Album Notes

"I met Emrys at an event, and he gave me his CD. He was so sweet that when I got home I listened to the first song, and i loved it so much that all I could do was sit there and listen to the whole album. His music is uplifting, inspiring, smart and sexy." -Lillian Mueller, Playboy's #1 Playmate of the Year Cover Girl (9 covers)

"Emrys not only has a disarmingly soulful voice with the ability to entrance his listener, his lyrics are so uniquely clever you can't wait for the next turn of phrase. He defines singer-songwriter in its greatest traditions. I'm lucky to have his songs in my film."
-Joel Silverman, writer/director

"Emrys is the real life Cupid. His words are his arrows and his guitar is his bow."
-Greg Cipes, actor/musician

“Your CD made me cry. Now that’s what I call good!”
- Jenay Marontate (Body of Sun)

“ ...one of the best sounding independent recordings I have ever heard...”
- Robert Falconer


I'm Emrys Hanley--and yes, I'm writing this bio in first-person rather than third-person. That's just my style. The very best way to tell you about my life is to invite you to listen to my album, which is the story of my life so far. Give it a listen and you may hear your story in there somewhere, too.

Music is in my DNA as it is in yours. Music helped keep our ancestors alive and saw them through good times and bad. My grandmother was a folk singer. My mother wrote and recorded me a song while I was still in the womb. When I was a kid she soothed me to sleep by singing and fingerpicking guitar or playing recorded music. That was the only way to get me to nod off. When my hands were big enough, she gave me my first guitar. I didn't learn all that many songs by other artists, but I enjoyed it when songs started writing themselves through me.

Then, I wanted to make a record. My first attempt sucked, in my opinion. Other people thought it was good enough, but I wasn't satisfied. My intention was to create something outstanding. When I had almost given up, I met Dale Ockerman (Doobie Bros.). He added his love of music and expertise to the project. With help from his wonderfully talented friends, we created what I had been dreaming of.

I believe what's important is the music and the people who love it--the people who buy the albums and go to the concerts. I'll be posting a web series so you can be part of watching the way things unfold for me and my music. You're invited to sign up for my mailing list and connect with me through youtube, facebook, myspace, twitter, or a live performance. This is your music...be well.

Emrys