Nadine Emrich on Wearing Every Hat as an Independent Artist and Actress

Nadine Emrich is doing something a lot of creative people dream about and very few actually pull off: building a career as both a working actress and an independent songwriter, at the same time, without a big team behind her. On Episode 78 of The ZHZ Podcast, she sat down with hosts Zak Davis and Matt Allen to talk about what that actually looks like day to day — and it's a lot messier and more honest than the highlight reel most people see online.

Who Nadine Emrich Is

Nadine is an LA-based actress and songwriter who has worked on sets including Hulu's *Pam & Tommy*, wrote and starred in her own short film Sweet Cider, and writes atmospheric, emotionally raw pop music. Her current focus track is "Crimes You Hide," a song she's genuinely proud of and wants more people to hear.

Her creative roots go back to childhood backyard parties where her dad played guitar and she'd get up and sing. Her grandfather was a photographer who ran a graphics studio, so creativity runs in the family in a lot of different directions — not just one lineage of musicians.

How Acting Led Her to Music

Nadine didn't start out chasing a music career. She got into acting first, studying under Sam Christensen and building her craft from around age nineteen. Music actually found her through a theater production that required singing — and that's when she realized she could actually sing.

She now believes acting classes benefit musicians too, because they build stage presence in a way that pure vocal training doesn't always cover.

Two Creative Worlds, One Person

Nadine described writing and starring in her short film Sweet Cider as one of the hardest creative projects she's taken on — directing wasn't for her, but writing and acting still are. She said she'd consider doing a sequel if someone else handled the directing.

The Real Grind of Independent Artistry

A big chunk of the conversation focused on what Matt called "the indie grind" — the overwhelm that comes from handling writing, performing, marketing, and a day job all at once. Nadine's solution isn't glamorous: a day job with flexible hours, a nightly routine built around auditions and studio time, and a manager, Amanda Hawking, who helps her stay organized and keeps her networking on track.

On the marketing side, Nadine shared what's actually worked for her:

- Pitching directly to Spotify playlists

- Posting YouTube Shorts, which she says are getting strong views right now due to lighter algorithm competition

- Running Facebook ads that, surprisingly, drive a lot of traffic to her YouTube music videos

Writing Honestly, Even When It's Uncomfortable

Nadine talked candidly about the vulnerability of writing personal songs — including "Dom," a song she wrote out of anger toward an ex. She said she never planned to release it because of how raw it was, but it ended up getting attention from a Recording Academy member who personally submitted it for Grammy consideration.

She's also had to navigate family reactions to her more revealing on-screen work, including scenes on *Pam & Tommy*. Her approach: give her family a heads-up before anything sensitive comes out, and stay respectful of the fact that her story often involves people close to her.

The ZHZ Takeaway

Zak and Matt walked away from this conversation appreciating how grounded Nadine's approach is. There's no shortcut in her story — just a day job, a nightly grind, a manager she trusts, and a willingness to be honest in her music even when it's uncomfortable. For any artist trying to juggle multiple creative paths at once, her structure and mindset are worth paying attention to.

Where to Find Nadine

Stream her new release "Crimes You Hide" on Apple Music, Spotify, and TikTok. Search "Nadine Emrich" on any platform to find her, or search "Sweet Cider film" on YouTube to watch her short film.

Watch or listen to the full conversation at zhzpodcast.riverside.com. And if you missed it, check out our recent episode with Elaine Rojas at the same link.