Emma Ruth Rundle

Emma Ruth Rundle (born October 10, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and visual artist based in Portland, Oregon.

Formerly of the Nocturnes and Marriages, she has released five solo albums and is a member of Red Sparowes.

Rundle was born in Santa Monica, California and moved “back and forth between the Westside and Eastside” when she was growing up before attending Eagle Rock High School.

She was raised in Los Angeles with her younger sister in a household where a lot of folk music was played.

As a teenager, Rundle lived with her grandmother until the end of her life.

After a massive earthquake in her hometown, her mother took her into the legendary folk music store McCabe's and told her she could pick one instrument to rent for lessons.

She initially chose the Celtic harp before switching to guitar, and later went on to work at McCabe's for 13 years.

Following a year at CalArts and another year in New Zealand, she formed her first band, the Nocturnes, and released the Wellington EP (2008) and two albums, A Year of Spring (2009) and Aokigahara (2011).

Rundle also joined Red Sparowes and played on their third album, The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer, released by Sargent House on April 6, 2010.

She self-released an ambient guitar album, Electric Guitar: One, in 2011.

That same year, she formed the trio Marriages with Greg Burns and Dave Clifford, the latter who would be replaced by Andrew Clinco after the release of their first EP, 2012's Kitsune.

On January 7, 2013, she self-released the album Somnambulant, attributed to The Headless Prince of Zolpidem, which she described as "my somewhat anonymous downtempo, somewhat creepy electronic dark wave project".

It was later reissued in 2014 by Errant Child Recordings.

Rundle's second solo work, Some Heavy Ocean, was released on May 20, 2014, by Sargent House.

It was co-produced by Chris Common and recorded at the Sargent House studio.

Rundle lived at the studio complex as an artist-in-residence for the period.

The release was accompanied by a US tour with King Buzzo.

Rundle suffers from adenomyosis, which in part inspired the material on her third album, Marked for Death, produced by Sonny DiPerri.

They also released their first and only full-length album, Salome, in 2015.

It was released in October 2016 on Sargent House.

In January 2017, a split EP with Jaye Jayle, titled The Time Between Us, was announced, and the song "The Distance" was made available on streaming platforms.

The EP was released by Sargent House on February 24.

Rundle also released the song "Forever, As the Setting Son" on January 20, 2017, the date of Donald Trump's inauguration as United States president, with all proceeds donated to Planned Parenthood.

Rundle's fourth studio album, On Dark Horses, was released on September 14, 2018.

It featured contributions by Jaye Jayle members Evan Patterson and Todd Cook as well as Dylan Nadon.

Also in 2018, Rundle provided backing vocals for "Just Breathe", a song on American rock band Thrice's 2018 album Palms.

In August 2019, Roadburn Festival announced that Rundle was one of two curators for the 2020 edition.

In October 2020, she released a collaboration album with Thou, May Our Chambers Be Full.

She also composed the score for the Riley Stearns film Dual.

After a week-long stay in a mental health hospital helped her get sober from drugs and alcohol, she released her fifth studio solo album, Engine of Hell, in November 2021, to positive critical reception.

A live recording of Engine of Hell, titled Live At Roadburn, which she performed at the 2022's Roadburn Festival was released separately on July 7, 2023.

It was her first independently released album in thirteen years.

On April 8, 2022, she announced a follow-up album to her first album, Electric Guitar: One, titled EG2: Dowsing Voice.

Despite the name, the album is a departure from her first album and the rest of her discography, Rundle described it as a "weird art project".

Inspired by her stay in coastal Wales in the winter of 2020; where she also recorded the album.

it features fully improvised music with special attention towards experimental vocals that are devoid of conventional lyrics.

It was released on May 13, 2022.

Rundle struggled with drug addiction from the age of 12.

She was married to Jaye Jayle co-founder Evan Patterson.

They lived in Louisville, Kentucky.