Australian artist and producer Hauskey has returned with his new mixtape, Emilee: Act I, the first of a three-part project via slowplay/Republic Records. The mixtape explores the highs and lows of Hauskey’s mental health journey over the past two years and musically personifies his struggle with depression. Listen to it now below.
On the mixtape, Hauskey says, “The project follows my mental health journey from low to high—from being suicidal to loving life again. There’s a song for every stage; from utter depression, to getting help, to dealing with my self-worth and body image, to seeing how things might be brighter.”
He shares the meaning behind Emilee saying, “I really wanted to name my depression and make it a character in the story. I landed on singing names ending with ‘e’ by chance, googled a few ideas and found Emilee means ‘rival, laborious’ and figured that fit pretty damn well. With my nemesis named, the song may as well have written itself.”
He continues, “Each act of the new mixtape is a stage of my journey with depression. In Act 1, Emilee and I are one, inseparable. She controls me, she is me. I introduce Emilee to the listeners with the title track – begging her to leave. I deal with suicidal feelings in ‘Face Down’, existential dread in ‘My Brain’s On Fire’, and the hopelessness that engulfs me in ‘Dead Inside’.”
Hauskey concludes, “I went from not wanting to live, to loving life, all in the space of six months. I’ve transformed my body and my mind. I quit drinking and started eating right. I went to the gym, started seeing a therapist, sleeping properly. I’m in no way the same person as I was in lockdown, and I’m super proud of it.”