EMILY BARKER
Born and raised in sleepy Bridgetown, WA, Emily Barker is an award-winning singer-songwriter, best known as the writer and performer of the theme to the BBC’s hugely successful crime drama Wallander starring Kenneth Branagh. She has released music as a solo artist as well as with various bands and collaborations including The Red Clay Halo, Vena Portae, Marry Waterson and Applewood Road (with whom she released a remarkable album of original songs recorded live around a single microphone, dubbed “flawless” by The Sunday Times) and has written for film, including composing the soundtrack for Jake Gavin’s lauded debut feature Hector starring Peter Mullan and Keith Allen.
Together with husband, Lukas Drinkwater, a producer, multi-instrumentalist and session musician, the pair recorded an entire album whilst in quarantine in a Perth hotel back in October 2021.
With a guitar, folding bass, keyboard and recording gear at the ready, Emily & Lukas set about turning their hotel room into a fully functioning recording studio, producing an album full of tender, beautiful recordings, featuring some of Emily’s favourite Australian songs.
Released in January 2022, Room 822 sees the dynamic duo covering songs from the likes of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Push The Sky Away), Deborah Conway (Will You Miss Me When You’re Sober), You Am I (Mr Milk), Kasey Chambers (The Captain), The Church (Under The Milky Way), The Waifs (London Still) and many more…including Emily’s take on Paul Kelly’s powerful, Sleep, Australia, Sleep - the first single to be lifted off the album.
RELEASES
ROOM 822 (2022)
(COOKING VINYL AUSTRALIA)
A DARK MURMURATION OF WORDS (2020)
(COOKING VINYL AUSTRALIA)