The Origins Of Emo

The emo subculture originally stemmed from the hardcore punk scene way back in the 1980’s. Before the long fringe, tight clothing and straight-edge lifestyle, emo was a little more aggressive; in fact, the way of life was probably closer to punk.

History
As a musical style, emo is defined as punk rock with melody and introspective lyrics. During the 90’s the subculture began to take on a life of its own and trailing behind, as always, was a style guide. But unlike the black leather and colourful Mohawk haircuts, the emo style of punk was more “geeky.” Emo kids commonly wore horned rimmed glassed, Converse All Stars and jeans.

During the late 90’s and early 00’s, emo was without a doubt the most common alternative styles. With the emergence of Los Angeles pop-punk bands such as Good Charlotte, came the more Gothic fusion. During this era many of the originals, who were fans of the harder groups such as Black Flag and the Ramones, shunned emo for its commercial appeal.

Nowadays the emo style has toned down and focuses more on its routes than the late 90’s Gothic approach that made so many turn their back on the genre. Side parted hair, thick framed glasses, tight jeans and hi-tops are commonly worn by both sexes. Since cult band At the Drive In, many have even opted for the Omar Rodriguez afro.

Music
The influence of hardcore legends Fugazi, Rites and Spring and Hüsker Dü can’t be ignored. Although all of these bands failed reach heights of commercial fame, virtually every famous modern emo band credits them for their success.

Emo music never reached a commercial level until the early 90’s; at the same time the Seattle scene was exploding. Many bands of this era were hugely inspired by the hardcore scene and based their musical style on the energy of punk with the riffs of heavy metal. This fusion of dirty rock spawned grunge.

When the grunge scene started to die down during the mid-90’s the skate-punk scene began to emerge as Green Day and Blink 182 reached commercial heights. At the time it was difficult to distinguish the skate-punk and emo style as many followers of each subculture crossed paths.

Emo Today
Emo has produced a number of different subcultures, such as screamo. This more aggressive form of emo started in the early 90’s in San Diego. Composition of screamo music usually consists of fast guitars, chaotic stage shows and screaming vocals. Emo-pop is another genre that managed to reach the mainstream. In fact, many of the most popular emo bands, such as Jimmy Eat World, are actually emo-pop as opposed to traditional emo. While the principle look remains the same throughout each genre, there are subtle changes, often through the use of colour.

If you are on the hunt for some traditional emo clothing, take a look at Soho’s. We stock a range of products suitable for every alternative style.