Originally a child prodigy and displaying perfect pitch, she started playing the violin at age 4, and was trained at various music conservatories in the US and abroad in music history, music theory, composition, and conducting. She enrolled at the Colburn School of Performing Arts at age ten, and quit general education grammar school altogether shortly thereafter, educating herself at home. She first performed professionally at age 12 during a tour of the UK, and hasn't stopped since. At 15, Emilie enrolled at the prestigious Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana but left after two years when a scandal occurred, the reason for which is unknown.

Returning home to Los Angeles, Emilie's interests spread to early music (period performance of Baroque and Renaissance) as well as rock, industrial, metal, and, in particular, gothic music. She was signed to a label during this time, but left her deals due to issues of artistic control. She independently released a classical album, .

Emilie went on to develop her vocal skills and relocated to Chicago to established her own label, Traitor Records, releasing a classical violin recording, On a Day..., as well as her unique brand of gothic-alternative with albums such as Enchant (2003).

Though an active performer and recording artist with a cult-following of her own, Emilie gained notoriety in 2003 when she was discovered by former Hole frontwoman, Courtney Love, who brought Emilie to France to work on her debut solo album, America's Sweetheart. Emilie then toured with Courtney's all-female band, The Chelsea, making appearances on The Tonight Show and The Late Show with David Letterman. Through Courtney, Emilie became acquainted with Billy Corgan. When The Chelsea's tour was halted due to Love's multiple legal issues, Emilie returned to Chicago and began working with Corgan. "DIA," a song from his solo album TheFutureEmbrace, features her violin playing and backing vocals. On December 23, 2004, Emilie performed with Corgan and Dennis DeYoung on the WGN Morning Show in Chicago. She continued to work with him until the spring of 2005. As a part of her punktorian fashion label WillowTech House, she designed costumes for his "Walking Shade" video in March 2005. They severed ties soon after that. Despite the rumors, Emilie and Billy are not, nor ever were they dating. Proof of this can be found on her official fan forum.

In August 2005, Emilie announced the pre-sales of her poetry book entitled Your Sugar Sits Untouched. The book, along with a companion CD recording, was released in October 2005.

Emilie was finally able to return to working on her own album in September 2005. She began the full-time recording of Opheliac at Mad Villain Studios in Chicago. Her new work is in a darker and more aggressive vein than her previous work, incorporating the industrial genre, growling vocals and her trademark violin into a new genre she has coined "Victoriandustrial." In late 2005 she added a backup band to her lineup, consisting of cellist Lady Joo Hee and another vocalist, whom she refers to as The Bloody Crumpets.

Emilie and the Bloody Crumpets performed the new material on the WGN Morning Show on January 12, 2006, followed by a sold-out performance at the DoubleDoor on the 13th. While the full Opheliac album is in label negotiations, a special fans-only EP was released in Spring 2006 under her own label.

Emilie Autumn was featured in an episode of HGTV's That's Clever (then Crafters Coast To Coast), creating a pair of "Floral Tea Party Fairy Wings" and sushi soap available from her fashion/lifestyle label WillowTech House