Emily — “I feel I got a lot more connections very suddenly.”
Emily received support through Help Musicians’ Electronic Music Award in association with DJ Mag.
Echo Juliet, aka Emily Jones, makes what she describes as “dreamy electronica, influenced by deep house, classical music, broken beat and UK garage.”
Emily’s music career took off with her first track featuring on a compilation in 2021, which is now being re-released. “It completely blew me away,” she says, describing the surreal moment her track was played on BBC 6 Music on its release day. Her debut full EP followed in autumn 2023 and received significant support from BBC 6 Music, NTS, Worldwide FM, and Soho Radio.
Emily first applied to Help Musicians at the end of 2023, beginning with the Co-Pilot mentoring programme, which ran into 2024. She had also previously applied, unsuccessfully, for Record and Release funding.
The Co-Pilot mentoring programme provided Emily with “a huge amount of knowledge” and a lasting connection with a mentor who remains a source of support. She now has the confidence and experience to do the same for others. Passionate about fostering inclusivity, Emily now teaches a beginners Ableton course through Saffron and mentors aspiring producers, especially women, saying she aims to “uplift women in music wherever I can.” Emily runs Future Proof for Rhythm Section — a project designed to support underrepresented artists in electronic music with masterclasses and mentoring.
Something I hadn’t expected is the connections made at in-person events. I wasn’t expecting that – the opportunities to get to know others – other artists that got the award through networking opportunities. I feel I suddenly got a lot more connections very suddenly. As someone based in Birmingham, that’s really helped.
In 2024, after making a successful application, Emily went on to receive support through Help Musicians’ Electronic Music Award. The award brought with it not only essential financial relief – “the weight that’s lifted from just knowing that’s in place is amazing” – but also industry credibility, particularly through its association with DJ Mag.
As part of the award, she found the in-person networking event transformative, creating meaningful connections quickly, saying “as someone who lives in Birmingham, that stuff’s hard to come by.” With fewer opportunities locally in her genre, the chance to meet other artists and industry professionals has been “amazing” and deeply encouraging.
She emphasises how broad and inclusive the Electronic Music Award really is, encouraging others not to self-reject based on genre assumptions. “I almost didn’t apply because I was like, my music’s not electronic enough,” she shares, but her mentor from the Co-Pilot programme encouraged her to go for it – and he was right.
Emily was surprised by the wide range of artists and styles represented, describing the award as “open” and “broad,” and encourages anyone “vaguely in the right area” to apply. The experience, Emily adds, has been “way more than I expected,” with support that’s both “amazing and relevant.” The whole process has also taught Emily to focus on her releases with “excitement rather than fear.”
In addition to the Co-Pilot mentoring and Electronic Music Award, Emily also accessed support through our Health & Welfare programme, via BAPAM who helped arrange a physiotherapy consultation. The session addressed a long-standing issue dating back to her student days, which previous NHS treatment hadn’t resolved. “It was actually quite a massive relief,” Emily says, realising she no longer had to simply “cope with it.”
Beyond the financial relief, Emily found the overall experience of receiving our support “brilliant”, highlighting the ongoing engagement and learning opportunities: “Help Musicians’ support provides so many additional things beyond the money. The regular Pathways and advice sessions have made me feel like I’m continually learning and developing. I’ll definitely miss them when they are over!”