HYPERREAL is a seven-track EP that takes on weighty themes such as living up to others’ expectations and the foggy inability to determine what’s really real, all set to a lush soundtrack of dark-tinged synths, pulsating percussion, euphoric hooks and Emily Atkinson (aka Fourth Faughter)’s radiant vocals. It’s a collection of songs that encourage you to dive deep into your emotions and embrace the complexities of love and life, while at the same time providing an exhilarating, cathartic experience. Speaking about the EP, Atkinson explained: “HYPERREAL is an exaggerated, over-the-top version of reality, when you get in your own bubble and focus on one thing so much that you can’t make out what’s real and true outside of it.”
Growing up the youngest of four daughters, for Emily Atkinson, music was a way of escaping the boredom of her small-town-life in the Scottish countryside. Her obsession with music exploded while exploring her parents synth-heavy CD collection and soon enough she dove in head first, and emerged as a classically trained pianist inspired by the likes of Rufus Du Sol, Jamie XX, and Sylvan Esso to name a few. A first foray into artistry at the beginning of the pandemic pricked up the ears of the local industry in Scotland, with Fourth Daughter being named by BBC Radio’s Vic Galloway as one of his Artists To Watch in 2020, alongside press features in The Scotsman, Skinny Mag, The Weekender Mag, and being picked to join BBC Radio Scotland’s Introducing Program cohort.
Coming up in August, Fourth Daughter will be headlining a show at Sneaky’s in Edinburgh as part of the buzzing Central Belters Festival. Through it all, Emily is hopeful her music will connect people and help them forget about all the stupid stuff that doesn’t matter. You can check out the release below, and be sure to follow Fourth Daughter on Instagram and Twitter/X.