More about: Harriette

Harriette, a Texas-born singer-songwriter, is the internet’s favourite real girl. Documenting the trials of breakups, therapy, and moving on from your hometown among many other themes, she never strays from what might feel vulnerable. From her single ‘at least i’m pretty’ going viral on TikTok, she’s taken loving the opportunities the internet has given her seriously in the debut EP, I Heart The Internet. 

The titular track starts the EP on a brilliant level: it’s all about the different versions of yourself that exist depending on who your audience is. Often, we love certain versions of ourselves while disregarding others, a kind of self-protection which Harriette recognises and tells us explicitly: ‘I love myself on the internet.’ She knows her favourite version of herself is one that she designs to be presented in a specific way, and she isn’t hiding it. 

It’s rare that you see an opening track that gives a perfect theme of the album ahead of it, but Harriette embodies the opportunities that going viral has presented her with, and the beauty of the internet in keeping us all connected. The idea of connection travels throughout the 8 tracks, whether it be in love, hate, or knowing what’s happening in the world or with people no longer in your life. I Heart The Internet is a literal title - it’s what helped Harriette with each song on the EP. Also, if I were to pick the most relatable lyric of anxious girls worldwide, it’s on this track (‘I hate myself when I’m hungover / I guess that’s how it goes.’)

Harriette doesn’t stop at a predictable sound, though. She continues to genre-bend fantastically, keeping the listener on their toes. Straight away, track 2 ‘Johnny got it right’ gives us a country sound, the twang of a guitar while discussing wanted posters being torn down, and Folsom Prison Blues. It’s immediately reminiscent of other pop girls bringing country to their sphere, like Kasey Musgraves - a blend of sounds that clearly define Harriette as the Texas-born singer we know and love. ‘I used to want to try and save you’ is a heart-wrenching lyric, a labour of love which often worms its way to the female experience. Turning a genre which is largely dominated by men to the struggles of women is a fantastic way to incorporate innovation to tradition, and Harriette does it tenfold. 

The three singles from the EP, ‘bc i love you’, ‘fucking married’, and ‘goodbye texas’ are all examples of what a single should be. They sum up her response to breakups, ex-boyfriends and being too good for them, and leaving home to achieve something bigger than what tradition and nostalgia offers you. Sometimes the scariest parts of life are the ones that we make the jump to - whether that be leaving a place, or people, behind, or the classic 20-something experience of seeing everyone around you make big commitments like marriage. How she manages to make the struggles of being 20-something and stuck in the middle so catchy, I have no idea - it could be the most debilitating aspect of life and cause intense anxiety, but it’s so easy to boogie to. Harriette gets the weirdness of life and its ups and downs perfectly.

"This should be required listening to all the independent, anxious listeners who want to leave their hometowns."

‘Black and Blue’ is the standout of the album to me: it perfectly captures that constant uncertainty and anxiety of a relationship going sour, with Harriette’s final refrain of ‘I gave more than you’ just ripping my heart out. The fear she presents in that song is so real, so raw - proving why she deserves the attention she’s getting more than ever. It’s a true feat of songwriting, learning how to present even the hardest of situations. 

She pays homage subtly to all the singers before her - the final track, ‘sunday’, begins with a guitar riff that reminds me of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’, on a song about only using faith for your own benefit. It’s so incredibly smart and done on an implicit enough level to mark inspiration without sampling it entirely. 

Overall, Harriette has produced an EP which is all about knowing your worth and the importance of going on your own life path, rather than being dragged on someone else’s. She doesn’t let people’s actions affect her life negatively, rather choosing to perceive them as a sign that she’s doing the right thing, not being pressured to live an unfulfilling life. This should be required listening to all the independent, anxious listeners who want to leave their hometowns.

Grab your copy of the Gigwise print magazine here.

More about: Harriette