Emma Gillespie was born in Edinburgh and grew up in Dumfries where she attended St Joseph's College. She lived with her mother Sharon and stepfather. Gillespie was in the Andaman Islands in India at the time of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. She then went on to travel in Australia, New Zealand and Thailand, with many of her ideas for music originating while travelling. Gillespie took up playing guitar when aged 16. Before coming to public attention, she spent time busking on the streets of Glasgow, to which she had moved a year before her breakthrough. She also spent time honing her skills performing in New York. Gillespie released her debut single, "Stamp Your Feet", in September 2009, on independent label Up Next Records, based in Glasgow.
Music career
2010–11: Must Be the Music
Emma's Imagination entered Must Be the Music, broadcast on Sky1 and Sky 1 HD. In the initial televised audition phase, as well as the three semi-finals and final, contestants sang in front of the judges, Jamie Cullum, Dizzee Rascal, and Sharleen Spiteri. The auditions took place in early August 2010 with musicians allowed to play their own compositions. The live finals were held at Wembley Arena with a live audience behind the judges. During the finals, the public voted for their favourite act, which was Emma's Imagination. After appearing on the show, her first single, "This Day", was released for sale by download and debuted at number 10 on the United Kingdom Singles Chart and number 2 on the Indie Chart. The single also charted on the Irish Singles Chart, where it reached number 9 and on the Scottish Singles Chart, where it debuted at number 7. Emma's Imagination won the final on Sunday 19 September 2010, and received a prize of £100,000.
2011: ''Stand Still''
Following victory on the show, Emma's Imagination's second single, Focus, debuted in the United Kingdom at number 7, her second British Top 10 placing. The single also debuted at number 1 on the Indie Chart, number 8 in Ireland and number 5 in Scotland. Her debut albumStand Still was released in January 2011 and peaked at #14 in the UK charts. In 2012, Gary Barlow announced that he was closing his record label.
2013-present: Independent career
In 2013, Emma's Imagination released independently a 6-song EP, Underway, produced by Youth. This would be Emma's last release under the name Emma's Imagination, and she has used her birth name for subsequent releases. Gillespie released her second full-length album, Pier Siamese, in April 2016.
