Emily Hackett Interview: Take My Hand (The Wedding Song)

Emily Hackett has placed herself as one of the wedding music icons with her song Take My Hand (The Wedding Song). The song has more than Nineteen Million views on YouTube. We hope you enjoy our Emily Hackett Interview about herself and the song as much as we do.

Take My Hand (The Wedding Song) has been played at weddings for micro-moments such as the processional, unity songs, and recessional. The song has also been played during wedding receptions for cake cutting and first dances.

Watch the official video. It incorporates many wedding moments…

We were lucky enough to get a personal interview with Emily. Take My Hand (The Wedding Song) is already listed on our song lists: Best Indie Wedding Songs and Wedding Songs Playlist.

Emily Hackett Interview by My Wedding Songs

How did you get started in the music industry?
I always knew I wanted to do music in some capacity but Nashville definitely found me. I ended up going to school here at Belmont University and I learned about a lot of different avenues I could take within the industry, which I played around with for a while before finally landing on the only gut to be an artist.

Which music artists do you see as mentors and inspire you in your music?
I look up to all the females who have made names for themselves as both artists and songwriters, saying and singing what they feel is most true to themselves and having the confidence to do so; Joni Mitchell to Miranda Lambert to Beyonce.

Who are some of your favorite music artists you listen to?
I really pride myself on the fact I listen to a lot of different types of music, having grown up to everything my dad listened to, amongst the things I was turned on to by friends and radio. I’m really into discovering new artists right now since there are so many to be found these days–I have recently been obsessed with a couple across the pond, Jade Bird, and Dermot Kennedy, who I both got to see at SXSW this year after my performance. Oh, and the new Kacey Musgraves album makes my heartburn in the best way.

What is the inspiration and story behind the song Take My Hand (The Wedding Song)?
This song actually has quite the story. I initially wrote it with my buddy, Christian Luthi, for a very close friend’s wedding they had asked me to sing it. The wedding was supposed to be the only time we ever performed it, so we wanted to get a decent recording of it made for them as a gift. There was really no other intention for the song than that. So when we went to record it at Christian’s friend’s house, who I did not know, the man that opened the door and recorded the vocal that still exists on that song, also became the man I, in fact, married four years later. My husband, and producer of “Take My Hand,” Mike Reaves, encouraged Christian and me to re-release the song with Will Anderson (of Parachute)’s vocal as the male counterpart because our voices blended well together and as a close friend, he was willing to do so. We released the track on Valentine’s day of 2014 and it went to the top five on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter Charts. In the following months, I stitched together real wedding footage to create a music video for the song that now has over 20 million views and funded the making of both mine and Christian’s first records. It has been a magic little tune.

Where did you first meet Will and decide to collaborate on the song?
Will went to college with my husband, Mike Reaves and they moved down to Nashville at the same time, living together up until the bachelor period ended and both of them got engaged! Will stood up with us at our wedding. His voice on this song ended up meaning more to me than either one of us ever thought it would. He has been a great mentor and friend since the beginning, writing together, collaborating, and then inviting me out on the road with them for a handful of dates. They are a great group of musicians and guys in Parachute.

Take My Hand (The Wedding Song) was released in 2014 and is a popular wedding song. Do you have any wedding stories that were shared with you?
I am lucky to get stories shared with me all the time. So many emotional ones! My favorite story though is one that I experienced personally. Mike and I were on our honeymoon in Belize, during a slow season, so there was only one other couple on the resort when we arrived. The four of us ended up at the bar that night together, of course, and after talking for a while about what we did, Mike mentioned: “Take My Hand” as a song they might enjoy since they had just gotten married as well. When he pulled the song up to show it to the bride, she totally started freaking out. “NO WAY!! That is not you!! I walked down the aisle to this song three days ago!!” We all were in tears laughing in disbelief. She even called her mom to tell her. I mean, what are the chances??

Have you performed the song at any weddings? If yes, could you share any insights about the experience?
I get asked occasionally to sing the song at people’s weddings, which I can’t always do due to different circumstances, but I did one last year in AZ and it was a surprise to the bride, whose reaction was so fun to watch when she came out for her first dance.

What projects are you currently working on?
I released a single in the fall called “Nostalgia” that has had some wonderful success on CMT and Radio Disney Country. I also just finished my first full-length record! I’m thrilled to get it out into the world. Stay tuned!!

Thank you, Emily, for taking the time to answer our questions and wish you only the best in the future.

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You can view Emily Hackett’s music on Amazon here.

To learn more about Emily Hackett and her current music releases, visit her official website: https://www.emilyhackett.com/

We hope she can make it out to Las Vegas in the near future just for the chance to see her live!

If you want to read about other artists on My Wedding Songs, go to our music artists page.

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