Lee Emi releases her debut solo album, ‘Destroy Everything,’ a collection shaped by questions of identity, belonging, illness, and grief. Known to fans of the Michigan indie quartet The Crane Wives as Emilee Petersmark, she draws on her birth name, Lee Sang-Eun, for a project that brings her personal history into sharper focus. Her single, ‘Smoke in Empty Rooms,’ offers a glimpse into the album’s quieter side.

The 11-track record took shape during a period that included the COVID-19 pandemic, a diagnosis of a rare kidney disease, and Emi’s continuing search for a connection to her Korean heritage as an adoptee raised in Michigan. Together, these experiences give the project its emotional urgency. Across the album, she examines what she has carried for years and what she might need to leave behind. 

‘Smoke in Empty Rooms’ rests on a foundation of dusty Americana, driven by spacious acoustic guitar that leaves room for its metaphorical smoke to drift through. Emi delivers it with a deep, folksy quality, bringing a stripped-down blues weight that shifts into a brooding, melancholic cadence reminiscent of Nirvana’s ‘Heart-Shaped Box.’ The arrangement begins with an intimate focus on her vocals and guitar before layered harmonies enter, allowing her sharp songwriting and soaring voice to take centre stage.

The song explores the crushing weight of grief in isolation, the feeling of powerlessness, and the desperate need for physical connection in times of tragedy. It reflects Emi’s fear of losing someone without ever getting the chance to say goodbye. Throughout the track, quiet sadness develops into a claustrophobic urge to escape from spiraling thoughts.

That struggle takes other forms across the album. On ‘Black Hole,’ Emi pushes against self-doubt with the hope of becoming something brighter, while “Empty Spaces” traces the fear of letting a long-suppressed part of herself be heard. ‘Clean Slate’ turns toward the possibility of starting over. Together, these songs reveal the album’s broader emotional range, moving from isolation toward self-doubt, hope, and the possibility of starting over.

Lee Emi will celebrate the release of ‘Destroy Everything’ with a show at The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids, MI, on October 3. Her November tour begins in Columbus, OH, on November 6, and continues through the East Coast and Midwest, with stops  in Philadelphia, Towson, Albany, and NYC, followed by dates in Boston, Buffalo, and Cleveland. Emi will then return to her home state for shows at Ferndale’s Magic Bag and Kalamazoo’s Bell’s Backroom before closing the tour in Chicago. Find tickets HERE.