24-Year-Old Singer/Songwriter Emily Hearn Hits No.5 On iTunes Chart

By Alexandra Brown on March 23, 2015

As of March 10, 24-year-old Athens, Georgia, native Emily Hearn’s second album, “Hourglass,” had reached No. 8 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart. And after talking to her, I learned that it actually ended up peaking at No.5.

Photo via Mary Caroline Russell

But getting into music was never the original plan, according to Hearn.

“I didn’t grow up with a dream of becoming a singer/songwriter. I actually wanted to be a journalist.”

Hearn had initially applied to the University of Georgia in Athens, and had been accepted. She studied journalism, but ended up switching majors three different times.

“When I finally quit school, I was a sociology major,” she said.

She ended up staying in school through the second semester of her junior year, but ended up leaving after opportunities arose to pursue a music career.

“I felt like I had to choose,” she said.

Hearn made her first EP as a sophomore in college; after playing a couple of songs around Athens, Georgia, she started getting touring options.

“One day I want to go back to school, though, just for fun. I love school. I think I’ll go back one day and study graphic design.”

Her senior year of high school was when she first started experimenting with songwriting, and playing the piano, after teaching herself how to play the guitar.

“That’s when I fell in love with writing music,” she said. “I’ve always loved to write. In high school I loved English class; I would write short stories on my own. I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I think one day I’ll even write a book,” she said.

When her second album, “Hourglass,” debuted on March 10, she was ecstatic.

Photo via Mary Caroline Russell

“I was so excited, I couldn’t believe it. It had been almost two years since I released any music, so I was a bit nervous, but it couldn’t have gone better,” she said, adding, “People were tweeting at me for three days!”

Until “Hourglass,” Hearn had written and co-written songs, like her first EP, “Promises,” which was written with three people who were complete strangers, she said. The EP was full of songs about her wedding, and other personal memories she had that she wanted to express in her writing.

Photo via Mary Caroline Russell

A lot of tracks on “Hourglass” were written with her husband Michael Harrison, Hearn said.

“He’s a great musician and he’s talented in different ways than I am, so it’s a great combination.”

When asked which track on “Hourglass” she was most proud of, Hearn replied, “My very favorite is track 3, ‘Oak Tree,’ which is basically the song that provided all the inspiration for the whole album.”

“The song is about the feelings of growing up, not knowing where to go, and just seeing time go by quickly and out of your control. It’s a coming-of-age song.”

The media has described Hearn’s music as pop/folk/country, and she definitely agrees that it’s a combination of these genres.

“It might be a little bit tough to label the music of Emily Hearn …We just prefer to call it good, and maybe a little bit eclectic,” Billboard said.

“I think I’m a combination of all of my influences; I grew up in a small, southern town listening to country music,” Hearn said.

Hearn, however, didn’t necessarily want to be tied down by this specific genre because of its already enormous impact on her life.

“At first I didn’t want to be a country artist, so I tried hard to stay away from those influences. But I’ve accepted that it’s a huge part of who I am. I definitely consider myself heavily influenced by country, pop and folk.”

“Hourglass,” produced by Chad Copelin and written with Hearn’s bassist husband Michael Harrison, is composed of a collection of songs that include almost two years of conversations, inspirations and defining moments in Hearn’s life, and has really set her up for big-time success.

Hearn’s songs may sound familiar, as they’ve been heard in over 30 television shows, movies and commercials, including ABC Family’s “Switched At Birth,” and MTV’s “Finding Carter.”

Hearn will be touring for the album for three months to play several dates spanning from late March to mid-May 2015. She’ll be touring with Tyrone Wells and will be hitting over 34 markets throughout the United States. (See tour dates below!)

If you’re looking to discover new music by new artists, or just want to explore, go check out and purchase “Hourglass,” available now on iTunes. Also, if you want to know more about Emily Hearn, check her out on social media at @emilyhearn for Instagram and Twitter, Emily Hearn for her Facebook page, and at her website, emilyhearn.com.

TOUR DATES WITH TYRONE WELLS:

3/18 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent

3/20 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater

3/21 – Seattle, WA – Neumos

3/22 – Spokane, WA – The Bartlett

3/24 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory

3/26 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s

3/27 – San Luis Obispo, CA – SLO Brewing Company

3/28 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues

4/7 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom

4/9 – Dallas, TX – The Kessler Theatre

4/10 – Houston, TX – House Of Blues- Bronze Peacock

4/11 – Austin, TX – The Parish

4/14 – Birmingham, AL – WorkPlay Theatre

4/16 – Orlando, FL – The Social

4/17 – Atlanta, GA – Eddie’s Attic

4/23 – Atlanta, GA – Eddie’s Attic

4/24 – Nashville, TN – City Winery

4/25 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle- Back Room

4/29 – Washington, DC – The Hamilton

5/1 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall

5/2 – Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live Downstairs

5/3 – New York, NY – City Winery

5/4 – New York, NY – City Winery

5/6 – Indianapolis, IN – Radio Radio

5/7 – Chicago, IL – City Winery

5/8 – Evanston, IL – SPACE

5/9 – Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural Center

5/10 – Iowa City, IA – The Mill

5/12 – Denver, CO – The Soiled Dove

5/13 – Denver, CO – The Soiled Dove

5/14 – Provo, UT – Velour

5/16 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues

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