Biography

An electronic indie-pop artist with a background in punk, Emily Whitehurst is the solo force behind Survival Guide. A California native now residing in Texas, her music obsession began with Green Day, leading her to a dream-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. 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" record limited to 500 copies on randomly-colored vinyl, featuring two dance-party covers of AFI songs on Side A and two Misfits piano-serenade covers on Side B. 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 array of further punk covers from Distillers to Sleater-Kinney, each with its own unique Survival Guide treatment. A new, all-original Survival Guide album is set for release this fall. Photos by Mike Carey