Rewind three years ago. Emily Hearn was just learning to play the guitar, a hobby she taught herself the summer before her freshman year at the University of Georgia. Fast forward to today and the 21-year-old Georgia peach is opening for Hootie and the Blowfish, Darius Rucker, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals . . . even performing alongside REM, Stevie Nicks, Augustana, and Iron and Wine.

Former Girl Scout and rising star Emily Hearn’s favorite part about the music-making process is writing lyrics. No matter what kind of song it is, Emily says, “It never gets old, and I love being able to express what I’m feeling.” Emily compares her frank lyrics to those of another songstress, Taylor Swift, someone who she would one day love to collaborate with. Emily has come a long way from her start in only performing for her closest pals on long car rides. With the help of her friends, she progressively started playing for larger groups of people, and those numbers are still continuing to grow. Her first break came when her aunt shared her demo with the lead guitarist of Hootie and the Blowfish, Mark Bryan, and as they say, the rest is history. Bryan invited her to produce the first song she wrote, “Maybe,” and they have been working together ever since. Now Emily has a music video for her song “Rooftop” (watch it below!) which features Bill Murray, and her first album, Red Balloon, is currently available on iTunes. Emily characterizes her style on stage as genuine and a reflection upon her favorite performer, Brandi Carlile, whose writing, performance style and voice inspired Emily to be a performer.

For the full story on Emily Hearn check out page 86 in the October/November '11 issue of Justine.