How to Be Emo

Learn about emo. To be emo, you need to understand emo; it helps to know your history on the subculture if you're claiming to be part of it. Contrary to mainstream belief, emo does not mean emotional and is a subgenre of hardcore punk and post-hardcore.^[4] standing for 'emotive hardcore'. Originating from the Washington D.C hardcore punk scene in the mid-80s,^[5] the first printed use of the term "emo-core" was first said to be used in Thrasher magazine.^[6] It describes bands who used a more confessional, self-questioning, and personal approach to lyrical themes as opposed to the confrontational and politically-charged themes^[7] of its parent genre. Other facts about emocore include:

• The Beach Boys' 1966 album Pet Sounds was labeled "the first emo album" by Treblezine's Ernest Simpson.^[8]
• Minor Threat fan Guy Picciotto despised the heightened violence in the hardcore punk scene, so he formed Rites of Spring, known as the first emo band, in 1984 to turn the focus back to the individual. To add to their legacy, they were only documented performing 15 times in two years before their disbandment in 1986.^[9]
• In 1980, Ian Mackaye founded the Dischord records label where it signed many Washington D.C hardcore punk bands. Later on, it went onto sign Mackaye and Picciotto's iconic band Fugazi. Fugazi was not emo, drawing in elements of hardcore, funk, and jazz instead^[10] , but they did inspire emo bands in the mid-90s to abandon conventional hardcore roots.^[11]
• Minor Threat member Ian Mackaye eventually became a fan/roadie of the band and then created his own; Embrace who followed the same characteristics of Rites of Spring. However, they hated being called 'emo'.^[12]
• Revolution Summer 1985. An attempt deliberately sought by bands like Gray Matter, Beefeater, Dag Nasty, and Soulside to break the limitations of hardcore punk in favor of a fresh idea of creativity.^[13]

Know the subgenres of emo. Emo did not so much evolve but grew offshoots and subgenres instead. The original emocore sound is still around but as the decades went on, other bands who became part of the scene added and exchanged characteristics. That being said, if you're more into one emo style than another, it doesn't matter because it's still emo. Here are the subgenres of emo:

• Emocore: short for emotive hardcore, the original style of emo which grew from the Washington D.C hardcore punk scene in the mid-80s with Rites of Spring and Embrace. Other bands followed suit such as Gray Matter and Fire Party, who was termed "the world's first female-fronted emo band".^[14]
• Post-emo indie rock/Midwest emo: emo was reinvented in the 90s, becoming more melodic and mixed with indie rock to create a softer sound. A perfect example of this sound is Sunny Day Real Estate's 1994 album Diary. Midwest emo was popular enough to form a small subculture surrounding the genre, and was more romantic than emo had ever been.^[15]
• Emo Pop: emo-pop is a fusion genre of emo and pop-punk. The genre's characteristics include more concise, hook-filled choruses, high-pitched melodies, and lyrical themes addressing adolescence, relationships, and heartbreak.^[16] Pioneers include The Get Up Kids, The Promise Ring, and Jimmy Eat World, whose single The Middle broke the mainstream in the 00s.
• Screamo: a misunderstood genre originating from San Diego cafe in California, 1991 with bands like Heroin and Antioch Arrow.^[17] The style has more aggressive styled vocals, unconventional song structures, and lyrical themes of human rights, politics, romantic interest, and emotional pain. The genre is incredibly influenced by hardcore punk. Some sub-genres of screamo include Emoviolence, Sasscore, Post-rock/Screamo, Blackened Screamo, and Skramgaze.^[18]

Appreciate Emo music. Start finding emo bands to listen to, and start expanding your music taste. To understand what emo sounds like, try out the most popular and stable albums and bands of the genre:

