Eastham, MA is a small fishing village on Outer Cape Cod. But underneath its sleepy facade lies a bastion of artistic talent not found in cities ten times its size. Artists of all stripes flock to the Cape for its quiet beauty and unique rhythm, the ebb and flow of tourist population. Together they comprise some of the area's foremost, if not widely known, creative talents.

Emily Wade Adams is just one of Eastham's many musical progenies. Born into a family that spent Sundays blasting soul music instead of going to church, Emily auditioned for her first musical at age 3, started piano lessons at 4, and danced from the time she could walk. 

As she grew, the Cape provided many juicy opportunities for performance, and Emily took advantage of as many as possible before moving on to Wake Forest University, where she was a Presidential Scholar for Distinguished Achievement in Voice. After college, she headed to San Francisco, where her style began to take shape. 

In SF, Emily performed with Ray of Light Theatre, where she appeared as Mrs. Walker in The Who's Tommy, Shawntel in Jerry Springer: The Opera, Marty in Grease (starring Beth Behrs), and in her own cabaret tribute to Amy Winehouse, Love is Blind. She was a member of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, and she even serenaded Francis Ford Coppola at his birthday party!

Emily co-founded and led the swing band The Cosmo Alleycats, with whom she performed at The Fillmore's Poster Room Lounge, Yoshi's Lounge, the Boom Boom Room, Sausalito Jazz & Blues by the Bay, and the Fillmore Street Jazz Festival. Their album, The Late, Late Show, was recorded at San Francisco’s legendary Hyde Street Studio C, made famous by artists like the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Janis Joplin.

Despite her passionate love affair with San Francisco, Emily longed to return to her East Coast roots. And so it was that in 2014, she moved to Brooklyn with her two beloved kitties in tow. Since then, she has appeared at 54 Below in Manhattan, Ian Hendrickson-Smith’s Uncle Cheef, the Spire Center in Plymouth, Cotuit Center for the Arts, Wellfleet Preservation Hall, and as a featured performer with the Cape Cod Symphony. She records and performs her original music as Betty Jane, and together with saxophonist Justin Flynn, she leads The Café Society, a New York City-based jazz quintet. Emily also does session work for a variety of individuals and studios.

Outside of music, Emily is on Good Home Pet Adoptions’ board, where she volunteers to support animal welfare. She is a mentor with the Norwalk Mentor Program. In addition, Emily’s a certified nutritionist & a RYT-200 yoga teacher, and she’s passionate about social justice and civil & reproductive rights.

Website Photography: Joe Navas, Organic Photography