"Emily writes albums to fall into and swim in forever." -Paul Zollo, Blue Railroad


"She sits at the piano, lips to microphone, Frye boot to pedal, and speaks her mind — in song. I became an instant fan." -Val Haller,   New York Times 
 

"Joplinesque. Emily Hurd is a favorite of mine." -Rick Kogan, WGN Radio


"Emily Hurd is captivating on stage. Her wide vocal range, light fingers and clever lyrics aren't the only reasons why she's become a regular on the Chicago music scene. The way she wails through songs of love and loneliness with such emotion has gotten the Windy City buzzing." -WLUC TV6

​"If it’s not an oxymoron, I like the sense of understated urgency in Emily Hurd’s voice. Now, sure there’s more than a touch of Janis in it, but Emily’s is a more controlled instrument. Maybe that’s what’s so intriguing—sensing that she could belt it out like Big Mama Thornton but she chooses not to—for the most part. It’s good stuff. She plays the piano, she sings, she writes some really good tunes." -Richard Milne, WXRT

"There's something about a certain brand of first rate Americana music that has to be performed by American artists for it to work. A record like 'Long Lost Ghosts' captures that old time raw spirit of the West in a fashion that seeps down through the genes and courses through the blood. Emily Hurd provides a soundtrack to small town blues, love affairs and timeless road trips, all with a voice so rich and full of authority that you just have to believe her. Eight albums in and Chicago based Hurd seems to be in a good place. Oh, and by the way, she wrote the songs on a home made ukulele while out of action with a neck injury. In the words of Tom Petty, "She was an American girl...."-Americana UK 


"About equal parts Shawn Colvin (vocal beauty, heartland roots), Tori Amos (pianistic punch) and Maria Muldaur (bluesy buzz), Hurd displays plenty of charm and chops.  In a clear, strong voice, with perfect but unfussy diction, she sings well-made songs.   Her sturdy piano style echoes pop styles, New Orleans jelly-roll and playful Vince Guaraldi light jazz." -Daily Gazette


"Her songs touch on universal themes of love and loneliness, Hurd belting like Russian-American piano-pop diva Regina Spektor and exhaling words like hazy smoke rings." -Andy Downing, Chicago Tribune

"Long Lost Ghosts mixes Joni Mitchell's breezy vocals with punchy, personal lyrics that evoke early-Springsteen populism and late-Springsteen optimism in equal measure." -Popmatters


"Hurd’s magnificently melodic album will haunt you long after its last notes fade into the distance. The Chicago-based singer-songwriter’s beautiful voice and vivid lyrics are deeply moving, complemented by sublime piano lines. She takes an Americana foundation and builds to tremendous heights." -Pop Culture Classics

"It's poetry meets music, it's grace meets fire. Its vulnerability delivering a slap in the face with the only weapon it owns; talent..."-
The Dirty Lowdown. (read more)


"Strains of Joni Mitchell's signature album, 'Blue,' come to mind.  Emily Hurd...exposes the palpable beauty that both love and nature have in common."-Lisa Torem


"Each song is a tiny chip of a mysterious compound of intelligent thought and honest feeling.-J. Sobel (read more)


"'My Favourite Part' is one of the finest tunes on this record. With an upbeat groove, Emily probably sings this with a smile on her face because this is bound to be the effect of this particular track on its listener, as it did with yours truly." -Russell Hill, Maverick U.K. (read more)

"Hurd is one of the most intriguing wordsmiths I’ve heard in a long time." -Dr Wesley Britton (read more)


"Opens emotional pores in the most thick-skinned of listeners..."-DME Music (read more)


"Guaranteed to leave you feeling a lot brighter..."-Matt DaviesNetRhythms


"With all due respect to your natural parents, you are the bastard daughter of Van Morrison and Lucinda Williams." -Jimmy T, The Old Town School of Folk Music