• Emocore: Rites of Spring - End on End (1991), Embrace - self titled (1987), Gray Matter - Food for Thought (1990), Dag Nasty - Can I Say (1986), Moss Icon - Lyburnum Wits End Liberation Fly (1994).
• Post-emo indie rock/Midwest emo: Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary (1994), Texas is the Reason - Do You Know Who You Are? (1996), Christie Front Drive - self-titled (1997), The Promise Ring - 30° Everywhere (1996) and Cap'n Jazz - Analphabetapolothology (1998). Other famous Midwestern emo bands include American Football and Mineral.^[19]
• Emo Pop: The Get Up Kids - Something to Write Home About (1999), Thursday - Full Collapse (2001), Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American (2001), Panic! at the Disco - A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005), You Me At Six - Take Off Your Colours (2008).
• Screamo: Circle Takes The Square - As The Roots Undo (2004), Touché Amoré – Is Survived By (2013), City of Caterpillar - self-titled (2002), Pg.99 - Document #8 (2001), Funeral Diner - Difference of Potential (2000)^[20] and Orchid - Dance Tonight! Revolution Tomorrow! (2000). Antioch Arrow is another popular screamo band.^[21]
  • Check out Sophie's Floorboard blog. You can download emo/screamo/hardcore albums from here, although you must remember that not everything is supposed to be free and if you can find either a physical copy of the files to buy you should.
  • Create accounts on Last.fm, SoundCloud, SoundClick, Bandcamp, Pandora, YouTube, and other music streaming sites to find more modern and lesser-known emo bands. Make sure that the bands are emo, though, by identifying their characteristics.

Tell the difference between emo and other subcultures. Some other subcultures that get confused with emo are scene and goth.

• Emo is a subculture that is based around music.^[22] It has a longer history than scenes and deals with emotions, self-expression, and self-exploration. Being emo means you understand your roots, listen to emo music and participate in the community.
• Scene is a subculture that emerged from members of the chav subculture in England experimenting with alternative fashions.^[23] It is a mixture of several styles including emo, indie pop, rave, and punk fashions. Scenes tend to wear brighter colors, and have teased/backcombed hair which may feature "cool tails". Scene kids tend to listen to music genres like metalcore, deathcore, and crunkcore,^[24] as opposed to emo kids who listen to emo genres.
• Goth is a subculture that emerged from the British post-punk scene in the late 70s/early 80s. Goths primarily listen to goth rock, cold wave, deathrock, and darkwave music. Bela Lugosi's Dead, the 1979 single by Bauhaus was said to be the birth of the music genre^[25] , and the Batcave, a nightclub opened in 1982^[26] , the birth of the subculture.

Develop a passion for different kinds of music. Generally speaking, all emo music has two things in common: big, sweeping, extremely melodramatic guitar-based music, either aggressive and harsh or acoustic and gentle, that contain confessional or explicitly personal lyrics, often about heartbreak and loneliness. The Used doesn't sound much like Death Cab for Cutie which doesn't sound anything like Jawbreaker. They're all emo bands. Pick the sounds you like and don't listen to what you don't like.

• If you want to dress emo and listen to Sunny Day Real Estate, go for it. If you also have Lady Gaga, Johnny Cash, and Cannibal Ox on your iPod, that doesn't make you any less emo. A real "emo" is someone who listens to emotive hardcore music and genres surrounding it, so as long as you're into emo, you are emo.
• While a guy with dark hair and eyeliner listening to Dashboard Confessional in Columbus, OH might be considered emo by a lot of people, the California blonde who surfs and listens to Dashboard Confessional might consider herself emo as well. Treat this as an opportunity for everyone to appreciate the music as appearance doesn't matter.

Look to the bands for tips. For tips about music, definitions of "emo," and fashion, check out the guys and gals making the music for advice. See who they listen to, who they're influenced by, what they read, and what they recommend. Learn straight from the source.

• Read Nothing Feels Good by Andy Greenwald, a book highlighting the history of emo.

Go to shows. Originally, emo was a small local scene that attracted national attention. In this way, a movement started that's now global. Get back in touch with that original impulse by hanging around the local shows in your own backyard. It's one thing to go to the Warped Tour and check out the national bands you hear, but it's another to check out and support local emo bands who are trying to get started.

• Volunteer to help out at all-ages shows and DIY clubs to put on gigs. Hand out fliers and befriend other bands. Check out local zines and participate in the scene.

Cultivate a creative persona. In general, the emo subculture values the arts. Painting, making music, writing, and expressing yourself creatively are all important ways to participate in the emo subculture. Find a way to express yourself and devote your free time to perfecting your art. Write poetry and turn your words into songs. Write reviews of emo music and start a music blog.

Consider picking up an instrument. Being able to play music by yourself or in a band would give you huge credibility and would be a fun way to engage with emo more directly. Start writing your own songs and playing your own music and you'll be actively participating in the creative culture.

• Try playing the bass or guitar, or perhaps even the violin, which sounds amazing in emo songs if you invest enough time in it. The drums might also be a very good instrument because drummers are in regular demand for all sorts of bands.