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 countless liabilities of being human, ultimately transforming even the most painful feelings into something glorious.
 
It’s exactly that alchemy that recently found Hackett named one of CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2019—a distinction that’s helped launch the careers of luminaries like Kelsea Ballerini and Maren Morris. That announcement followed the release of her two-part EP By the Sun and By the Moon, both consisting of five tracks that represent Hackett’s debut album. By The Sun was 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 (Faith, Trisha, Shania)” and Billboard stating By The Moon’s “confessional lyrics and haunting vocals remain at the forefront of the project, as can be heard on standout songs like the soulful gospel-infused number “Worth the Weight” and heartbreaking piano ballad “Gave Him Away.”
 
Growing up outside Atlanta, she realized her passion for music as a little girl—thanks largely to her father, a former rock critic—and in sixth grade began writing songs of her own. Soon after graduating from Belmont University, Hackett found breakout success with “Take My Hand (The Wedding Song)”: a 2014 ballad she wrote especially for a friend’s wedding and recorded with Parachute’s Will Anderson, then saw shoot to #4 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart almost immediately after its release.
 
Since releasing By The Sun & By The Moon, Emily Hackett has been preparing for her next EP My Version Of A Love Song out this fall. The 6-track EP represents what American Songwriter calls “an eclectic compilation of love notes,” a collection of songs that showcases Hackett’s signature emotive songwriting while also touching on different forms of love. Not one to shy away from genre-bending, on My Version Of A Love Song Emily leans more than ever into a new, pop and folk-infused sound. 

The theme of love and the different representations it has is prevalent throughout the entire EP — from the deeply introspective track “Handle” about learning how accept and reciprocate love without shame to “Hangovers & Heartbreak,” a song about the challenges of letting go of someone you once loved. The title track “My Version of A Love Song,” which American Songwriter deemed “raw and honest,” serves as Hackett’s desire to finally write the most challenging song of all: her own introverted attempt at a classic love song. Its other half, “How The Hell (Michael’s Song),” further explores Hackett’s dedication to confessional storytelling; writing about not understanding how she ended up with a love she didn’t feel she deserved, but being grateful the universe brought them together. With a collaboration with fellow Nashville-based band Hardcastle on “Can’t Help Myself,” a song that Hackett wrote about the internal struggle to be better against the human tendency to continue with patterns that no longer serve us, My Version Of A Love Song has something for everyone — from the lovers to the lovesick.