Alabama-bred singer/songwriter Hannah McFarland shares her highly awaited EP Broken Hearts. Out now via The Core Records/Capitol Records, the EP spotlights the Nashville-based artist’s warm and powerful vocals as she narrates a journey from heartache to healing. Featuring her stunning new single “Whiskey Into Water,” Broken Hearts arrives as McFarland gears up for her just-announced run as support for Dylan Marlowe and Conner Smith’s spring co-headlining tour. Go HERE to stream/download to Broken Hearts, and listen to “Whiskey Into Water” HERE.
Mainly produced by Will Bundy (Keith Urban, Kameron Marlowe), Broken Hearts shines a bright light on the singular talent that’s recently earned recognition from the likes of Holler, who hailed McFarland as “one of country music’s quiet geniuses, following her own path through the genre with her blend of country storytelling and Americana earthiness.” With its tracklist including the nostalgia-tinged “Hey Highway” (a fall 2024 release that marked her major-label debut, and found radio support on Sirius XM On The Horizon), the EP explores the pain of loss, the power of faith, and the life-affirming joy of finding new love, endlessly revealing the deep sensitivity and profound sense of purpose at the heart of McFarland’s songwriting.
“My whole vision for the EP was to put words to these difficult feelings that we all experience, so that other people can feel less alone,” says McFarland. “The songs go through the lowest lows of heartbreak to the point of finding love again, and I’d love for everyone to hear them and think, ‘Someone else felt that, and made it through it.’”
In bringing Broken Hearts to life, McFarland recorded most of the songs live with a full band of first-rate musicians, including pedal-steel player Russ Pahl (Vince Gill, Kacey Musgraves), guitarist Rob McNelley (Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert), and more. Also created with top-notch co-writers like Paul Sikes (Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson) and Trannie Anderson (Kameron Marlowe, Reba McEntire), the result is a beautifully realized debut project from one of country’s most promising young stars.
A particularly moving moment on Broken Hearts, “Whiskey Into Water” spins a sorrowful tale of watching a loved one drift into self-destruction. With its cascading guitar lines, delicate piano work, and dreamlike pedal-steel tones, the slow-burning track centers on McFarland’s aching vocals and tenderhearted poetry (from the chorus: “He’s got one more shot and I’m passing it to you/All this forgivin’ him is gettin’ harder/Jesus, could you try turnin’ whiskey into water”).
“If I see potential in someone who’s struggling, I usually end up trying to help them or fix them,” McFarland says in discussing the song’s origins. “But there are moments when you realize the problem is a lot bigger than you, and all you can do is pray for them.”
Also featuring her viral hit “The Bed I Made” (a soul-stirring ballad that led to her signing a joint global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music and The Core Entertainment), Broken Hearts showcases the classic country sensibilities and graceful musicianship McFarland first honed back in Mobile, where she opened up for superstars like Kelsea Ballerini and Travis Tritt while still in high school. After moving to Nashville at 19, she spent years grinding it out on the city’s live circuit before making her way into the country spotlight. In 2024 alone, she joined Zach Bryan onstage to perform his Grammy-winning smash “I Remember Everything (feat. Kacey Musgraves)” and teamed up with singer/songwriter Austin Snell for “I’ve Been Drinking” (a track that landed on coveted playlists like Spotify’s New Boots and All New Country and Apple Music’s New In Country and Soundcheck), in addition to signing her publishing and record deals and setting to work on Broken Hearts.
With her recent live experience including touring with hitmakers like Tucker Wetmore, Brett Young, and Kip Moore, as well as a performance with Riley Green at the Grand Ole Opry kicking off the year, McFarland will join Dylan Marlowe and Conner Smith’s Did We Just Become Best Friends? Tour on April 2, sharing the bill for shows in Columbia, SC; Lake Buena Vista, FL; and Tampa, FL. Known for her magnetic live performance, she’ll also take the stage at major festivals like Breakout at Big Creek (April 5 in Cottonwood, AL), Country Jam (June 28 in Mack, CO), and Boots and Hearts (August 8 in Oro-Medonte, Ontario).
Tracklist for Broken Hearts by Hannah McFarland
1. Broken Hearts Break
2. Hey Highway
3. Out Of The Blue
4. Whiskey Into Water
5. The Bed I Made
