Emma Harner is a rising Math Folk singer-songwriter and guitarist based in Boston, USA.
Originally hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska, Emma Harner began playing violin at just three years old before discovering her love for the guitar—an instrument that now forms the backbone of her sound. Now based in Boston and studying guitar performance at Berklee College of Music, she’s developed a distinctive sound that fuses the intimacy of folk with the complexity of math rock.
Harner first captured attention with a series of viral videos on Instagram and TikTok, quickly amassing a devoted following drawn to her virtuosic playing, harmonic sophistication, and emotionally resonant songwriting. In 2024, her debut single, “When You Mean It,” premiered as a Zane Lowe World First. Since then, she’s toured as direct support for Orla Gartland across her 2024 U.S. and 2025 European runs, and has opened for artists including mxmtoon, Tiny Habits, and The Bygones.
With her debut EP arriving later this year, Harner is cementing her place as one of the most compelling young guitarists and storytellers of her generation.
“‘False Alarm’ is a song about homesickness,” Harner explains. “I wrote it after moving from Nebraska to Boston for college. I was homesick, overwhelmed by the sensory chaos of the city, and learning how to trust again.” Blending subtle rhythmic textures with raw, reflective lyricism, the song captures the disorientation of leaving home and the quiet strength it takes to find your footing in unfamiliar territory.
Featured on episode 38 of Discover Her Music Podcast
Song: False Alarm
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