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Emily Armstrong
Background information
Born	(1986-05-06) May 6, 1986 (age 38) Los Angeles
Genres	Rock punk
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, guitarist
Years active	2005-present
Labels	Pocket Kid Records, Warner Records
Member of	Dead Sara, Linkin Park

Emily Armstrong is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Described as a "punk-rock version of Robert Plant and Jim Morrison rolled into one," and "Janis Joplin for the arena rock age", she is the co-founder of Dead Sara.

Early life

Armstrong was born and raised in Los Angeles. She started to write songs and play guitar when she was 11 and began to sing when she was 15. She dropped out of high school; she knew she wanted to be in a rock band as soon as she picked up the guitar, and had no interest in pursuing anything else. In an interview with the El Paso Times in 2012, Armstrong said music was the one thing that kept her motivated in life.

Career

Dead Sara

In 2002, Armstrong began playing with guitarist Siouxsie Medley, who she met through a mutual friend. They had similar taste in music; both Medley and Armstrong were influenced by Nirvana and L7, among others, and 1960s and 1970s folk and blues artists and classic rock bands such as Led Zeppelin, Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell and Fleetwood Mac. As a songwriter, Armstrong was significantly influenced by folk rock. Her interest in open and alternate tunings such as those used by Mitchell, resulted in what Guitar World referred to as Dead Sara's signature sound. As a performer, she was influenced by artists including Iggy Pop and Janis Joplin.

Initially known as Epiphany, Dead Sara's first gig was at the Los Angeles nightclub The Mint in March 2005. In addition to singing, Armstrong played the bass. They toured for the first time in 2007, and in 2010 founded their own indie label, Pocket Kid Records, releasing Dead Sara, their full-length debut, on the label in 2012. The first single from the album, "Weatherman", was an indie rock hit. Following the album's release, in addition to playing support slots in the US and Europe for artists including Muse, Dead Sara were featured on the Warped Tour.

Dead Sara's second album, Pleasure to Meet You, and a 4-song EP, Covers, also came out on Pocket Kid. Covers included two versions of Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box", Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name", and Patti Smith's "Ask the Angels." In 2018, the EP Temporary Things Taking Up Space was released on Atlantic. They recorded their third album, Ain't It Tragic, during the COVID-19 lockdown. It was released on Warner Records in 2021.

Linkin Park

During a live performance on September 5th, 2024, Armstrong was confirmed as the new lead singer of Linkin Park .

Other recorded and live appearances

Armstrong received significant attention as a singer even before the release of Dead Sara's debut. Noting her "strong, urgent sound," Grace Slick said Armstrong was a singer she admired in an interview with the Wall Street Journal in 2011, and Courtney Love brought Armstrong to New York to sing on Hole's 2010 album, Nobody's Daughter. She has recorded and/or performed live with artists including The Offspring, Beck, Demi Lovato, Awolnation, and Robby Krieger of the Doors.

References

1. Mervis, S; Alpert, E (July 14, 2012). "Warped Tour All Punked Out as Usual". Pittsburgh Post Gazette (via ProQuest). Retrieved September 5, 2024.
2. Meiners, C. (December 19, 2018). "Utah's Best Concerts of 2018, According to Us". Deseret News (via ProQuest). Retrieved September 5, 2024.
3. Burger, David (September 24, 2012). "Song of the Day: X96 Big Ass Show performer Dead Sara's 'The Weatherman'". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
4. Pullen, Doug (May 22, 2012). "Dead Sara Rocks Up a Storm on New CD". El Paso Times (Retrieved via ProQuest).
5. Law, Sam (2022-05-11). "5 Reasons Why You Need to Check Out Dead Sara". Kerrang!. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
6. ^ Arrieta, Vincent (2022-04-14). "How Dead Sara take Joni Mitchell's approach to alternate tunings and apply it to the ferocious world of rock 'n' roll". Guitar World. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
7. "Entertainment - Technorati". technorati.com. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
8. Lymangrover, Jason. "Biography: Dead Sara". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
9. ^ Baltin, Steve (2012-03-28). "Dead Sara Gears Up for Breakout Year". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
10. Graff, Gary (2018-05-04). "Dead Sara Is Back With 'UnAmerican' Video From Upcoming EP: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
11. "How LA rock band Dead Sara found inspiration during the pandemic for album 'Ain't It Tragic'". Daily News. 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
12. Linkin Park (2024-08-31). Linkin Park: FROM ZERO (Livestream). Retrieved 2024-09-05 – via YouTube.
13. Myers, Marc (April 29, 2011). "She Chased White Rabbits". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
14. Punknews.org (2013-01-15). "Videos: The Offspring: "Gone Away" (w/ Emily Armstrong)". www.punknews.org. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
15. Ruggieri, Melissa. "Demi Lovato excavates demons with honesty on new album: 'I can't believe I'm not dead,' she sings". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
16. "AWOLNATION announce new album, unveil "Jump Sit Stand March" feat. Dead Sara's Emily Armstrong". Consequence. 2024-05-31. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
17. Baltin, Steve. "The Doors' John Densmore On Paying Tribute To Ray Manzarek, Supporting The Youth And More". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-09-05.