Emilie Autumn

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Emilie Autumn

Emilie Autumn (born September 22, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and violinist currently living in Chicago who is best known for her wide range of musical styles, especially her usage of theatrics.

Biography

Early life

Autumn was born on September 22, 1979 in Malibu, California. At the age of four, Autumn commenced her training on the violin. Six years later, she enrolled at the Colburn School of Performing Arts where she began to experiment with improvisational playing, inspired by the renowned violinist Nigel Kennedy. In 2003 she would state that she "ate, slept, and breathed his recordings, much to the great and oft' noted chagrin of [her] teachers". She later left the school due to harassment.

At fifteen, Autumn won a place at the prestigious Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana but left after two years due to clashes with university authorities over her unorthodox musical and clothing tastes.[1] By then Autumn already sported the brightly-colored long hair (beginning with purple at age seventeen[2]; it was not until later that her hair became the flamboyant pink and red colors for which she is well known), corsets and combat boots that would characterize her "Enchant" era.

Returning home to Los Angeles, Autumn's interests spread to classical music spanning from the medieval era, through the Renaissance to the Baroque period. She also continued to explore modern genres such as rock and Jazz. The next year, having begun to sing in her songs as well as play the violin, Autumn was signed to an unknown major record label. However, the producers quickly began to alter her material, depriving her of artistic control. Furious at her treatment and subsequent lack of support from her manager, Autumn broke ties with the label and continued to develop her writing and violin and vocal skills independently, performing with friends as a baroque ensemble named "Ravensong". In 2000 she established her own label called Traitor Records in order to release a classical violin recording, On a Day.... [3]

By early 2001, Autumn had relocated to Chicago and had begun to record her debut full-length album Enchant. As a preview, she released an EP for the song "Chambermaid".

As a tribute to the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Autumn released a charity single entitled By The Sword, donating the proceeds to the American Red Cross and AmeriCares. [4]

In 2003 Autumn completed the fourteen-track album Enchant which showcased her unique brand of alternative music known as "fantasy rock", combining rock, classical, cabaret and Celtic influences. She recently re-released Enchant in 2007 with Trisol Music Group.

Rise to fame (2003–2005)

Though an active performer and recording artist with a cult following of her own, Autumn first gained widespread notoriety in 2003 when she was discovered by former Hole frontwoman Courtney Love, who brought Autumn to France to work on Love's debut solo album, America's Sweetheart (2004). Autumn then toured with Love as part of the all-female band The Chelsea[5], making appearances on The Tonight Show and the Late Show with David Letterman. Through Love, Autumn became acquainted with Smashing Pumpkins' frontman Billy Corgan.

When The Chelsea's tour was halted due to Love's multiple legal issues, Autumn returned to Chicago and began working with Corgan. She continued to work with him until the spring of 2005. As a part of her "punktorian" fashion label WillowTech House, she designed and tailored costumes for the music video for Corgan's single "Walking Shade". [6]

Later solo career (2005–present)

Autumn was finally able to return to working on her own album in September 2005. She began the full-time recording of Opheliac at Mad Villain Studios in Chicago.

In late 2005 she added a backup band to her live line-up, to whom she refers as "The Bloody Crumpets". Autumn and the Bloody Crumpets performed the new material on the WGN Morning Show on January 12, 2006, followed by a sold-out performance at Double Door in Chicago on January 13. A limited edition EP, containing eight tracks from the final version of Opheliac, was released in spring 2006 under her own label. On August 18, 2006, Autumn announced that she was releasing a double-disc deluxe edition of her Opheliac album, having signed a distribution deal with Trisol Music Group. [7]

In the winter of 2006, before embarking on a European tour, Autumn recorded a new two-disc, entirely instrumental album called Laced/Unlaced. The first disc, Laced, is a re-release of her classical album On A Day... (2000), with an additional five tracks of live performances. The second disc, Unlaced, features her distinct "Victoriandustrial" style, consisting of original pieces played on the electric violin, backed by the harpsichord, drum machines and synthesizers. [8]

Emilie Autumn performing at M'era Luna on 2007-08-11, during her European tour

She first performed her new material in Europe on May 26, 2007, at the Wave Gotik Treffen music festival in Germany. From June 22, 2007 to August 11, 2007, Autumn toured in Europe to promote her albums Opheliac and Unlaced. She played in Germany, Austria, England, and The Netherlands. During her acts, she was accompanied by The Bloody Crumpets consisting of Lady Aprella, Lucina, Vecona, and Veronica Varlow. [9]


