"She's destined for big things." - The Toronto Star 4/4 Review for "Never Just a Dream" Armed with the kind of voice that could melt you with her rendition of the yellow pages, it's a testament to her artistry that Emma-Lee chose not to rest on this strength alone, but instead put sincere focus on becoming a great songwriter. The foundation of Never Just A Dream is built on a collection of songs inspired by the sort of heartache that is universal to anyone who has lived a life worth living. Produced by Mitch Girio (Kirsten Jones, Lo and the Magnetics), the sound is at times swingin' jazz, at others dreamy 50's pop, with hints of folk and blues all delivered by a voice rich and sweet as a red velvet cupcake. Growing up listening to songwriting greats like Joni Mitchell and jazz legends such as Ella Fitzgerald, Emma-Lee's weakness still lay in the appreciation of a great pop melody. While penning Never Just a Dream she often listened to AM oldies radio, drawing on the power of disguising the complex with the kind of familiarity that warms you up like an episode of Leave it to Beaver on a snow day. Matters of the heart certainly run rampant on the album, most obvious of which is the epic "Flow". A girl sublets the apartment of her globe-trotting ex-boyfriend while she is left to live knee-deep in their memories. She relents; "My head will rest where yours belongs/Your sheets will hold me while your hands are gone/And sleep won't be easy/I'm crazy, I know/But I just flow." But not every tune on Never Just a Dream is a wistful school girl's diary entry. The Dusty Springfield tinged "An Older Man" shows that Emma-Lee is all grown up and simultaneously gives hope to over-the-hill fellas across the nation. The title track, complete with haunting male backing vocals and Lynchian sax solo suggests darker tones and hints at regret of mistakes gone-by. The cinematic closer "Until We Meet Again" is a wild-card flashing promise of an intriguing career that's only just beginning. In the fragile opening track, "Bruise Easy" she coos, "It's hard to love a girl wearing sorrow." If it sounds like she knows what she's singing about, she does. For the better part of two years Never Just A Dream was almost just that; a dream. Emma-Lee has endured a double shot of a young singer's worst nightmare; a lump on her thyroid in 2006 chased with a polyp on her vocal cords in 2007. The first surgery required half of her thyroid to be removed - the most significant risk? Vocal cord paralysis. Almost one year later to the day revealed a totally unrelated polyp on her vocal cords which would require another operation and put her near-completed album on hold yet again. Two successful surgeries later her voice healed fully and she sprinted into the studio with bells on, proving it would take a lot more than a scalpel to stop her. It's that kind of dedication and unwavering faith that sets Emma-Lee apart. Her skill, patience and incredible business savvy mark her as a rare artist of foresight and uncompromising vision. Now 25 years-old, Emma-Lee's music shows a confidence that would make even her most veteran contemporaries smile. She's been nominated for Best Female Artist & Best Jazz Artist at Toronto's Independent Music Awards, has placed in the Top-10 of Toronto's Mix 99.9 FM's Songwriting Contest, has had her songs used in four different films and has been entertaining audiences at some of Toronto's best venues (The Phoenix, Yonge-Dundas Square). After releasing two EPs, the birth of Never Just A Dream was a natural evolution. In early 2007 she secured the highly competitive Popular Music Recording Grant from the Ontario Arts Council, once again re-affirming her chosen path. Talent like Emma-Lee's must be heard to be believed. Her voice cuts through a crowd with such clarity that she's become known for silencing the most boisterous audience. Anxious to reach her growing international fan-base, Emma-Lee will be booking tours in 2008/2009 in support of Never Just a Dream.