Ever since she was a little girl, artist Emilia Bendler loved storytelling through song.
As she grew up, she became fond of the opposite.
“Sometimes there’s a lot of pressure to write the right words or song,” Bendler said. “There are so many meaningful songs by so many artists, and there are so many fun songs by those same artists.”
Bendler said her grandfather was one of her main musical influences, introducing her to bluegrass and country music.
“He grew up playing the banjo and guitar. He would play little snippets of songs for my sister and me to sing. Waking up, we’d visit them, and they’d all have these speakers playing with old country music and a lot of Johnny Cash.”
Aside from her family, she was inspired by bands like the Lumineers and Pearl Jam, alongside singers like Dolly Parton and Chappell Roan.
“I’m kind of all over the place in terms of musical influences, in a good way, I think,” she said.
Country music was not Bendler’s favorite when she was younger. Nowadays, she takes the time to reminisce about those mornings by getting up and putting on a bluegrass record as an ode to her favorite person, her grandfather.
In her hometown of Huxley, Iowa, Bendler started exploring a variety of musical instruments. Starting with the piano, she began learning when she was six, with her mother stressing its importance.
Bendler, however, hated playing as a kid and stopped until high school. Then, she started looking up chords to songs she liked and played those instead. She was a percussionist in her high school band and participated in choir. In college, she started a band with three of her friends.
“Doing that was my first time playing music for myself. It was a different experience than, ‘Take this sheet music and play it because I said to play it,’” she said.
One of Bendler’s favorite shows to date was at Frank O’Dowd’s Irish Pub and Grill, where she sang when she was 10 years old. Located in Galena, Illinois, the bar was a part of the Irish Cottage Hotel where she stayed with her cousin. One day, they asked the hotel staff if they needed anyone to sing for them. They said yes, and Bendler got to sing an a cappella version of “Our Song” by Taylor Swift.
“That was a cool full circle moment,” Bendler said.
Most singers use the aid of voice coaches to prime and perfect their voices, but Bendler only went for a couple of months when she was still in elementary school.
“After that, I never really went. I just practiced singing by myself and figured it out my way. People always think it’s funny because I do have asthma, and the breath control can be hard sometimes,” she said.
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Bendler does not think she has a favorite original song, but the first song she was proud of and wanted to share with others was called “Bad Luck.” It was about the frustration of a past relationship and how she navigated it.
A setback for some artists is the all-too-familiar feeling of stage fright. To Bendler, it varies from time to time.
“Sometimes I’ll play at a place I’ve been to multiple times, and all my friends who support me are there. [To me], that is scarier than playing for a bunch of people I don’t know. It just depends. Sometimes I’ll be a little nervous, and after, I’ll be fine. It depends on the atmosphere, too, if the crowd’s engaging or they’re kind of doing their own thing, which is fine, too,” she said.
Nowadays, Bendler does shows around Iowa City. A recent gig of hers was held at the Vue, a rooftop bar on the 12th floor of the Hilton Garden Inn. The Inn’s director of special events Krista Stramel said she had started working with Bendler in 2024 after Bendler had submitted an inquiry with sample videos expressing her interest in performing at the venue along with sample videos.
“Her work immediately resonated with the vision we have for our entertainment offerings, and I knew that her acoustic sound would add immense value to our space,” Stramel said. “Emilia’s pursuit of singing and songwriting is something we wholeheartedly support and admire.”
Stramel and the Vue staff also mentioned Bendler had an authenticity and warmth that drew listeners in.
“Our restaurant saw an increase in patronage surrounding her performances, and I truly feel it is not only because of the anticipation for her music, but also because of who Emilia is,” Stramel said.