This post is part of a series spotlighting some of Athens' up-and-coming female musicians. 

Name: Emily Olson

Genre: R&B, with a little alternative mixed in.

About: Emily Olson discovered her voice in choir, but didn’t truly come out of her musical shell until she performed in a talent show hosted by Russell Hall, the UGA dorm she lived in during her freshman year. At the show, she met a group of guys who wanted to be in a band, and shortly afterwards, she became the lead singer of the aptly named RuHaa.

Olson says discovering her voice was the best thing that could have happened to her. She says music has given her much more confidence in herself, both as a singer and in her everyday life. 

“For me, everything is tied back to music,” Olson says. “It has made me more social, it’s made me have better interpersonal skills, it’s taught me so much about myself and other people.”

Being the only woman in the band and the last to join the group was a challenge for Olson. Though she says everyone is respectful of her, she says her experience could have been much different. Olson says there is a dark side to the music industry that frightens her, as many people seem to respond better when a male member reaches out to them. 

“There’s definitely a dark side out there, but it makes me want to fight harder to prove what women can and should be,” Olson says. “We are enough for everyone, and we should be able to be strong and independent and not have to depend on a man to get the opportunity we deserve.”

As for her own career, Olson wants to write music that she can call completely her own. She recently wrote an original song for RuHaa that she is excited to perform at upcoming shows. 

“For the first time, I’m making music that is 100 percent me,” Olson says. “My goal is to explore who I am and allow myself to look deeper into my mind and my heart.”