Exclusive: Emily Hackett Shares Exuberant New Single, “Good Intentions”

“Good Intentions” is the playful follow-up to Emily Hackett’s single “Nostalgia,” which was released last year. The rising country artist from Atlanta, Ga., only has one EP and a smattering of singles to her name to date, but Hackett is boldly making her way forward.

Hackett first garnered attention in 2014 with her duet with Will Anderson of Parachute. “Take My Hand (The Wedding Song),” made it into the top five on iTunes’ Singer/Songwriter Chart and its official music video earned over 20 million views.

Jumping forward to her latest single, Hackett is self-deprecating without becoming burdensome on the exuberant “Good Intentions.” Adopting a teasing tone, Hackett sings of how “You can’t get to heaven on good intentions,” referencing broken New Years’ resolutions and dropping promises you make to yourself.

Hackett said of the song:

“Good Intentions” is meant to be a little sarcastic, self-deprecating dig. Everyone has good intentions of doing big things and making changes in their lives for the better, but we’re also all human. It’s okay to screw up! Literally everyone does. But at the same time, there’s definitely a sentiment there that I take seriously. Like, “Okay, but really, get your shit together.”

“Good Intentions” balances the desire to follow through on personal goals while honestly divulging how often these goals become neglected. The line “All the bad decisions, wanna get them out of my system,” leads the song into grounds perhaps for bad decisions—with its high energy and easy lyrics, you can picture a crowd partying, dancing and singing along to “Good Intentions.” But maybe that’s what the song is: a release before pulling it all together.

A patchwork of stories also finds its way into “Good Intentions,” as Hackett incorporates her friends’ lives, thereby adding more depth to the song’s already-relatable sentiment.

“This song is unique for me because it’s not just my story. I pulled real-life snippets from a bunch of my friends,” Hackett explains. “One used to get their car towed from the bar all the time, one kept swearing off boys but still flirting her way through life, one has definitely had some serious retail therapy. It’s a little bit of everyone because that’s the idea. We all have good intentions.”

Listen to “Good Intentions,” below, premiering exclusively at Paste ahead of its official release on June 8, and check out Hackett’s tour dates further down.

Emily Hackett Tour Dates:

June
09 – Nashville, Tenn. @ AJ’s Good Time Bar
10 – Nashville, Tenn. @ CMA Fest Radio Disney Country Fest @ Fan Fair X

July
04 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ Summerfest Johnson Controls World Stage