Described as a pop powerhouse and unapologetic artist to watch, LA-based Emei unveils new candid, genre-bending EP ‘RABBITHOLE.’ Bound to resonate with the masses, Emei eloquently depicts the isolating turmoil of anxiety and panic attacks with an added layer of cinematic inspiration from Alice In Wonderland.
Without any prior Alice In Wonderland connection, the result of ‘RABBITHOLE’ offers keys to five different rooms representing five different parts of Emei’s mind. Across the five tracks, Emei taps into themes of fear, curiosity, acceptance, and adulthood.
‘RABBITHOLE’ accumulates Emei’s journal entries, vulnerable and raw yet timeless tunes portraying the inner workings of panic attacks and the lingering aftermath. The title track determinedly fights the mental stress of an active panic attack. Moving to the acoustic ‘9 LIVES,’ it opens up about the scenario-making anxiety playing with the fear-inducing possibility of people who love her giving up on her.
The current focus track ‘SUGARCOAT’ pushes the narrative of ‘everything will be fine’ to the extent of sugarcoating even the bad parts. On the final track, ‘THE PART’ embraces what’s to come and steps into Emei’s next chapter of adulthood.
Emei demonstrates an impeccable job of letting go of frustration in a cathartic manner with a high level of musicality, showing off her playfulness and versatility. To celebrate the release of ‘RABBITHOLE,’ Emei talks to Noctis about her newly announced 37-show 2025 tour, her mental health journey, and her admiration of Alice In Wonderland’s personality.
Your new EP, Rabbithole, came out today. As an artist, what emotions are you feeling ahead of a project’s release?
I am feeling antsy for it to come out, but I’m also nervous. I’m also excited for my fans to finally see the full world, but yeah, it’s definitely a mix of emotions. I’m definitely nervous as well. It’s always a strange feeling. It’s like exciting, but anxiety-inducing.
What chapter of your life does Rabbithole portray?
I would say I wrote this project from March of last year to April of this year, so chronologically, it’s kind of been the last year. It’s been like the end of my Cynical Tour, and then into coming back and figuring out what I want to release next, and the anxiety that comes with that, and then also the feeling of like, oh, now I have listeners, and I have people that I care very much about, and I care very much about what they think of me and all this stuff, and it feels like a growing up EP of sitting in what it’s like to be an artist and what it’s like to be me right now.
Was it always meant to be inspired by Alice in Wonderland?
I wrote this EP just about my life, just journal entries completely, with no Alice in Wonderland in mind. It was very much just me writing about my life. And then when I took a step back, probably around April, so about six months ago, I took a step back and looked at all my demos and realized that there was this world forming around Alice in Wonderland. And it’s funny because I’ve always loved writing music that feels a little bit otherworldly and a little bit fun and trippy at times, and a little cartoonish as well. And so it just landed in this perfect world. I’m really excited about how that’s a big part of this project.
What aspects of the movie did you resonate with the most?
I feel like the movie Alice in Wonderland is so fun because we see it through Alice’s perspective, and she’s supposed to be just a kid. I think she’s supposed to be like nine or ten—really just a kid, looking at this world with excitement, but also she’s scared and she’s nervous, but she’s also just curious. And I feel like that is my favorite part, her personality within the whole thing. And then also just how everything is a bit larger than life, like the singing flowers and the cat and everything. So yeah, I love the movie, and honestly, once the EP is out, I’ll probably rewatch it again too.
Rabbit Hole uncovers your experience with anxiety and panic attacks. Which songs felt the most transformative in regards to your mental health?
Transformative is an interesting word. I would say, I feel like The Part felt very much like me sharing my feelings about what it’s like to be a performer and an artist, but also it feels like a manifestation song where I’m like yea I can play the part, I really believe in myself, and I can do it. So yeah, I think that song felt really cathartic. And so did 9 Lives, because 9 Lives is just really honest and vulnerable. It felt like I was explaining this feeling I’ve always had, and by writing the song, it was explained to me.
Would you mind opening up about how you deal with your anxiety and panic attacks?
I recently have been meditating quite a bit, and that’s been very helpful for adding more peace into my life because I feel like I’m always rushed. I’m always running around with my head cut off, and I feel like just adding a little bit, like just ten minutes of my day for sitting and breathing is really, really helpful. I also think that surrounding yourself with people who are just supportive and love you and are there to help you through situations like that is always helpful. So yep, that’s how I deal with that.
Could you elaborate on the role of music in your mental health journey?
Yeah, music is just a way for me to journal. It feels like therapy. It feels like I go into rooms knowing what I kind of want to unpack, but I don’t really know the answer yet. Like, oftentimes I’ll be like, this situation bothered me, and I don’t know why, and I don’t know how I feel about it. And then, when we’re writing the song, I’m kind of revealing that part—kind of answering the questions that I have and diving into situations that left me feeling weird. The songs just help in that way. It’s like, one, it’s writing through my feelings, but also when I’m writing a happy song that always leaves me happier than when I started. So yeah, I’m super grateful that I can make music as part of my career. it’s really fun. It’s the best.
In your opinion, does finishing a project help with moving on and starting fresh?
Yes, definitely. Finishing a project is always helpful with like, this was a period of my life, and I am putting a pretty bow on it, and I’m sharing it with the world. And now I’m moving on to this next period of my life and what that looks like, and how I’m feeling through that. It does feel like each EP is a phase of my life that I’m living through. I am excited one day, though, to make an even longer project, perhaps an album, where that would just be an even greater phase of my life.
On this EP, you also touch upon the highs and lows of being a young woman. What would you warn the younger generation about, and what advice would you give to young girls aspiring to work in the public eye?
I think the most important thing is to be very careful with the people that you’re surrounding yourself with and making sure that you are picking people who support you and uplift you, people who you can be yourself around. Especially with working in the public eye, there’s so much distraction out there and so much stuff that can really get to your head. You can lose sense of who you are, what you’re doing, and what the point is. The point for me has always been, one, to share my music and make the thing that I love, but also to make sure I stay true to who I am and stay genuine to myself in my art and in my day-to-day life. A big part of that is just surrounding myself with people who really love me as I am.
Was being a musician always your dream?
Yes, I think being a musician was definitely always my dream. Well first and foremost, being a performer has always been my dream. And then music was something that I really took up when I was like fifteen, sixteen, and realized how much I loved writing. But I’ve always performed, I’ve always sung, I’ve always been into theatre and all this, since I was like eight or nine. It’s awesome that I get to be a musician, and I get to share this, and I get to perform. It’s really cool. It’s really special.
Looking back, what were some pivotal moments in your career that shaped you into the artist you are today?
I think my first headline show was a clicking moment for me. I realized yes I make music for myself, but I also make music for these lovely people. That’s what keeps me going and keeps me driven. Even with the visuals for Rabbithole, it was so fun making each video and paying attention to little details, because in the back of my head, I’m thinking I can’t wait to show my fans this. That has been a huge change in how I think about my creative process.
Next year, you will be heading on your headline UK, EU, and US tour. Is there anything you can tell us about the show as a little sneak peek for your fans?
I would say that a lot of the world that I’ve built for this EP will be coming on the road with us. I will definitely be playing songs from this project and from previous projects. We’re going to have so much fun, and it’s going to be a blast. The tour is where the project will find its true form and really shine. And I’m really excited to show my fans all of this in real life, on a stage, in person.”
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Words: Karolina Kramplova