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A Kingston Springs local will be headed to your TV screen for the 22nd season of “American Idol” starting Sunday, Feb. 18 with iconic judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie.
Emmy Russell, 25, wanted to find a musical career separate from her grandmother – the late country music legend Loretta Lynn. So, Russell auditioned for the ABC producers in Nashville over the summer.
“I just wanted to be around other young creatives like me,” Russell said. “I think I just like the hard work of it, and it was outside of the traditional way that my grandma had – which is a publishing deal, get the record deal.”
“I wanted something out there and fun and just forced me to do it because I'm so shy and scared of going for it,” she added.
The Harpeth High School alum, class of 2017, toured with Lynn for a short stint before moving to Hawaii – and then Brazil – to do missionary work in 2018. In her 60-year-plus career, Lynn had 51 Top 10 hits, sold 45 million albums worldwide, and garnered dozens of awards, including four Grammy awards and a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame. She passed away on Oct. 4, 2022 at the age of 90.
Russell has chosen to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps, but via a reimagined pathway.
She said she preferred to audition for "American Idol" over other singing competitions, like NBC’s "The Voice" or "America’s Got Talent," because the ABC show has encouraged her original songwriting.
“I think Idol is looking for a lot of original artists and original music,” Russell said. “They wanted to more portray me as the songwriter on the show.”
“I think being around original people that are writing original music is really inspiring,” she added.
Russell auditioned in front of the ABC producers with two of her original songs, and was chosen to move on to also audition in front of the three big-name judges – Bryan, Perry, and Richie. That episode will air this upcoming season of "American Idol."
The musician said that the show producers sought her out after hearing her original song “Skinny,” which she wrote as a member of the Song House Collective last year. She joined the Nashville-based group of songwriters in 2021. On Aug. 19, 2023, Song House Collective released a clip of “Skinny” on their Instagram account, and the video went viral – receiving more than 5.4 million views.
Three days later, Russell had recorded and released the song about her history with an eating disorder on Spotify. Song House Collective released a music video for “Skinny” in September.
Russell has signed a record deal in the past, but said she never “felt peace” approaching her music career through the traditional route.
“I didn't feel peace going into it that way, and with American Idol, I just felt a lot of peace,” she continued, adding, “I've learned to listen to … God's voice and the compass inside, your spirit inside of you.”
Russell started her music career in the halls of Harpeth Middle and High School – singing at annual talent shows and performing on Mrs. D’s theater stage. She sang and played her guitar for locals countless times at the Fillin’ Station in downtown Kingston Springs, where her father – Philip Russell – still makes frequent musical appearances.
“The talent shows formed me. Who I am is in Kingston Springs,” Russell said. “It's home for me.”
When asked how she feels about representing our small Middle Tennessee town on a national platform, Russell said she hopes to embody the town’s “unconditional love and generosity.” She added, “I'm just going to carry Kingston Springs with me.”
Beyond her debut on "American Idol," Russell said she has “other big opportunities that are in the works” that you should keep an eye out for in the future.
"American Idol" will premiere on the ABC network on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. CST. You can also stream it on Hulu the next day. The show’s alumni include the most awarded country artist of all time, Carrie Underwood, and three time Grammy winner Kelly Clarkson.
You can watch episodes of the new season every Sunday evening throughout the spring.
“Keep me in your prayers and … if I make it through, vote for me,” Russell said. “I just love everyone and thank you for the support that you've shown my entire life. I would want to give Kingston Springs a big hug and say, ‘Thank you for pretty much raising me!’”
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