EMILY SCOTT ROBINSON, APPALACHIA

Emily Scott Robinson writes from a place shaped by service. Before music became her full time work, she trained as a social worker, drawn to the act of helping people where impact, usefulness, and reach meet in direct ways. When Robinson talks about music, she frames it as another form of care, a way of showing up, listening closely, and meeting people where they are.

“I want this record to be of service to people. I want it to reach them in ways that they need to be reached.”

On Appalachia, her fifth album, Emily Scott Robinson sings through grief, endurance, and the quiet resolve that follows change. Divorce, death, and displacement move through the songs as lived material, carried long enough to be offered gently. The album took shape over several years in the aftermath of upheaval, then came into focus during sessions with Josh Kaufman at Dreamland Studios. Robinson was drawn to his instinct for space, and on Appalachia the arrangements are left open and breathable. Her vocals carry a clarity that asks for closer attention, held alongside acoustic textures, patient tempos, and melodies that carry weight without force. Songs like “Hymn for the Unholy” and “Time for Flowers” place Robinson's voice front and center acting as a steady guide, while later tracks widen toward collective loss and remembrance, shaped by Hurricane Helene and the death of close friends.

Robinson has said she wants the album to function as something useful, a source of reassurance, a place to rest, a reminder that people can lean on each other and keep going. Through her songs and storytelling, she follows through on that intention. Shaped by care, patience, and a belief that music can still meet real needs, Appalachia is a beautiful album held together by Robinson’s insistence that hope remains actionable.