Some artists chase a sound. Hudson Ingram is chasing something a little harder to pin down — himself. Today, the 19-year-old Nashville-based singer-songwriter releases his new EP, The Long Way Home (Vol. 1), out now via Long Pond Music / Interscope Records as part of a joint venture with The National’s Aaron Dessner. It’s the first chapter in a planned trilogy, and if this opening installment is any indication, Ingram is taking the scenic route on purpose.

Produced alongside Adam Melchor and Jack Schrepferman, The Long Way Home (Vol. 1) is an introspective record about growing up, leaving home young to chase a dream, and returning home as the person that journey shaped. It collects previously released tracks “Real Life,” “Baby Just Be,” and “Linger” alongside new material, including the focus track “Don’t Get Me Started” featuring Sydney Rose.

Stream The Long Way Home (Vol. 1) on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/hudsoningram

“I started writing these songs when I felt miles away from myself,” Ingram says of the project. “This project is me trying to find my way back to something real — not the version of me people expect, but the one that actually feels like home. The Long Way Home is about growing up, leaving, and realizing you don’t come back the same person, but also that maybe that’s the point.”

That ethos lands hardest on “Don’t Get Me Started,” a delicate, emotionally rich duet that pairs Ingram’s satin-smooth vocal with Sydney Rose’s understated warmth. It unfolds with the kind of quiet intensity that has quickly become Ingram’s signature — indie-pop softness wrapped around Americana-rooted songwriting, with no wasted lines.

“This was one of the easiest songs I’ve ever collaborated on,” Rose says of the session. “The atmosphere that Hudson, Jack, and Aaron created at Long Pond was so incredibly inviting. Once we started writing, it all flowed so smoothly. I’m so honored to have been thought of and to be a part of this song.”

Raised in a musical Texas household steeped in country and pop, Ingram studied classical piano, sang in middle-school theatre, and played guitar in church before leaving home at 17 for Nashville. The influences show — there’s a little Taylor, a little Petty, a little Dylan in his DNA, filtered through the confessional sensibility of Swift, Mayer, and Bon Iver. The result is a sound that warms the skin, as the label aptly puts it, “like a bear hug.”

The release arrives as Ingram continues to build real-world momentum, having just wrapped a run of tour dates with Brenn! and with an upcoming appearance at Rolling Stone’s Stateside Festival in Kingston, NY on the books. More music and announcements are promised soon — which, given that this is only Vol. 1, feels like a safe bet.

If you’ve been waiting for a new young songwriter who sounds like he actually means it, start here. Press play on The Long Way Home (Vol. 1), then follow Hudson Ingram on Instagram and TikTok to catch what comes next.