Emily James Releases 'London' From The 'ALtErNaTeS Pt. 2' EP

The EP will be released on October 18.

By: Mar. 22, 2024
Emily James Releases 'London' From The 'ALtErNaTeS Pt. 2' EP
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After sharing her nuanced exploration into the downfall of love with The aLtErNaTeS, Pt 1., LA singer-songwriter, Emily James sets Pt. 2 with a song for anyone wanting to escape their day-to-day in search of something more.

In “London,” there's an air of wanderlust in Emily's vocals, making the listener feel like anything is possible. With each chorus, we feel the excitement of boarding a plane or cruising down the open road, romanticizing the journey just as much as the destination. 

Emily explains: "'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 the song that everyone needs, fresh out of a breakup. The stunning, heart-wrenching ballad is the lead single for Emily James' anticipated forthcoming EP, The aLtErNaTeS, Pt. 2, which continues the story, song by song, that began to unfold in The aLtErNaTeS, Pt. 1. While Pt. 1 details the push and pull of falling in love and then falling apart, Pt. 2 illustrates the post-breakup healing journey, and navigating the highs and lows that come along with it. 

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 6.2 million Spotify streams, while “Brooklyn” has generated over 7 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.”

Photo Credit: Lindsey Byrnes


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