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.

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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 "Opheliac" era.

After returning home to Los Angeles, she performed with friends in 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 Irish folk 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, along with guitarists Radio Sloan, Lisa Leveridge, bassist Dvin Kirakosian, and drummer Samantha Maloney ^[5], making appearances on The Tonight Show and the Late Show with David Letterman.

When The Chelsea's tour was halted, Autumn returned to Chicago and began working with Billy 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."

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. ^[6]

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. ^[7] 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. ^[8]

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 . ^[9]

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. ^[10] 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. ^[11] 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 clothing that bears the company's logo, the perfume scent "Mistress" (which was 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 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 was at first delayed due to technical problems.

Autumn is presently playing a violin arrangement on the song "UR A WMN NOW" for OTEP's fourth studio album, Smash the Control Machine. It will be released August 18, 2009.

Personal life

Autumn's mother was a seamstress, and therefore Autumn was influenced to make her own clothes and costumes.

Some of her favorite charities and organisations include PETA and Amnesty International. ^[12]

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). ^[13]

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 "Detharmonic". She also appeared on The Dethalbum .

Discography

Albums

• On A Day... (2000)
• Enchant (2003, re-released 2007)
• Your Sugar Sits Untouched (2005, CD and poetry book)
• Opheliac (2006)
• Laced/Unlaced (2007)
• A Bit O' This & That (2007)
• Opheliac Deluxe Edition (2009)

EPs and singles

• Chambermaid (EP) (2001)
• By the Sword (EP) (2001)
• Opheliac EP (2006, preview EP)
• Liar/Dead Is the New Alive (2007)
• 4 o'Clock (2008)
• Girls Just Wanna Have Fun & Bohemian Rhapsody Double Feature EP (2008)

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 Double Feature EP (Digipak)

Guest contributions

• Backing vocals and violin on the album America's Sweetheart (2004) by Courtney Love
• Backing vocals and violin on the track "DIA" from the album TheFutureEmbrace (2005) by Billy Corgan
• Violin on the track "Dethharmonic" from Dethklok's The Dethalbum (2007)
• Song "Organ Grinder" on the European edition of the Saw III soundtrack
• Remix version of "Dead Is The New Alive" on the international version of the Saw IV soundtrack
• Violin on the song "UR A WMN NOW" from OTEP's fourth album, "Smash the Control Machine" (2009)

Bibliography

• Across The Sky & Other Poems
• Your Sugar Sits Untouched
• The Asylum For Wayward Victorian Girls (Late 2009)

References

1. allmusic ((( Emilie Autumn > Biography )))
2. http://www.batteredrose.com/chat3.php Little Xmas Secrets online chat with fans (December 23, 2006).
3. http://www.musicaldiscoveries.com/reviews/emilieautumn.htm Interview by Russell W. Elliot, 2003. Ret
4. http://www.batteredrose.com/bytheswordsingle.php Retrieved September 13, 2007.
5. IGN: Courtney Love & The Chelsea Tour
6. http://emilieautumn.com/opheliac.html Retrieved September 13, 2007.
7. http://emilieautumn.com/lacedunlaced.html Retrieved September 13, 2007.
8. http://www.batteredrose.com/bc.php Retrieved September 13, 2007.
9. http://emilieautumn.com/thisandthat.html Retrieved September 13, 2007.
10. http://forum.emilieautumn.com/viewtopic.php?t=2412 Retrieved September 13, 2007.
11. Welcome To The Asylum :: The Official Site Of Emilie Autumn
12. http://www.emilieautumn.com/links.html Retrieved July 20, 2009.
13. "That's Clever" Episode HCLVR-1A28 featuring Emilie Autumn on the HGTV website. Retrieved November 25, 2007.