Turning Heartbreak into a Community: How Emilee Moore Uses Her Music to Help Others Feel Less Alone

Singer and songwriter Emilee Moore grew up surrounded by music. Her mom played piano, her parents both could sing, and one of her brothers played guitar. Growing up in a musical family and being part of a church community meant Emilee was destined to be a musician. She began her classical piano training at six and was in band and choir throughout elementary and high school (where she also picked up the clarinet). Music was a constant and special part of her entire life, so it was no surprise when she decided to pursue music professionally. 

During her first soul-crushing heartbreak, she turned to music from Coldplay, Taylor Swift, Bon Iver, and John Mayer, but it was Adele’s “Someone Like You” that really touched Emilee. The powerful and raw lyrics from Adele made her feel less alone and she felt understood and seen with her pain. It was through this experience that Emilee realized the power of music and how it could help others feel less alone. She decided that she wanted to do what Adele did for her, to help people feel understood in what they are going through, especially heartbreak.

From there, Emilee started writing her own music and made it her mission to help others feel less alone and improve the mental health space through her songs and lyrics. 

Songwriting leads to a greater mission

Emilee describes herself as an emotional person saying, “I’ve always been a very emotional person and I think that’s always kind of made me feel quite isolated in a lot of life, especially when going through heartbreak. I’ve always taken things to heart in a deeper way than people around me… In moments I viewed my emotions as something that burdens others.” 

At one point, Emilee thought she was alone in these feelings, but through her heartbreak and songwriting, began to realize that others experience similar feelings as her. As Emilee continued to write, her mission with her music began to emerge. She is passionate about letting others know that it’s okay to feel sad and to feel emotions. You do not have to go through those feelings of sadness alone and there are other people in the world experiencing the same emotions. 

Emilee wrote her entire debut album about heartbreak and not feeling alone. Her first single, “Hanging On,” recently released on April 12th, is a raw and unfiltered view on her own heartbreak and heartbreak in general. The song discusses how hard it can be to let go of love and how moving on to the next relationship is difficult, but that it is okay to be stuck in these emotions. 

“I wanted to show people that it’s okay to hang onto something. It’s okay. You don’t have to get over it in a week or a month or a year even. [You can] take your time with it and process it in the way that you need to. You’re the only one that can tell you that you’re ready to move on,” Emilee explains. 

Taking her mission and music to new heights

Emilee has built a community around her music and her mission to help others feel less alone with her lyrics, but she started to dream bigger. She began brainstorming ideas to get her mission out in a way that people cannot miss. Call it a sign. That is when she came up with the idea of performing her single in front of a large billboard outside of one of the most well-known music festivals in the country, Coachella. 

To make the performance even more impactful, Emilee turned to her community and asked them to send in photos of objects they had trouble letting go of from past relationships. Hundreds of photos started pouring in and all of the photos were encased in a broken heart on the billboard to serve as a reminder that so many people are experiencing the same emotions and that you are not alone. 

The inspirational messages did not end there. Inside the festival Emilee set up tiny billboards throughout the grounds to further promote her music and mission. “My idea behind it was kind of like mini billboard, big message. I put more meaningful messages on these billboards with little QR codes with my song so hopefully it would lead people… to feel less alone.” 

Using music as a healing tool with mental health 

Music has been a central part of Emilee’s life. “Music’s been so important for me, for those moments you can’t put into words what you’re feeling but you need comfort. I think at the core that’s what music is. Either someone singing something relatable that you can connect with, or the feeling music brings. [Music] brings a sense of connection with something [that] is so powerful and that’s where music has been there for me in so many ways.” 

Emilee hopes through her music that others feel seen and heard, just like she did when she listened to Adele during her first heartbreak. Emilee wants to help people feel understood in their heartbreak and feelings. Heartbreak can play a huge impact on mental health and put you in a space you have never been before, but music can bring comfort and understanding. When words fail, music is there.

In addition to her music, Emilee is passionate about growing her community on social media and creating a safe space where others can feel free to express themselves and know they are not alone. She constantly interacts with her supporters through her Instagram Stories by asking questions and encouraging them to share their stories of heartbreak to help the greater community. 

When asked what message she would give to others experiencing heartbreak and may be struggling with their mental health she offered this uplifting message: “Let yourself feel those feelings. There’s no rush. It’s not a race and it’s important to be kind and gentle with yourself… It’s important to share what’s going on inside whether it’s with friends, family, co-workers, whatever it is. Share those feelings and get them out of your system and let someone know how you’re actually doing because the worst thing you can do is keep it to yourself… Reach out to someone and share what you’re going through… Be gentle with yourself. You’re doing your best and talk to someone if you can.” 

You can now stream Emilee’s single, “Hanging On” on most major music platforms. Her debut album will be released later this year.