LA Songwriter Emily James Finds Healing Through Her New EP ‘The aLtErNaTeS Pt. 2’

Today, LA singer-songwriter Emily James shares The aLtErNaTeS Pt. 2, the six-song conclusion to her exploration into the complex range of emotions that come with love, heartbreak, and the healing journey. Just like every story can have many different versions, every relationship has a range of conflicting emotions that arise at different stages. Similarly, Emily’s songs contain these multitudes – they are tender, nuanced, vulnerable, and confident all at the same time. They encapsulate the very essence of being human as told through the shared experience of love and heartbreak. Emily ultimately finds a sense of peace, hoping fans feel the same after listening through.

“The aLtErNaTeS, Pt. 2 is an EP about healing,” Emily explains. “The songs on the EP alternate between healthy progress and feeling like you’ve taken a step in the wrong direction. This is to acknowledge that the journey of healing is not a linear one, and that those days when we feel low, weighed down, and question ourselves, do not signify that we are moving backwards. It’s all an important part of the process, and the more we can sit with and feel through the many shades of emotion that come with working through something painful, the stronger we will be.”

The project has allowed Emily James to share some of her most emotive work to date. Girl’s Life Magazine praised her for crafting the “perfect emotional tune” with “This’ll Only Hurt For A Minute,” while The HoneyPop praised the way she “goes about processing them.” Emily doesn’t shy away from her most raw moments with “Do You Think About Me?” and “Since We Broke Up,” a song The Teen Mag noted for how she turns her vulnerability into a “superpower.”

LISTEN TO EMILY JAMES “DO YOU THINK ABOUT ME?” HERE:
https://youtu.be/iO32eGYyNP8

Listening to Emily James feels like a conversation with a close friend. It’s open. It’s honest. It’s heartfelt. It’s real. She translates this discourse into instantly relatable and real pop music with all the emotion intact. Breezy instrumentation underscores her dynamic vocals as she depicts the ups and downs of life and love with a filmmaker’s eye for detail. Her conversational lyricism, eloquent songcraft, and artful production have consistently captivated a growing fanbase as well. 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 a new kind of conversation with The aLtErNaTeS, Pt. 1 and Pt. 2. This series of releases, split into what Emily has dubbed “chapters,” chronicles a modern-day 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 established herself as a prolific songwriter with a series of fan favorite EPs. She first honed her craft across the Emily James EP [2016], before cutting her teeth with Til the Morning [2018] and Foreign Land [2019]. She continued to reach new heights with her next EP, Dreaming [2019], entirely writing and producing the project herself. While the pandemic halted touring, she took the opportunity to further endear her devout fanbase with Moments That Mattered [2020] and Wanted You To Know [2021]. Along the way, “bartender” has tallied 6.3 million Spotify streams, while “Brooklyn” has generated over 9 million Spotify streams. The latter paved the way for her Illuminate EP in 2022. In its wake, The Honey Pop professed, “We’re sure that before too long, the whole world will be talking about Emily James because her talent and creativity are never-ending.” Offering high praise, American Songwriter also pondered, “Could she be the next Taylor Swift? We wouldn’t be surprised.” As 2023 rolled around, Emily unleashed the undeniable Grey EP, scoring another gem with “For an Evening.” Meanwhile, it reeled-in further praise from the likes of SWEETY HIGH, EUPHORIA, and more.

Throughout 2023, she pieced together what would become The aLtErNaTeS. Under the influence of the ethereal textures of Swift’s folklore and Hozier’s Unreal Unearth as well as classic records by Fleetwood Mac, her sound naturally evolved. Once again, Emily also played a big role in the sonic architecture by producing and arranging the majority of this series herself.

“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.”

“When you listen to The aLtErNaTeS, Pt. 1 and Pt. 2, I hope you see pieces of yourself reflected,” she remarks. “I’d love for you to feel seen and experience the comfort of knowing you’re not alone. There’s nothing more meaningful to me than when a person reaches out and says my song has helped them through a difficult time.”

Track List:

1. London
2. Since We Broke Up
3. This’ll Only Hurt for a Minute
4. Do You Think About Me?
5. Somebody That You Can’t Have
6. I’m Good

EMILY JAMES IN THE PRESS

“…Could she be the next Taylor Swift? We wouldn’t be surprised…”

– American Songwriter

“Singer-songwriter Emily James knows a thing or two about crafting the perfect emotional tune—and her upcoming E.P. The aLtErNaTeS Pt. 2 is hard proof… This gal’s got a knack for channeling her irl heartbreak into the realest, rawest music.”

– Girl’s Life Magazine

“Vulnerability and heartbreak are two emotions that teenagers are all too familiar with… singer-songwriter Emily James, however, turns this into her superpower… she successfully uses her own experiences to create music, helping and connecting with young audiences.”

– The Teen Magazine

“…dynamic and heartfelt…”

– Luna Collective

“Emily’s dynamic musical arrangements and thoughtful lyricism take the listener on a raw, emotive journey.”

– Outloud Culture

“…stunning voice and impactful lyricism…”
– Sweety High