Believe it or not, before Emily Grove became the vocal powerhouse she is today, she struggled to find her voice. After experiencing bullying as a child, Grove became increasingly withdrawn, describing herself as a once-outgoing kid who suddenly grew quiet.

“I was bullied to the point where I started to lose my voice. I just kind of became a little quiet kid out of nowhere,” Grove recalled. Looking for a way to regain her confidence, Grove began taking voice lessons. What started as an opportunity to reconnect with herself and find an outlet for her love of music quickly became something much bigger.

“I started taking voice lessons just because I loved music so much. I was like, ‘Well, maybe I’ll have fun with this,’” she said. “By the end of it, I just ended up loving it so much. People were like, ‘Oh, I think you’re really cool. I think you sound really good.’ All of a sudden, I just started doing it for my life, so I never really looked back. It just saved my whole life.”

But Grove’s love for music began long before she ever stepped into a voice lesson. Growing up, music was a family affair. Her parents encouraged an open appreciation for different genres, making the dinner table a place where everyone’s musical tastes could be heard.

“When I was at the dinner table growing up, my parents were always so open to our music. They would put on their music, and we would put on our music,” Grove explained. “You could hear Beethoven, and then you’d hear Hanson, and then you’d hear jazz. We kind of had everything going on in the house.”

That early exposure to an eclectic mix of music still influences Grove today. Recently, she released her debut EP, Fables, a project that brings together her diverse musical inspirations and showcases her captivating vocals and vivid lyricism. The EP’s title itself carries a deeper meaning, playing with the line between fact and fiction.

“I like to call it fact or fable, even though it’s called Fables,” Grove explained. “I like to think, what’s a tale and what’s the truth? It’s kind of like fact or fiction. When we’re all growing up, I remember watching that show where it was like, ‘Is this story real or is it fiction?’ So that’s kind of the whole concept behind this one. Is it real? Is it not real? Or is it kind of real?”

While Fables plays with the boundaries between fact and fiction, Grove leaves much of that interpretation up to the listener. The stories behind the songs aren’t always as straightforward as they might seem, with some rooted in personal experiences and others born from imagination, different moods, and creative experimentation.

For instance, “Diana” has a rather literal inspiration: Grove’s late cat, whose favorite pastimes consisted of eating and sleeping. But one of her favorite tracks, “Josephine,” tells the story of someone who disappears without explanation, only to return expecting everything to pick up right where it left off. The song explores the complicated dynamic of someone asking to be welcomed back without ever addressing why they left in the first place.

The storytelling woven throughout Fables is just one part of what makes Grove’s music so distinctive. Like many artists, her own sound has been shaped by the musicians she grew up listening to and those she continues to admire today. But for Grove, she takes the love for the artists that shaped her life one step further as a tribute artist.

While Fables showcases Grove’s abilities as a songwriter and storyteller, her music appreciation extends far beyond her own original work. A longtime admirer of legendary musicians, Grove also celebrates the artists who have shaped her musical journey through two tribute projects. She hosts Emily Grove’s Joni Jam, dedicated to the music of Joni Mitchell, and performs with Fairies Wear Boots, a Black Sabbath tribute group.

The latter came together almost as unexpectedly as it did quickly. While Grove was preparing to record Fables, she received a message from bandmates Brent Övar Bergholm and Stephen H. Christ asking if she would be interested in fronting a Black Sabbath tribute band. Without hesitation, she was on board.

“I was in bed getting ready for recording the next day, and Brent and Steve were like, ‘Hey, do you want to front this tribute band? We’re thinking about doing a Black Sabbath tribute,’” Grove recalled. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s go. Sick.’”

Within hours, the group had secured a gig and was already making plans to take the stage. For Grove and her bandmates, Fairies Wear Boots has become more than just a tribute act; It’s a celebration of the music and legacy of a band they deeply admire. “We call it like a love letter to everybody, from fans to fans, and we just love it,” she said. “Anytime we get to celebrate him and the life of the band, it’s a good day.

Grove will share the rest of her fables at the upcoming RiverJAM Songs & Stories event on November 4. She will be sharing songs new and old, and, if the stars align, maybe even a new song. With each song comes a story, and Grove is looking forward to sharing a few chapters of her own.

Photo courtesy of Emily Grove | Interviewed on October 12, 2026