Emma Ogier’s “Hands Tied” Leaves Fans Buzzing for Debut Album Fly1111

Amidst a music industry so fixated on virality and the future of what’s deemed “marketable” music, Nashville-based Emma Ogier has quickly grown in popularity by doing just the opposite. Known for her vulnerable songwriting and twangy vocals, Ogier blends indie-rock and Americana seamlessly. Notably inspired by icons like the Indigo Girls, Joni Mitchell and Aretha Franklin, her most recent single, “Hands Tied” is so humanly intimate, similarly to the work of her inspirations. The track from her debut album, Fly1111 expected this November, showcases texture-heavy instrumentation that complements the rhythm of the lyrics nicely. Buzzy guitars and shimmery drums contrast with Emma’s velvety vocals, making the track very sonically colorful. Just after its release last Wednesday, Emma broke one million monthly listeners on Spotify, speaking to fans’ love for her authenticity and conversational songwriting style. 

In a handwritten journal entry, Emma shared that “Hands Tied” was very heavily inspired by Aretha Franklin in particular: "I couldn't help but admire how her songs and many classics of that time said “i love you” in a way a lot of people are scared to. So blatant and unashamed.”  Rather than just plainly expressing herself in rhyming lines, Emma’s songwriting tells a story. The chorus of “Hands Tied”, for example, is broken into illustrative phrases that make the song structurally flow very smoothly, “You listen like a loose dog, down on the floor/Don't dance with my hands tied, pruning the porch plants/Ants in my handstand chant for my man, he's on cam/And the vids quick, stealing my lipstick/Kissing my hips and telling me”.  Collaborating with producer David Baron, who has worked with other artists like the Lumineers, Noah Kahan, and Phoebe Bridgers, the production style of “Hands Tied” beautifully complements Emma’s intimate vocals while also embracing a heavier, indie-rock styled instrumentation. 

Raised in Houston, Emma began songwriting in high school, sharing short clips on social media. Even through moving to Nashville, signing a label deal with Lost Highway Records and working with artists like Dominic Fike, Emma has stayed true to this format and sharing in a way that feels authentic to her. Most recently, Ogier has been on tour, supporting Whitney and is ramping up to support Hovvdy later this month, after having played Austin City Limits weekend one. “Hands Tied” scratched an itch for fans craving Emma’s signature twangy vocals since she dropped “Baby Don’t Hurt Me” in February, earning over one million streams on Spotify alone since then. The single serves as a perfect sneak peak into what to expect from Emma’s debut album, Fly1111.