Emilie Autumn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emilie Autumn
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Autumn performing live at Nachtleben in 2007
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| Also known as | Emilie Autumn Liddell |
| Born | September 22, 1979 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1997–present |
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Emilie Autumn Liddell (born September 22, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and violinist. She is known for her unique musical style, which she calls "Fairy Pop," "Fantasy Rock," or "Victoriandustrial." Her music is inspired by rock, plays, books, and history, especially the Victorian era.
When she performs, she is joined by her all-female group of backup dancers, The Bloody Crumpets. Her shows are very theatrical and mix classical music, cabaret, electronica, and glam rock.
Growing up in Malibu, California, Emilie started playing the violin when she was only four years old. She left regular school at age nine to become a world-class violinist. She practiced for eight or nine hours every day. She later started writing her own music.
She created her own record label, Traitor Records, and released her first classical album, On a Day: Music for Violin & Continuo, in 1997. This was followed by her album Enchant in 2003. In 2012, she released the album Fight Like a Girl. She also acted in the movies The Devil's Carnival (2012) and its sequel, Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival (2015).
Contents
Life and Career
Early Life and Music
Emilie Autumn was born in Los Angeles, California, on September 22, 1979. She grew up in Malibu, California, where she said being near the ocean helped her become a "free spirit." Her mother was a seamstress.
At age four, she began learning the violin. By age eight, she was performing as a solo violinist with an orchestra and even won a competition. When she was nine, she left her regular school to focus on becoming a great violinist. She was home-schooled and spent most of her day practicing, taking lessons, and reading many books.
She started writing her own music and poems around age thirteen but didn't plan on singing. She later attended Indiana University but left after two years. She believed that a musician's appearance shouldn't matter more than the music.
At eighteen, she decided to sing on one of her songs to show a music producer how it should sound. She wasn't happy with the changes the producer made to her music, so she started her own record label called Traitor Records. In 1997, she released her first album, On a Day: Music for Violin & Continuo, which was recorded in a single day.
First Vocal Albums and Tours
In 2001, Emilie moved to Chicago, Illinois, because she liked its music scene. In 2003, she released her album Enchant. She described its style as "fantasy rock" because it was about dreams, ghosts, and fairies.
Soon after, singer Courtney Love asked her to join her band, The Chelsea, for a tour. Emilie played violin and sang with the band in 2004. She even performed on the Late Show with David Letterman. That same year, she appeared on a TV show to teach people how to make fairy wings and special soaps, which she sold online.
The Opheliac Era
Emilie began working on her next album, Opheliac, in 2004. The album was released in 2006. She said the album was about a very difficult time in her life. The title is a reference to the character Ophelia from Shakespeare's play Hamlet.
In 2007, she released an instrumental album called Laced/Unlaced. It was a double album. The first disc, Laced, was a re-release of her first album, On a Day.... The second disc, Unlaced, featured new songs played on the electric violin. She felt the two discs showed the difference between her music "then" and "now."
She also released a collection of songs called A Bit o' This & That, which included covers of songs by bands like The Beatles and The Smiths. In 2009, she joined The End Records, which re-released Opheliac in the United States with bonus tracks and videos.
During this time, she also worked with other artists. She played violin on an album by the band OTEP and had her songs featured in the soundtracks for the Saw III and Saw IV movies.
Book and Fight Like a Girl Album
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In 2009, Emilie published her first book, The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls. The book is part real-life journal and part fictional story about a girl named "Emily" in a Victorian-era asylum. Emilie wrote the book to show that mental illness is still misunderstood today, just as it was in the past.
Her next album, Fight Like a Girl, was released in 2012 and was based on her book. She said the album is about "taking all these things that make women the underdogs and using them to your advantage."
In 2012, Emilie made her first major movie appearance as the Painted Doll in The Devil's Carnival. She returned for the sequel in 2015. In 2013, she released a music video for her song "Fight Like a Girl."
On September 22, 2018, she released The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls: Behind the Musical, an album of songs for her upcoming stage musical. In 2021 and 2022, she released several new singles, including a cover of "The Passenger" by Iggy Pop.
Musical Style and Influences
Emilie's music mixes many different styles. Her voice is a contralto, but she can also sing in a very high soprano range. Her singing has been compared to artists like Tori Amos and Kate Bush.
As a classically trained musician, she is influenced by history, especially the Victorian era, and writers like Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe. She sometimes uses sounds of old machines, like trains, in her music, which is part of a style known as steampunk. Her main musical inspiration is the violinist Nigel Kennedy.
She calls her style "Victoriandustrial" or "Psychotic Vaudeville Burlesque." Her live shows are very theatrical. She and her band, The Bloody Crumpets, wear handmade costumes and perform with fire tricks. She often throws tea and snacks into the audience, calling her shows a form of dinner theatre. She wants her shows to be about empowerment and being true to yourself.
Personal Life
Emilie often draws a heart on her cheek, which she says is a symbol of protection.
She became a vegetarian when she was eleven and was a vegan for many years. She believes there is a connection between how society treats women and animals.
In 2021, she adopted a dog, a Toy Manchester Terrier named Darjeeling.
Emilie has been open about having bipolar disorder. She often talks about it in interviews and in her work to help others understand it better.
Discography
- Studio albums
- Enchant (2003)
- Opheliac (2006)
- Fight Like a Girl (2012)
- The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls: Behind the Musical (2018)
- Instrumental albums
- On a Day... (1997)
- Laced/Unlaced (2007)
Concert tours
- The Asylum Tour (2007)
- The Plague Tour (2008)
- The Gate Tour (2008–2009)
- The Key Tour (2009)
- The Door Tour (2011)
- The Fight Like a Girl Tour (2011–2012)
Filmography
- 11-11-11 as 11'er in Video (2011) Uncredited
- The Devil's Carnival (2012) as Painted Doll
- Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival (2015) as June / The Painted Doll
See also
In Spanish: Emilie Autumn para niños
