Emily Erwin Strayer was born on August 16, 1972, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to Paul Erwin and Barbara Task. Strayer spent most of her childhood in Addison, Texas, a Dallas suburb, with her two sisters, Julia and Martha.
Her parents and her older sister Martha, who was also interested in learning instruments and writing songs, encouraged her to begin playing music at a young age. Strayer began playing the violin when he was seven, and the banjo when he was ten.
The Blue Night Express is a bluegrass band formed by two sisters and school friends. They went to bluegrass festivals and performed frequently, while Martha and Emily worked hard to learn their instruments.
