FINALLY A NEW ALBUM!

Pre-order Notes to Self and Others at emilyyates.bandcamp.com today!

Free digital download when you pre-order limited apocalypse-edition vinyl!

Over the past year, I’ve been plugging away at my first-ever self-produced, self-recorded full-length album and I’m so happy to finally share it with you. For full album details, lyrics, and to get all the songs streaming directly into your head, go to my bandcamp page and you’ll find everything you need!

Produced & engineered by Self*
Mix engineer: Jules Indelicato
Mastering engineer: Anna Jean Frick, Airshow Mastering
Featuring the instrumental wizardry of Jules Indelicato (vocals/galactic synth), Talia Keys (drums), Nathan Moore (clarinet/kazoos), and Enion Pelta-Tiller (violin)

*Tracks 1, 2, 9, 11 guest instruments produced/recorded by artist, Track 4 drums produced/recorded by Talia Keys & Melahn Atkinson

 

New video: “Happy Ever After”

A holiday centered on love can be laborious to get through when your heart is broken or hurting, so here’s some real-talk to balance out the romance:

I wrote “Happy Ever After” as a reminder that life is full of surprises, and that people are complex, ever-changing creatures – sometimes the ones we think we know best reveal themselves to be strangers when we least expect it. Because life is also steeped in irony, a few weeks after recording this song, I realized I had written myself less of a gentle reminder and more of an agonizing told-you-so. I’m releasing it into the world on Valentine’s Day because for the first time in a decade, this day is a painful one for me, and in my experience there are few better ways to feel pain than through sharing the art that grows from it.

Many thanks to producers Dango Rose and Evan Reeves for inviting me into the Elephant Collective, to musicians Darren Garvey (percussion, guitar) and MeKenzie Solidago (cello, vocals) for lending their talents to the track, to Dan Rodriguez for the lines that helped me tie the room together, and to all of you for your consistent support of my music and heart. Community is everything in this crazy world, and I’m endlessly grateful for you.

Credits:

Words/Music/Video by Emily Yates

Produced by Dango Rose and Evan Reeves (Rose-Reeves Productions) in association with Elephant Collective

Engineered by Evan Reeves

Mixed by Patrick Tracy

Additional mixing by Max Nordby

Recorded at Elephant Collective Studios, Boulder, CO

Musicians:
Emily Yates – Vocals, Ukulele
Darren Garvey – Percussion, Guitar
Mekenzie Solidago – Cello, Vocals
Erik Yates – Flute

with special guest Elliott Garvey as The Witch

New pre-release single: “You’re The Enemy,” Warrior Songs Vol. 2

Embed for Youíre the Enemy
A few months ago I wrote and recorded “You’re The Enemy,” a song about Military Sexual Trauma (MST), for the non-profit Warrior Songs‘ new compilation album Women At War. The album will be released in a couple months but in light of current events, we have decided to pre-release my song digitally now. You can stream it above and/or download with a pay-what-you-want option:

https://warriorsongs.org/track/1564039/you-re-the-enemy

This song is dedicated to all survivors of MST, especially those whose attackers have not had consequences.

Produced by Enion Pelta-Tiller & Emily Yates
Engineered by Andrew Gragg Lunsford at Mountain Star Studios – Black Hawk, CO on 04/19/2018
Baritone Ukulele & Lead Vocals : Emily Yates
Violin & Backing Vocals: Enion Pelta-Tiller
Upright Bass & Backing Vocals: Julie Gussaroff
Drums: Michelle Pietrafitta
Backing Vocals: Jenny Boykin Roe

I didn’t report being sexually assaulted in the military because I knew the investigation, if one even happened, would be even more demoralizing than being assaulted by people I knew.

I believe Dr. Christine Blasey Ford because there is no way in hell you can convince me a person would subject themselves to death threats AND the demeaning process of being questioned about past trauma by ridiculously-powerful frat boys unless they were either telling the truth or on a masochistic search for truly cruel and unusual punishment.

I believe survivors. I want justice for survivors. I am a survivor.

Lyrics:

They say that you’re my battle buddy
They say that you’re my friend
That I’ll never have to make you answer
To the business end
Of this weapon I was issued
To give terrorists their due
But what if the terrorist is you

I was trained to fight,
To kill and to die
But never thought that I’d be fighting
Someone on my side
If we were taking fire I’d trust you with my life
If we’re alone there’s one hand on my knife

Chorus:
Even if I wore a skirt
And not a uniform
You’d have no, right, to treat me like
You won me in this war
They say we’re on the same team
Wonder when you’ll try to rape me
Maybe you’re the enemy (x2)

Oooooooh fuck nooo
Oooooooh fuck nooo
Oooooooh fuck nooo
Oooooooh fuck nooo

Of course you’re in my unit
Of course I know your name
I see you all the places
I go every day
I can’t get away from you
My contract says I’m stuck
All the walls are closing in, I’m … outta luck

Even if I wore a skirt
And not a uniform
You’d have no right to treat me like
You won me in this war
They say we’re on the same team
Wonder when you’ll try to rape me

Maybe you’re the enemy
Maybe you’re the enemy
That deployment we got drunk
You knew I couldn’t tell a soul
Drinking vodka that we got
From some disgruntled joe
I shoulda known I’d wake up
With you taking off my pants
Shoulda known that all you needed was the chance

Even if I wore a skirt
And not a uniform
You’d have no right to treat me like
You won me in this war
We were on the same team
Then you tried to fucking rape me
Now I see you’re the enemy
Now I see you’re the enemy

Oooooooh fuck nooo
Oooooooh fuck nooo
Oooooooh fuck nooo
Oooooooh fuck nooo

Listen: KPFA radio, 8/14/15 (w/Country Joe McDonald)

I had the opportunity to have a conversation and fun singalong on KPFA-Berkeley’s “Living Room” program with Kris Welch and Country Joe McDonald, as a promo piece for the Berkeley Protest Festival. Our segment begins at 27:47 if you don’t have time to listen to the whole broadcast, but I hope you do. (Here’s a link to the segment on KPFA.org.)

Listen to my Arizona shows!

I was lucky to have an experienced taper in my entourage for my Arizona mini-tour, so thanks to Chris San Clemente, you can listen to my shows even if you weren’t able to be there. Check ’em out:
May 1 – Flagstaff, Historic Brewing Co (set 1, set 2, encore)
May 2 – Phoenix, Fiddler’s Dream Coffeehouse (full set)
May 3 – Phoenix, Cactus Jack’s (set 1, set 2)