Jan 28, 2026 · 1 hr 40 min · 18 segments
John is joined by English musician, songwriter, producer and DJ Emma-Jean Thackray to talk about how she wrote, recorded and produced the album Weirdo. Emma-Jean Thackray is a musical polymath whose…
Emma-Jean ThackrayGuest
John KennedyHost
Hello, I'm John Kennedy, and joining me for this episode of Tape Notes is Emma-Jean Thackray to talk about how she wrote, recorded and produced the album Weirdo.
Emma-Jean began learning the cornet and playing in brass bands growing up in West Yorkshire.
A musical polymath, her early passion led her to study jazz performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, followed by a master's in orchestral jazz composition at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London.
Like all her later releases, they were entirely written, performed, recorded and produced by Emma Jean herself.
Weirdo, Emma Jean's second album, followed in 2025, winning rave reviews and a Mercury Prize nomination.
The title Weirdo references her neurodivergence and ultimately evolved into a grief diary after the passing of her partner.
And what better way to start than by hearing something from the album? This is the title track, Weirdo.
And I guess, you know, today we've come to Studio One in the strong rooms and you've brought a laptop.
Hello, I'm John Kennedy, and joining me for this episode of Tape Notes is Emma-Jean Thackray to talk about how she wrote, recorded and produced the album Weirdo.
Emma-Jean began learning the cornet and playing in brass bands growing up in West Yorkshire.
A musical polymath, her early passion led her to study jazz performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, followed by a master's in orchestral jazz composition at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London.
Like all her later releases, they were entirely written, performed, recorded and produced by Emma Jean herself.
Weirdo, Emma Jean's second album, followed in 2025, winning rave reviews and a Mercury Prize nomination.
The title Weirdo references her neurodivergence and ultimately evolved into a grief diary after the passing of her partner.
And what better way to start than by hearing something from the album? This is the title track, Weirdo.
And I guess, you know, today we've come to Studio One in the strong rooms and you've brought a laptop.
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