Emmy Ryan & The Hard Times play modern Australian bluegrass, folk, old time, and Americana. The songs are authentic, heartfelt, and true, and their live performances weave deft musicianship on mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and guitar with a voice that sits somewhere between a lullaby and a reckoning, inviting audiences in — not just to listen, but to feel. For fans of Watchhouse, Bella White, She’s With Me, and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings. Emmy’s songs carry truth like a heartbeat — stories of love, loss, belonging, and the land that holds us. Following in the footsteps of troubadours that came before her, Emmy sings with fierce tenderness about what it means to find home, to face history, and to stay open-hearted in hard times. Emmy’s debut EP I Ain’t So Blue (2024) has reached listeners across Australia and beyond, earning national airplay on ABC Radio, as well as community radio around the country and in the USA, and her songs have earnt recognition as a Semi Finalist in the International Songwriting Competition, a Grand Finalist in the national Listen Up Music Songwriting Prize, and a Finalist in three categories in the Northern Territory Music Awards. In 2025, Emmy’s yet to be released song Unfold won the Australian Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association Songwriting Prize, and performed the song live on the main stage at Mountaingrass Festival. Emmy will be releasing her first full length album (and a bunch of singles) in late 2026, including the song Unfold that won the 2025 ABOTMA Songwriting Prize. The Hard Times are playing on the album and elevate the songs and tunes so much, it’s magic to hear. Whether she’s singing about the land, the ache of leaving, or the simple hope of starting again, Emmy’s songs remind us that truth and beauty can still share the same bed. Emmy curates artist showcases, brings musicians together, and is never far from the heart of a late-night session. Emmy Ryan & The Hard Times have a lot of personality onstage and off, and they immerse themselves fully in the community of the festivals they play, running workshops, hosting old time jams, and organising and running special concerts.