Emily Yates spent the first part of her adult life as an Army public affairs minion, writing heartwarming news stories about the Iraq War to help build fellow soldiers’ morale, and destroy her own. Shortly after her release from the military in 2008, she moved to Oakland, CA, where she learned to play the ukulele and decided to merge her dual passions for writing and music. Quickly realizing that this would be the best way to get her many opinions out to the world, she set to work writing dozens of ditties and playing them for unsuspecting strangers, who luckily were delighted. In 2012 she recorded her first album, I’ve Got Your Folk Songs Right Here, a fun romp through myriad ideas ranging from human decency to sexual expression to foreign policy. She released her second album, Folk In Your Face, in May 2014, and now travels all over the country spreading joy and disillusionment, alternately, with her songs and stories.

In the few years since her initial performances, Yates has recorded three full-length albums, one entirely comprised of original songs for children (released under a pseudonym). She’s supported and performed with members of Americana bands (including Hot Buttered Rum, Railroad Earth, Fruition, Leftover Salmon and others) and rock bands (New Monsoon, Grant Farm, Good Gravy, Scott Pemberton Trio), as well as with other singer-songwriters and stand-up comedians. She’s toured America and performs regularly in the Bay Area and all over the west coast. Although she’s still in the beginning stages of “Eventual Ukulele Superstardom,” she is sure that soon she will be able to drop the “Eventual” and just move on to total world domination. Especially since she now also plays the tenor banjo – everyone knows how effective a communication tool banjos can be.