Nashville-based singer songwriter Emily Hackett releases her EP My Version Of A Love Song, the follow up to her 2019 album "By The Sun/By The Moon." The 6-track EP is a collection of songs that demonstrates Hackett's knack for confessional & detailed songwriting, while also showcasing her ability to seamlessly navigate different genres. After receiving acclaim from the likes of Billboard and American Songwriter, which called the My Version Of A Love Song EP "an eclectic compilation of love notes," this EP marks a new chapter for Emily Hackett as she leans further into a new, pop-infused sound. Download/stream the EP HERE.
As a collection, the songs from My Version Of A Love Song all have an overarching theme of love and the different forms it can take. After writing the title track "My Version Of A Love Song," Hackett noticed the same concept appearing over and over. "I started to see a pattern in some of my favorite songs I’d written over the last couple years and after writing “My Version of a Love Song” with Davis, I realized that was the best way to explain it. All of these songs have their own little way of expressing love, not always in most anticipated of ways, but always in the most honest. They all represent who I am in my relationships better than I’ve ever been able to describe in prose."
Throughout the EP, Hackett creates tension between each track as she explores the different emotions that arise when someone is in love. Songs like "Hangovers & Heartbreak" and "Can't Help Myself" are two sides of the same coin, whereas "Handle" and "How The Hell" have the same themes flickering throughout. "They all intertwine in different ways, or have sister-songs, like “Hangovers & Heartbreak” is about the love you keep coming back for even though you know it won’t last, while “Can’t Help Myself” is kind of the opposite in the sense its the love you keep trying to give yourself, only to fall back into unhealthy mindsets. Both have you starting from the bottom again. Then there’s “Handle” and “How The Hell,” which both are about the same person in my life, and both have a self-deprecating element to them, one where I’m purely undeserving and one where I’m making a statement that from here on out, I’m really trying."
The tour de force of the EP is the final track called "Expecting." On the track, Hackett zeroes in on the antiquated idea of women having to decide whether to follow their careers or choose to have children. “'Expecting” is more of the wildcard on the album," explained Emily. "I wrote it with Hadley Kennary only a week before we turned it in for the release. I wasn’t anticipating writing something for the record that night, but by the time we finished, it felt like it was part of the family. Women so often talk privately together about their many fears of having kids, but for years it's been kind of taboo to do so publicly, or you feel judged if you aren’t thrilled to procreate. Sometimes you get pregnant before you’re really ready and if you go through with it, you have to mentally prepare to rearrange your whole life, in a bigger way than the man in the relationship ever will. The way we framed the song though, leaves a tiny glimmer of hope and wonder, which is what having a baby is really all about. So to me, that wonder is the first feeling of love you’ll ever feel for your kid."
My Version Of A Love Song Tracklist
Hangovers & Heartbreaks
My Version Of A Love Song
Handle
How The Hell (Michael's Song)
Can't Help Myself (Feat. Hardcastle)
Expecting
Emily performed last night as a part of the #TeamJoeSings event in support of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. She, along with other artists including Jason Mraz, Chromeo, OKGO, Dispatch, Lisa Loeb and more, combined forces for the virtual Youtube event to encourage people to get out and vote. Watch Emily's performance HERE.
Stay tuned on all things Emily Hackett by visiting her website at www.emilyhackett.com.
