S03,E05: Emily Hackett, Singer/Songwriter

Young Entertainment Professionals

Emily Hackett is the rare songwriter who doesn’t just pour her heart into her lyrics—she inspires every listener to reach a deeper honesty in their own lives. With her stunningly detailed storytelling, the Nashville-based artist sheds light on the liabilities of being human, transforming the most painful feelings into something glorious.

It’s exactly that alchemy that found Hackett named one of CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2019. That announcement followed the release of By the Sun: a five-track EP that marked the first half of Hackett’s debut album, hailed by Rolling Stone as a “smart meeting-point between early-Aughts pop, country’s current genre playfulness and the one-name women of the Nineties.” Her followup EP, By The Moon, centers on more emotionally thorny material, revealing the full scope of Hackett’s artistry.

Each song spotlights radiant vocal presence and vibrant musicality that Hackett’s honed her entire life. Growing up outside Atlanta, she realized her passion for music as a little girl—thanks largely to her father, a former rock critic. Hackett found breakout success with “Take My Hand (The Wedding Song)”: a ballad she wrote, recorded with Parachute front-man, then saw shoot to #4 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart directly upon release.

As Hackett’s songwriting expands, so does her sound, as made apparent in her 2020 single releases, “Hangovers and Heartbreak” and “My Version of a Love Song,” leading up to an awaited new EP release of the same title later this year. The lyrics, remain as forthright as ever, and in turn, the music lending itself closer to her acoustic-rock upbringing. Hackett continues to make it clear that she will not be confined to a genre. She intends on reaching the heart strings of whoever’s headphones she can sneak into.