Emily Hackett, Sam Morrow

Emily Hackett speaks the truth. The singer/songwriter raised in Atlanta, GA pulls these emotions into her music, stirring in an authentic blend of self-deprecation that is both unique and refreshing. What poises her against the rest is the soul of a fiery artist ready to light up the stage, all the while still as honest as her Southern roots.


Raised on the muddy waters of coastal Americana, Sam Morrow brings a gritty sustenance to his music, evocative of a threadbare soul, decades his elder.

"Coming from a background with a love for all music, I found it challenging to nail down my style. Between everything I listened to, I saw a single commonality: honesty. Whether it's Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Damien Rice, or David Ramirez, they all have these heavy truths woven in their writing that you don't want to believe, but have to, because you've been there, you've felt that, you've seen those things. And it's from that well of honesty I write. I started out in churches and now play in bars, but I've found crowds are pretty much the same wherever I go. We're all searching for something bigger than ourselves, some truth we haven't found yet. But that's what keeps us searching, because the moment we quit looking, is the same moment our pens run out of ink."

Anointed "Who's Next" by NPR affiliate WXPN in Philadelphia, Morrow's debut album Ephemeral opens with the hushed strum and tentative words of "War". The pursuit of happiness in the face of domestic conflict is embodied in the building tensions between Sam's incendiary vocal and Freddy Koella's (Bob Dylan) somber violin. The album then flows to "December," where the lyrics grapple with the pains and struggles of a long distance relationship, and Sam admits that although he has changed, he is still flawed and love is the companion he desperately needs, as he battles past demons. As with every journey out of darkness, "Sure Thing" carries the record into the light, dwelling on the reality that the greatest joy often follows the most chilling pain. And, if we can just hold on, it's worth the wait.

QUOTES
"What's amazing about Morrow's music is how it speaks directly to the listener's soul." Performer Mag
"It's rare that you find someone who really takes your breath away with their talent." The Music Enthusiast
"This is one of the most honest, raw, immediate and beautifully moving albums you are likely to hear for a long time." Alt Sounds
"Ephemeral delves into the territory occupied by the likes of Neil Young, Bon Iver, Bright Eyes and Johnny Cash." Songwriting Magazine
"A sterling debut LP that offers ready comparisons to the inspiring melancholia of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska, Steve Earle's Train A Coming and Jason Isbell's Southeastern." No Depression