LA Songwriter Emily James Announces The aLtErNaTeS Pt. 2 EP Out 10/18
Photo Credit: Lindsey Byrnes
After sharing her deep dive into the loss and downfall of love with The aLtErNaTeS, Pt 1., LA singer-songwriter, Emily James has announced the long awaited Pt. 2 with songs perfect for those yearning for more than the life presently afoot. In “London” there’s a newfound whimsy in Emily’s vocals, leading listeners into feelings being unstoppable. With each chorus, listeners are taken on a trip that reminds us to romanticize the journey just as much as the destination.
Emily speaks on the single:
"’London’ represents the initial feelings you might have when a breakup is fresh. There's a lot of emotions and you don't really want to face all of them so you turn to escaping; in this case, literally escaping the country and romanticizing the idea of starting an entirely new life. The song slips between feelings of sadness, a bit of bitterness, and a bit of convincing yourself you're fine."
‘London’ is a song for everyone reeling from heartbreak. The heart-wrenching ballad is the lead single for Emily James' anticipated forthcoming EP, The aLtErNaTeS, Pt. 2, which continues to unfold the narrative that began in The aLtErNaTeS, Pt. 1. While Pt. 1 details the ebb and flow of falling in love and then falling apart, Pt. 2 illustrates the healing and learning to navigate life post-heartbreak.
Listening to Emily James feels like an intimate conversation with a friend you’ve known for years. It’s vulnerable, open, and real. James takes heartbreakingly relatable truths and translates them pop music with all the emotion intact. Windy instrumentation helps to emphasize her dynamic vocals as she depicts the ups and downs of life and love with a filmmaker’s eye for detail. Her almost-conversational lyricism, superb songcraft, and theatric production have consistently captivated her growing fanbase. Following widespread acclaim from the likes of American Songwriter, Ones To Watch, and many more, the New York-born and Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, and producer engaged listeners in a new kind of conversation with both The aLtErNaTeS, Pt. 1 and Pt. 2. This series of releases, split into what Emily has dubbed “chapters,” chronicles today’s rendition of a love story.
“These songs are inspired by a blend of my own experiences, relationships my friends have been in, and conversations we’ve had,” she reveals. “When I put everything together, it formed into a story arc. I’m splitting the project into two parts; two EPs. Part 1 illustrates the slow fall and demise of a romantic relationship, and then Part 2 describes the journey towards healing on the other side of that. Each EP is split up into three pairs of songs, which are the “chapters” of the story. I see them as “chapters,” because the two songs in each pair, or, chapter, comment on the same situation, while having a different emotion and perspective towards it. I came up with the aLterNaTeS concept because I find I always have a multitude of feelings about one moment. I think we all do. For instance, we tend to show our ‘external emotions’ to the people around us, while our ‘internal emotions’ are the ones that come out when we’re alone. The music essentially illustrates the range of emotions that go into a single situation.”
Emily has established herself as a one-of-a-kind songwriter with a series of fan-favorite EPs. She first began to master her craft with her 2016 self-titled EP, she then dove into her sonic journey head-first with her 2018 release Til the Morning and her 2019 release, Foreign Land. She has since continued to reach new heights with her following releases. Along the way, her singles like “bartender” has tallied 6.2 million Spotify streams, while “Brooklyn” has generated over 7 million Spotify streams. “Brooklyn” paved the way for her Illuminate EP in 2022.
Throughout 2023, she pieced together what would become The aLtErNaTeS. Under the influence of albums of our time like Taylor Swift’s folklore and Hozier’s Unreal Unearth as well as classic records by Fleetwood Mac, her sound naturally evolved into something bigger than she was. Emily has maintained her full autonomy over her sound, having primarily self-produced each of her records.
She dives into her production style:
“I do a blend of co-producing and producing on my own,” she affirms. “When I’m by myself, I tap into my unique sound and perspective. When I’m working with other people, I’m able to combine with their unique sounds and perspectives, to create songs I never would’ve conceptualized by myself.”
The next step in her musical journey begins on 10/18 with the release of The aLtErNaTeS Pt. 2 and is an EP that is a necessity on any music-lover’s radar!
