Whether you’re a fan of punk, pop, or electronic music, you are probably familiar with Emily Whitehurst. Emily’s foray into the music scene began when she fronted the punk rock band Tsunami Bomb, travelling the world in the mid-2000s and presenting herself as “Agent M.” Gradually, her interests shifted from punk to pop, prompting her to experiment with synth pop in The Action Design. The group’s existence was short-lived, however, as they released an album and a couple singles before going silent. Finding herself in a position to start anew yet again, Emily returned as one-half of the electronic indie pop duo Survival Guide. After releasing their debut album, Way to Go, in 2015, Survival Guide was heading down the path of dissolvement. It took time for Emily to warm up to the idea of continuing the project as a solo act, but after finding her footing as a solo writer and performer, she decided to take the reins.
Over the past five years, Emily has flaunted the new solo stylings for Survival Guide through 2018’s Live and Alone (Acoustic) and 2021’s Request Hotline, Vol. 1. With Request Hotline, Vol. 1, fans heard covers of classic hits like “99 Red Balloons” and “Borderline,” repurposed to fit in the luminous indie pop realm of Survival Guide. Just last month, Emily teased the continuation of the album with Request Hotline, Vol. 1.5. It is a limited 7-inch pressing of only 500 copies on colorful vinyl, so if you are trying to look for it on digital platforms, you are out of luck. For those eager to get their hands on one, though, they will find upbeat dance renditions of AFI and piano-guided interpretations of Misfits songs.
Keen to end the FOMO associated with Request Hotline, Vol. 1.5, Emily is treating fans to the highly anticipated Request Hotline, Vol. 2. The album features the AFI and Misfits tracks found on Request Hotline, Vol. 1.5, along with seven other punk covers. While she puts her own electronic flair on hits by Avril Lavigne, Green Day, and The Runaways, Emily does so without losing the heart of each song. You can listen to it below.
Request Hotline, Vol. 2 is a digital release only, so you can check it out on platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.
Request Hotline, Vol. 1.5 can be purchased here.
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