“Music is crucial to my survival!” said Emily Whitehurst. “Survival Guide is one woman trying to shape her own place in this world as a musician.”
An electronic indie-pop artist with a background in punk, Emily is the solo force behind Survival Guide. Her danceable tunes evoke a sonic birthday cake: alternating layers of Depeche Mode, Metric, Peter Gabriel, and Grimes, with vibrant melodies and vocals the icing on top.
A California native now residing in Texas, Emily’s music obsession began with Green Day, leading her to a dreams-come-true life of punk rock as she traversed continents fronting the band Tsunami Bomb as “Agent M.” Over the years, her music gradually shifted toward synth pop in The Action Design, then further into the electronic indie-pop realm as Survival Guide.
Originally a duo, Survival Guide’s first album, Way To Go, – dubbed “passion behind an electronic soul” by New Noise Magazine – was released in 2015. It was around this time when Survival Guide slowly, amicably yet painfully became a solo act, leaving Whitehurst unsure of what to do next. Never having written or performed music alone, she considered everything from starting a new band to quitting music altogether. After a major geographical shift, an acoustic album, and some solo touring, she’s finally ready to return as a solo Survival Guide.
This new, alter-ego Survival Guide debuts with RHV1.5 (short for Request Hotline, Vol. 1.5): a 7-inch mini-album, limited to 500 copies on randomly-colored vinyl, featuring two dance-party covers of AFI songs on Side A and two contemplative Misfits piano-serenade covers on Side B.
“I definitely wouldn’t consider these punk releases, though,” offered Emily “As I’ve flipped almost all of the songs into different styles of music.”
RHV1.5 is a collaborative release between Arizona-based Double Helix Records (Yotam Ben Horin, Near Beer, Mercy Music etc.) and Emily’s Survival Guide Records. The disc gathers intriguing reimaginings of AFI’s “Totalimmortal” and “Girl’s Not Grey” alongside the Misfits’ “Skulls” and “Hybrid Moments.”
“AFI and Misfits are the only artists I had more than one request for from fans,” Emily explained. “I gave each band its own specific feel, then it seemed natural to me to group these songs and release them together.”
RHV1.5 also serves as a taster for the 11-track, digital-only Request Hotline, Vol. 2, featuring all songs from the 7” plus an eclectic array of further punk covers from Distillers to Sleater-Kinney, each with its own bold and unique Survival Guide treatment.
A new, all-original Survival Guide album is set for release this fall. “I’ve learned a lot over the last few years – not only about songwriting and recording, but also about myself and the ways I’ve been holding myself back,” said Emily. “I’m excited to funnel it all into music.”
