Emma Johnson

I’m Emma Johnson, a multi instrumentalist, composer and arranger based in Leeds. My varied career is guided by a love of melody and I move seamlessly between playing live in my own projects, working as a session musician, composing and arranging to help songs shine both live and in the studio.

As a composer, I aim to conjure imagery for the listener, with a cinematic jazz voice in my own quintet Emma Johnson’s Gravy Boat and the darker moods of Night Porter with Nishla Smith. I’m currently developing a portfolio of music for film and tv, which is centred around the piano.

My arranging approach creates soundscapes for horns and strings that complement and weave around a song, refreshing things while remaining supportive. I love collaborating and bringing out the personality of each project and have recently worked with artists such as Easy Life, Ubunye and Reverend and the Makers.