Emilee Petersmark releases solo album Destroy Everything, starts East Coast tour

Emilee Petersmark is launching a new musical chapter with the release of her solo debut album, Destroy Everything. The record, which dropped earlier this month, marks a distinct departure from her primary band, The Crane Wives, allowing Petersmark to explore deeply personal themes in a separate artistic space.

Her solo project, known as Lee Emi, kicks off an East Coast tour on November 6 in Columbus, Ohio. The 17-date run concludes on November 22 in Chicago. The tour includes a stop at Thunderbird Music Hall in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood on November 7. The band Cal in Red will open the show and serve as the backing ensemble for Petersmark.

The album addresses topics Petersmark felt were too intimate for her main band. These themes include her search for identity, isolation during the pandemic, and her battle with a rare kidney disease. Petersmark explained that The Crane Wives had been touring rigorously for four to five years before taking a hiatus in 2019. During that break, she was diagnosed with the kidney condition and struggled with losing in-person community support.

Petersmark, who was born in Seoul and adopted at a young age, used the project to reclaim her Korean identity. She adopted the stage name Lee Emi, placing her surname first in accordance with traditional Korean naming conventions. It has taken her nearly 40 years to feel that her birth name truly belongs to her. The solo project provides a dedicated space for this exploration, separate from the work she has done with The Crane Wives for almost 17 years.

The recording process took place in the studio of Ben Zito, the bassist and manager for The Crane Wives. Zito created a small workspace for Petersmark and her family to record the album during the pandemic. Petersmark said the isolation of being trapped in her home for an extended period forced her to confront the possibility that she might not travel again. This uncertainty funneled new perspectives into songs she had written years earlier but left unused in a digital file.

Petersmark also released an art book accompanying the album. The collection features self-portraits and introspective illustrations from her time of isolation. She stated that visual art helped process emotions that music alone could not resolve, filling gaps in her therapeutic journey while she was frequently hospitalized.

The track Clean Slate explores the concept of starting over. Petersmark, who began piano training at age 3 using the Suzuki method, noted that classical practice involves repetition and starting over after mistakes. She realized that a true fresh start is impossible because artists bring their accumulated experiences and knowledge into every new work. The album title, Destroy Everything, draws on the idea of clearing out old growth to make room for new life, similar to how forest fires prepare the ground for healthier growth.

Petersmark is already working on a second album. She has accumulated new material that she plans to perform during her current November tour. She described collaborating with a new group of musicians as a refreshing change after nearly two decades with The Crane Wives. The Crane Wives are currently on a winter break, a timing Petersmark said allowed her to feel ready to launch her solo project.