Song Spotlight: Emma Smalley's Too Far Gone (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

Emma Smalley stepped up to the microphone at Hotel Ziggy for a WFNM showcase with her acoustic guitar. It was her second time in Los Angeles. She's a native to South Carolina, currently living in Nashville. Is this one of the last times people in Los Angeles will be able to catch her in such an intimate setting? 

Emma Smalley at Hotel Ziggy

Per her Spotify bio, she grew up in Chapin, South Carolina. I went down a time consuming rabbit hole looking into the city. It has a population of less than 2,000 though the larger area per this real estate Youtube video has a population of around 27,000. It is a lake side town next to Lake Murray. I'm probably totally wrong, but it seems like a town that is equivalent to living in Big Bear Lake (excluding the winter skiing; and getting far hotter during the summer).

Smalley has an interesting background, "A University of South Carolina grad, Emma went on to earn her nursing degree in Charleston and began working as an RN in the operating room in 2024." I don't know if this is still true, but the bio mentions that she moved to Nashville in 2025 to pursue singing while still working as a nurse part-time. Making a decent salary while getting to pursue your dreams. I appreciate that. I have a friend who is a nurse who wishes he were in a band. Before this blog posts, I am sure I'll be telling him about Emma Smalley from South Carolina / Nashville. 

Emma Smalley at Hotel Ziggy

Her set was a short 5 song set with 3 songs coming off of her debut EP Breaking Habits. One of those songs was "Heading West," which seemed appropriate for a Los Angeles set. She mentioned, "I'm very west from where I'm from."  

Her Christian faith is important to her though not in your face. She wore a cross on a chain and she concluded the night with "Mysterious Ways." A song about a loved one walking out, but trusting your faith, "There will be brighter days if you have a a little faith."  

Emma Smalley at Hotel Ziggy

The Song Spotlight goes to her hit song "Too Far Gone." She introduced the song by saying, "I've been single for sometime now. Before that, I was a serial monogamous." She mentioned that she was in two 5 year relationships. "The loneliness became peace."  

Had to fight my way to get back to this level of peace.

Setlist: Living Just to Die, Heading West, Take Every Little Piece, Too Far Gone, Mysterious Ways.