Big lyrics and a sound to match. Emily Hurd’s creative and performance savvy is fresh, evocative, and bold. She cuts her songs from the stuff of life and then delivers them with strong vocals and vintage keys.
A little blues, a little gypsy, a little soul—Emily has comfortably arrived at a musical place that’s all her own. Punctuated rhythms, burgeoning swells, deep longing. Her rich and inflective voice fills each song with its own distinctive texture. She records mostly live on an old acoustic piano and likes the challenge of performance integrity in the recording studio.
Emily, a.k.a. “Emâ€, started playing piano at age six in the outskirts of Rockford, IL. Since then, music has never left her side, following her from private instruction in the classics, to some pretty serious study at Northwestern University, out to the East Coast on a culinary stint, and all the way back to Chicago where she lives today.
Fueled by boundless creativity, Emily has a flourishing repertoire of original songs and the stage presence to draw in a crowd. Her first record, “Lines,†was released in spring 2005 at Chicago’s ELBO ROOM, and songs like “Shadow,†“Sangria,†and “Wade†made it an impressive recording debut. Her second album "Potent One," was recorded in 2005 and released in spring 2006. From the defiance of the title track, to the swank and lustiness of “Cherry Blossom,†to the punch of “That and More,†the songs on this album exhibit Emily’s wide musical range.
With some of her best songs yet, “The Barefoot Session†was written, recorded, and manufactured while “Potent One†was off being wrapped up. One day in the studio and more than just a little help from some talented friends—this is one not to be missed. “Over Time,†“Just in Case,†and “The Silhouette Game†start the album out strong and it just keeps getting better as you listen on.
In the summer of 2005, Emily performed at outdoor festivals, including the PRINTERS ROW FESTIVAL and GRANT PARK’S MANIFEST, featuring Ozomatli. Both of these events drew crowds of more than 5,000. Her 2005/2006 performance resume also includes THE SUBTERRANEAN, THE OLD TOWN SCHOOL OF FOLK MUSIC, HI-TOPS BAR, DAVENPORT’S PIANO BAR, and a variety of smaller venues.
Emily has a full 2006 festival resume, which began with a high-charged main stage performance at the CHICAGO FOLK AND ROOTS FESTIVAL in July. She performs with Chicago band “Back Off The Hammer†at the MIDWEST MUSIC SUMMIT in Indianapolis in August, and she has two shows in September at Chicago’s AROUND THE COYOTE FESTIVAL. In October Emily heads off to Atlanta for the ATLANTIS MUSIC CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL. This fall she is honored to be opening for internationally acclaimed blues singer BETTYE LAVETTE at THE OLD TOWN SCHOOL OF FOLK MUSIC.
Emily lists her influences as Kris Kristofferson, Django Reinhardt, Etta James, Dusty Springfield, Scott Joplin, Joe Cocker, and Hoagie Carmichael. She draws musical courage from their individuality and it fortifies her own individual soundscape.
Her ambition is to make a living by making music. She wants to share her creative and performance talents with appreciative listeners and also with aspiring musicians through an eventual educational endeavor.
Check out the artist's website:
http://emilyhurd.com
Track List:
1. That And More
2. In My Soul
3. Potent One
4. Cherry Blossom
5. The Hold
6. Trouble With Moving
7. Halfway
8. Ruth
9. Nobody's A Stranger
10. One Blue Day
11. By Now
12. Weekend Wine
13. Twice
14. Tiny Flat
15. Mother
16. New Messiah
Other Genres:
A little blues, a little gypsy, a little soul—Emily has comfortably arrived at a musical place that’s all her own. Punctuated rhythms, burgeoning swells, deep longing. Her rich and inflective voice fills each song with its own distinctive texture. She records mostly live on an old acoustic piano and likes the challenge of performance integrity in the recording studio.
Emily, a.k.a. “Emâ€, started playing piano at age six in the outskirts of Rockford, IL. Since then, music has never left her side, following her from private instruction in the classics, to some pretty serious study at Northwestern University, out to the East Coast on a culinary stint, and all the way back to Chicago where she lives today.
Fueled by boundless creativity, Emily has a flourishing repertoire of original songs and the stage presence to draw in a crowd. Her first record, “Lines,†was released in spring 2005 at Chicago’s ELBO ROOM, and songs like “Shadow,†“Sangria,†and “Wade†made it an impressive recording debut. Her second album "Potent One," was recorded in 2005 and released in spring 2006. From the defiance of the title track, to the swank and lustiness of “Cherry Blossom,†to the punch of “That and More,†the songs on this album exhibit Emily’s wide musical range.
With some of her best songs yet, “The Barefoot Session†was written, recorded, and manufactured while “Potent One†was off being wrapped up. One day in the studio and more than just a little help from some talented friends—this is one not to be missed. “Over Time,†“Just in Case,†and “The Silhouette Game†start the album out strong and it just keeps getting better as you listen on.
In the summer of 2005, Emily performed at outdoor festivals, including the PRINTERS ROW FESTIVAL and GRANT PARK’S MANIFEST, featuring Ozomatli. Both of these events drew crowds of more than 5,000. Her 2005/2006 performance resume also includes THE SUBTERRANEAN, THE OLD TOWN SCHOOL OF FOLK MUSIC, HI-TOPS BAR, DAVENPORT’S PIANO BAR, and a variety of smaller venues.
Emily has a full 2006 festival resume, which began with a high-charged main stage performance at the CHICAGO FOLK AND ROOTS FESTIVAL in July. She performs with Chicago band “Back Off The Hammer†at the MIDWEST MUSIC SUMMIT in Indianapolis in August, and she has two shows in September at Chicago’s AROUND THE COYOTE FESTIVAL. In October Emily heads off to Atlanta for the ATLANTIS MUSIC CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL. This fall she is honored to be opening for internationally acclaimed blues singer BETTYE LAVETTE at THE OLD TOWN SCHOOL OF FOLK MUSIC.
Emily lists her influences as Kris Kristofferson, Django Reinhardt, Etta James, Dusty Springfield, Scott Joplin, Joe Cocker, and Hoagie Carmichael. She draws musical courage from their individuality and it fortifies her own individual soundscape.
Her ambition is to make a living by making music. She wants to share her creative and performance talents with appreciative listeners and also with aspiring musicians through an eventual educational endeavor.
Check out the artist's website:
http://emilyhurd.com
Track List:
1. That And More
2. In My Soul
3. Potent One
4. Cherry Blossom
5. The Hold
6. Trouble With Moving
7. Halfway
8. Ruth
9. Nobody's A Stranger
10. One Blue Day
11. By Now
12. Weekend Wine
13. Twice
14. Tiny Flat
15. Mother
16. New Messiah
Other Genres:
- BLUES: Acoustic Blues
- ROCK: Roots Rock
- SOLO FEMALE ARTIST