaviour that inspired the single, Emily says: “There’s a certain irony in how people crawl out of the woodwork when life starts moving in the right direction. I wrote it after realising I was depending on someone who couldn’t show up consistently. It feels playful on the surface, but underneath it’s actually quite sad… it’s about recognising patterns and finally deciding not to ignore them anymore.”
Watch the official music video – directed by Jacob Attwooll – for ‘Woodwork’ below:
Widely praised for her instinctive knack for crafting honest, emotionally raw indie-pop, Emily Burns has built a catalogue rooted in unfiltered storytelling. Her songs are laced with diaristic lyrics, heartfelt melodies and earworm choruses, each one unfolding like a page torn from a personal journal.
It’s this candid approach that places the human experience firmly at the centre of her music – capturing the small, messy and deeply relatable moments of everyday life, from quiet self-doubt to sudden bursts of clarity. The result is a body of work that feels both intimate and universal, inviting listeners to find pieces of their own story within her songs.
Born in Scotland and raised in Rugby, Emily Burns began writing songs at a young age before relocating to London at 18 to pursue music full time. Early releases quickly found an audience, led by the breakout single ‘Is It Just Me?’, which has since amassed more than 150 million streams.
Her debut album ‘Die Happy’ further cemented her status as one of the UK’s most distinctive emerging pop voices, drawing sustained streaming momentum and strong online support. Since then, Burns has continued to steadily grow her fanbase, now reaching more than 340,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
After years releasing music through record labels, including major partnerships, Emily made the decision to step into 2026 as a fully independent artist, with a renewed sense of clarity and control.
‘Woodwork’ is available to download / stream here
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