“Looking For Amanda” is here… It’s a fact that Emma van Heyn might have gotten herself in a sticky situation, but this does not hinder her from turning something bizarre into a musical art project. Since the age of six, Emma has written and composed music, later shifting her focus on music production and sound design.
Bored and part-tormented during her year-long stay in a hotel room in Shanghai, she was approached by a fan, Moses Martinez from San Antonio to write a song with him. He sent her a guitar riff and a concept and so she took on this challenge in full stride. Drawing from a recent ordeal with a fifteen-year-old mega-stalker, van Heyn decided to write something from the troubled adolescent’s perspective.
Emma Van Heyn comments on “Looking For Amanda”
“Moses requested three things from me: To have a female name in the title; the landscape should be of the seaside; the narrative should be about a man that really wants to be with a woman, but her heart lies with someone else.”
Challenge accepted. The definition of Amanda: Worthy of being loved. Drawing inspiration from personal experience, Emma says with a smirk on her face, “Why not make the man a creepy predator?”
The creative process morphed into a true collaboration between artist and fans from far and wide. Through voice messages and virtual back and forth narratives, she wove an intricate web of storytelling through this Warhol-inspired musical art project. From the perspective of a stalker riddled with naïvety, pain, and lust, van Heyn’s track, “Looking for Amanda“, touches on the dire repercussions of sinful pursuits.
The creative process morphed into a true collaboration between artist and fans from far and wide. Through voice messages and virtual back and forth narratives, she wove an intricate web of storytelling through this Warhol-inspired musical art project. From the perspective of a stalker riddled with naïvety, pain, and lust, van Heyn’s track, “Looking For Amanda”, touches on the dire repercussions of sinful pursuits.
Check out the music video for “Looking For Amanda” below:
Something sparked in Emma’s career when she was invited as a guest performer at the KykNet Fiësta’s in 2020. She was nominated for Best Newcomer for her outstanding autobiographical one-woman show, ‘Met Slenterslag na Shanghai’. This show is based on her experience working as a residency musician in a brand new business development in Shanghai.
Watch this space for updates in the Music category on Running Wolf’s Rant.
