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A truly singular voice in modern country music, Emily Ann Roberts is the rare artist whose rise to stardom has only brought her closer to her roots. In the last year alone, the Knoxville-bred singer/songwriter has earned ACM and CMA Awards New Artist nominations, landed on coveted lists like Opry NextStage and MusicRow’s Next Big Thing Artists Classes Of 2026, lit up arenas across the country on tour with superstars such as Cody Johnson and Thomas Rhett, winning over massive crowds with her stunning vocals and vibrant musicality. That breakout success arrived after a decade-long stretch of perseverance on the part of the 28-year-old, whose devotion to traditional country has never wavered despite plenty of industry pressure to chase pop trends. Now bolstered by an ever-growing community of fans (thanks in part to her much-beloved “Yeehaw Meemaw” persona), Roberts steps into her next chapter with Thread: a five-song EP that finds a new kind of magic in the timeless sounds and storytelling heritage she’s treasured all her life.

The latest addition to a catalog including her widely celebrated 2023 debut album Can’t Hide Country, Thread sustains the radiant spirit and effortless charm of Roberts’ past work even as she reaches a whole new level of emotional complexity. To that end, the EP takes its title from a beautifully bittersweet track that doubles as a fictional vignette of heartbroken longing and a real-life reflection on uncertainty and faith. “With ‘Thread’ I wanted to paint a picture of a girl whose relationship has ended, but she’s still holding onto that one little strand of hope that he’ll come back to her,” Roberts explains. “I also saw a little of myself in that story, because of the season I’d been in since my first record—I had a lot of plans that didn’t work out, but instead of giving up I just kept dreaming that I’d get to share another body of work with the world. Sometimes you’ve gotta find a way to keep on believing, even when you’re hanging on by a thread.”

Mainly produced by Frank Rogers, Thread brings an effervescent energy to the time-honored musical traditions Roberts has embraced since childhood. “If there’s one thing I’ve always been sure of, it’s my sound,” she says. “I’m so inspired by the purity of the Appalachian music I grew up on, so with this project I just wanted to lean further into fiddle and acoustic guitars and all those elements that make country and bluegrass so special.” Naming Dolly Parton, Patty Loveless, and Ricky Skaggs among her early influences, Roberts started writing songs in her bedroom at age 12, plucking out melodies on a hand-me-down guitar. At 14, music took on an entirely new meaning after she witnessed its impact on her grandmother Dot, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. “I’ll never forget visiting the assisted-living facility one day and finding my grandmother singing hymns with a group of volunteers,” she recalls. “She couldn’t recognize me or my parents, but if we started singing together she’d always join in. That whole experience showed me how powerful a song can be. And it made me realize that if God gave me this gift, I needed to get serious and pursue it to the best of my ability.”

Fiercely committed to her calling, Roberts soon booked a gig at a local Mexican restaurant, where she played every Friday night for tips and a free plate of food. Within a year, she earned a spot on season nine of The Voice after being discovered via YouTube, competing on Blake Shelton’s team and finishing as a runner-up. Rather than rushing to capitalize on that exposure, Roberts spent the coming years honing her craft in Nashville and held tight to her convictions when industry gatekeepers questioned her place in the country landscape. “At the time things were very pop-leaning, and people didn’t know what to do with my more traditional sound,” she says. “I watched so many of my friends sign record deals, release songs to radio, go out on these big tours, and I felt like I was getting left behind. There were years when I felt like it was all passing me by, but I just kept writing and working and growing, and finally the timing all worked out perfectly.”

After signing to RECORDS/Sony Music Nashville in 2025, Roberts made her label debut with the Memory Lane EP, then quickly set to work on Thread. Recorded with A-list musicians like steel guitarist Dan Dugmore (Carrie Underwood, Kacey Musgraves) and fiddle/mandolin player Jenee Fleenor (Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert), Thread adorns its earthy instrumentation with a wealth of breathtaking melodies—a dynamic gorgeously displayed on “Lonely Boy” and its soul-soothing serenade to an unlucky romantic. “That song’s inspired by a close friend who’s such a catch, but keeps looking for love in all the wrong places,” she reveals. On “Garden Grow,” Roberts offers up a brightly detailed piece of autobiography, letting listeners in on the life she’s built with her husband. “People ask me all the time how I manage to maintain my career, tend a garden, keep up a home, and all the rest,” she says. “The truth is, it all comes down to love. We pour our hearts into everything we do, and that’s what makes our world go round.” And on “Laundry,” Thread closes out with a quietly devastating ballad, illuminating her gift for capturing the overlooked realities of women’s lives. “It’s the story of a woman who’s been holding everything together at home while her husband’s away, only to find out he’s been unfaithful,” she says. “He’s out chasing his dreams, riding on airplanes, going to fancy dinners, and she’s back home doing laundry. I love how the chorus is so simple but still powerful—to me, that’s what makes a great country song.”

Also featuring “When I Do,” a witty yet wistful portrait of post-breakup denial, Thread endlessly spotlights the down-to-earth but dazzling charisma that’s endeared Roberts to countless fans, including those who closely follow her endeavors as the Yeehaw Meemaw. “I’ve always loved old-fashioned things, so a while ago I started posting about the way I live and all my crocheting and canning and baking and gardening,” says Roberts. “It feels good to create something with my hands instead of just scrolling on my phone, and to preserve all these skills that have gotten lost over the years.” Not only a cherished source of connection with her followers, her homespun lifestyle reflects a refusal to compromise any part of herself. “The same way I love to tell all kinds of stories with my music, I think it’s fun to show all the different sides of my personality,” says Roberts. “I’m an artist but I’m also a homemaker; one day I’m crocheting in my comfy clothes, the next I’m putting on high heels and fake hair to get up onstage. My hope is that it shows everyone—especially women—that you don’t have to pick just one thing to be.”

As her music finds its way into more and more lives, Roberts has encountered an increasing number of fans of all ages turning up at concerts. “At my shows, I’ll look out and see everyone from five-year-olds to 75-year-olds, which is so special to me,” she says. “The older generations tell me how I remind them of the music they grew up on, but for the younger ones, it’s something completely new.” After completing a UK/European run with Cody Johnson—marking her first return overseas since her rapturously received appearance at C2C: Country to Country.”