Emma-Jean Thackray presents WEIRDO
Explorative. Idiosyncratic. Once in a generation musician.
Multi-dimensional multi-instrumentalist and producer Emma-Jean Thackray releases Weirdo, her extraordinary second album, on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood label. Musically and creatively, Weirdo bridges grunge, pop, soul and jazz, channelling George Clinton and Kurt Cobain in the award-winning artist’s powerfully idiosyncratic style. Virtuosic musicality and self-expression is combined with humour in this triumphant exploration of loss, recovery and gratitude.
Weirdo is the kind of life-affirming and connective album that emerges once in a generation, made by a wholly unique artist. Experience it live at The Glasshouse this autumn.
Need to know
Venue: Sage Two (standing)
Price: £20.30
Stage Times: Announced nearer showtime.
Age: Under 14s must be accompanied by an adult
‘If I can connect to other people’s experiences… in a way that resonates with them and helps them to feel less alone and wierdo’d – then that’d be amazing.’
– Emma-Jean Thackray on Weirdo
About Emma-Jean Thackray
Emma-Jean Thackray is a genre-defying artist whose sound spans spiritual jazz, funk, house, techno, and pop. Raised in a working-class West Yorkshire family, she began her musical journey on a second-hand cornet in primary school, later studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in south London.
A proudly neurodivergent musician, she’s released groundbreaking work through her label Movementt, including Um Yang, Rain Dance, and Talking Therapy Ensemble. Her critically acclaimed debut album Yellow won Jazz FM’s Album of the Year in 2022. She’s directed the London Symphony Orchestra, performed at Glastonbury multiple times, and signed with Brownswood and Parlophone in 2023.
About Weirdo
Emma-Jean Thackray’s second album Weirdo is a powerful, deeply personal exploration of grief, identity, and healing. First started in 2021, then restarted in the aftermath of her partner’s sudden death in early 2023, it was a way to process trauma and mental health struggles. It became a lifeline—part grief diary, part radical self-expression.
Blending genre-bending brilliance with raw honesty, Weirdo moves from cathartic anthems like “Thank You For The Day” to the fierce vulnerability of “Wanna Die.” Tracks like “Fried Rice” feel like intimate diary entries, while features from Reggie Watts and Kassa Overall add playful, cosmic energy to an album bursting with life and reflecting on loss.
Tickets
Friday 31 October 2025
£20.30