In August 2007 Autumn re-released limited deluxe editions of her debut album Enchant and a compilation of previously unreleased or out of print tracks entitled A Bit O' This & That. [10]

In the winter of 2007, Autumn embarked on another European tour, with concerts and festivals in Belgium, Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, Italy, and more. In the spring of 2008, she returned to England.[11] She continued to be accompanied by Vecona, Lady Aprella, Veronica Varlow, and Lucina. On February 15, on her official website, Autumn announced a new addition to The Bloody Crumpets: alternative fashion model Ulorin Vex. Apnea did not tour with the group while in the UK.[12] Lady Joo Hee also toured with Autumn in the UK, as a cellist.

She also has her own company called WillowTech House, where she sells some clothing articles that bear the company's logo, perfume scent "Mistress" (which can be sold as an eau de parfum or body wash among other options), along with accessories and fairy wings, both of which are handmade by Autumn herself. WillowTech House is co-owned by Lee Ann Helmer, also known as fLee, Queen of Tarts. Autumn and fLee are the company's two designers. The company's website is currently on hiatus for an indefinite amount of time.

Autumn is also working on another book she calls The Asylum For Wayward Victorian Girls, the release date for which has been delayed due to technical problems, and which was promoted on her single "4 o'Clock".

Personal life

Autumn's mother was a seamstress,[1] and therefore Autumn was influenced to make her own clothes and costumes. She also incorporates clothing from Bloody Crumpet member Vecona, who has her own clothing line.[13] Autumn is also a practicing vegan.

Television appearances

Autumn was featured in an episode of HGTV's That's Clever! (then Crafters Coast To Coast), creating a pair of "Floral Tea Party Fairy Wings" and sushi soap available from her fashion/lifestyle label, WillowTech House (which is currently on hiatus).[14]

Autumn has been a guest artist on the Adult Swim cartoon Metalocalypse, in which she performed all violins as the London Philharmonic Orchestra in the episode "Fatkid at the Detharmonic". She also appeared on The Dethalbum.

Discography

Albums

EPs and singles

Special editions

  • Opheliac (Digipak)
  • Liar/Dead Is The New Alive (Digipak)
  • Laced/Unlaced (Double CD and hardcover photo book)
  • Enchant (CD and limited hardcover-digibook)
  • A Bit O' This & That (CD and limited hardcover-digibook)
  • 4 o'Clock (Digipak)
  • Girls Just Wanna Have Fun /Bohemian Rhapsody EP (Digipak)

Guest contributions

Bibliography

  • Across The Sky & Other Poems (2001, out of print)
  • Your Sugar Sits Untouched (2005 partial re-release of Across The Sky & Other Poems, updated with new poems and containing an audio recording of Autumn reading her work- now also apparently out of print)
  • The Asylum For Wayward Victorian Girls (November 2008)
  • The Alphabet Book of X-Boyfriends (TBA)

References

  1. ^ a b MacKenzie Wilson. "allmusic ((( Emilie Autumn > Biography )))". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-07-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ http://www.batteredrose.com/chat3.php Little Xmas Secrets online chat with fans (December 23, 2006). Retrieved September 13, 2007.
  3. ^ http://www.musicaldiscoveries.com/reviews/emilieautumn.htm Interview by Russell W. Elliot, 2003. Retrieved September 13, 2007.
  4. ^ http://www.batteredrose.com/bytheswordsingle.php Retrieved September 13, 2007.
  5. ^ IGN: Courtney Love & The Chelsea Tour
  6. ^ http://forum.emilieautumn.com/viewtopic.php?t=749 Retrieved September 13, 2007.
  7. ^ http://emilieautumn.com/opheliac.html Retrieved September 13, 2007.
  8. ^ http://emilieautumn.com/lacedunlaced.html Retrieved September 13, 2007.
  9. ^ http://www.batteredrose.com/bc.php Retrieved September 13, 2007.
  10. ^ http://emilieautumn.com/thisandthat.html Retrieved September 13, 2007.
  11. ^ http://forum.emilieautumn.com/viewtopic.php?t=2412 Retrieved September 13, 2007.
  12. ^ Welcome To The Asylum :: The Official Site Of Emilie Autumn
  13. ^ "Emilie Autumn @ Toolwood - Interview (Part 2)". Youtube. Retrieved 2008-07-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ "That's Clever" Episode HCLVR-1A28 featuring Emilie Autumn on the HGTV website. Retrieved November 25, 2007.

External links

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