Emily Henry is a DC-based singer-songwriter who performs her own personal brand of elegant electro-infused indie pop. Known for her powerful yet sweet vocals and authentic musical instinct, she has been compared to artists such as Joni Mitchell and Sylvan Esso.
As a child, she began writing songs as soon as she was old enough to communicate. Enthralled with reading, storytelling, and fantasy, young Emily Henry would write melodies to the poems and lyrics recited by her favorite characters. She performed heavily throughout high school and college, releasing her first body of work shortly thereafter.
What first got you into music?
My dad plays guitar and my mom sings, so I have been hearing and playing music since I was very little. It feels like music has always been there.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
I write in a lot of different genres, but when you play acoustic guitar, everything comes out kind of folk-y. Making this album has been so exciting because it’s the first time my music has sounded different. I’m so psyched to put out a synth pop album.
What is your creative process like?
I usually write everything at once – melody, lyrics, music. I just kind of try things until something sticks and feels repeatable. If I’m in my car, and I write a lot of songs in my car, then it’s just melody and lyrics until I can get home and find my guitar!
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
I’m so wildly envious of Finneas O’Connell’s skill as a writer and producer. He’s just so, so good. I would love to do a song with him!
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Anyone that takes any time out of their life to play one of my songs, buy something or send a tip, tell someone else about my music, or hang out with me at a show is a superhero to me. You are literally fueling my career. I will break out the megaphone to yell about how awe-inspiring you are. Thank you doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
Of course! To be totally honest it’s like 90 percent BTS songs.
If you were to write an autobiography, what would the title be?
It takes me forever to title anything, so this question is extremely hard on me in particular! I’ll get back to you once I’ve lived a few more decades of life – maybe a pattern will emerge!
What makes you nostalgic?
Certain smells really take me back in the way-back machine, like the eucalyptus my grandmother always had in her foyer, or the tulip tree we had in our front yard. I love how directly tied to memory smell is.
If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?
Have we met BTS yet, and if not what is our five-step plan?
If you were talking to a younger version of yourself, what advice would you give yourself?
Meeting BTS is not going to happen by itself. You need to start planning now or future us is not going to have her act together. (Just kidding.) My actual advice to young me and young everyone else too is: You are doing a good job. You don’t have to be anything at any certain time. What you are doing now, and who you are, is enough.
After a five-year absence, Emily Henry is set to release her highly anticipated sophomore album. Entitled The New World, the album is an eight-track collection of dynamic pop songs oozing with an atmospheric haze. Finding inspiration in “stories about love and magic and what it means to be a person,” the full-length album is “all about vulnerability and connection, feeling your way in the dark toward something new,” confides the songwriter. The result is a brilliant collection of enrapturing tunes that resonate deeply. The New World is out on November 5th.
The first single, “I See the Light,” is a heart-wrenching song about finding a glimmer of hope in the darkness and climbing your way out of tough times. The song’s narrative is a personal reflection for Emily Henry and features dreamy, layered vocals over a fluid melody that offers feelings of comfort, inspiration, and wisdom to those who need it most. The song also draws influence from acclaimed author Naomi Alderman’s novel The Power, which she references in the lyrics, confiding, “You can get there — it might be a hard journey, but the new world is out there if you are determined enough.”
“The Sound” is a clever collage of rhythmic and charismatic pop that blends together to form a slinky song about “taking joy where you can find it.” Brimming with hope and passion, “The Sound” combines echoing vocals, snapping beats, and a downtempo atmospheric landscape to create the sweetest escape.
The third single, “Reach Out,” is a tribute to one of her favorite pieces of fiction, “The Adventure Zone,” a Dungeons & Dragons podcast created by the McElroy family. In their first campaign, “The Adventure Zone: Balance,” the McElroys tell a story of “found family, radical compassion, and optimism in times of great darkness and uncertainty.” Greatly affected by their profound message, Henry shares her unique interpretation in finding solace and community through a kaleidoscopic musical experience.