"In and Out of Love" Is Erin Kirby’s Most Honest Chapter Yet

Photos by M.E.

Erin Kirby doesn’t just sing country songs; she lives them. The Georgia-born powerhouse, who has already taken the stage at venues like the Grand Ole Opry and SXSW, has finally released a project that feels like her authentic voice. In and Out of Love is not another polished Nashville heartbreak record. It is the sound of a woman who meant every word she wrote and stopped trying to sand down the truth.

The five-song EP moves like a complete emotional cycle, from the first spark to the inevitable crash to the kind of peace you only earn by walking through it. It is stripped down, raw, and focused on storytelling. No glossy production tricks, no fake perfect choruses, just honesty and soul.

The opener, “Nowhere Everywhere,” sets the tone with that restless space before love becomes real. It is the in-between moment where you are hopeful, scared, and not quite alone anymore. “Make A Move” arrives with tension and unraveling, the sound of someone asking for answers that may never show up. By the time “Regretting You” closes in, Erin has crossed the bridge. She has moved past heartbreak and is ready to release it. It is not bitter, it is grateful. Peace sometimes sounds like letting go.

Erin calls this her “Adele Country” era, and it shows. “Because In and Out of Love is such a raw and emotional project, I wanted the production to stay out of the way and let the songs speak for themselves,” she says. With producers Ryan Kohn and Aaron Eshuis guiding the sound, the result lands clean, classic, and cinematic without drowning the emotion.

It is easy to forget how young Erin is when she sings. There is a grit in her tone and a weight in her writing that feels lived-in. You can hear the experience, the missteps, and the hard-earned clarity. She has seen a lot of life, and she is not afraid to turn it into music that cuts and comforts at the same time.

In and Out of Love is not just another country breakup record. It is a lesson in vulnerability and a reminder that country music still resonates most deeply when the artist brings their real life to the microphone. Erin Kirby stripped it all back, stood in her truth, and pressed record. The result is a project that both hurts and heals, and stays with you long after it ends.

In and Out of Love feels brutally honest; it doesn't sugarcoat the messy parts of falling apart. What did you have to confront personally to write this project truthfully?

One thing I had to confront to make this project truthful and vulnerable was my perfectionism. I have always struggled with wanting everything I do to be "perfect." With a project like In and Out of Love, I realized that perfection doesn't come from the technicalities but from the emotion and heart.

You've described this as your "Adele Country" era. What does that mean to you in terms of sound and emotional storytelling, and how did you know you'd finally found your lane?

To me, "Adele Country" means emotional, vulnerable, and raw. The production should be stripped back, allowing the lyrics and vocals to tell the story. I knew this was the lane for me when I started to feel genuinely proud of the music I had created. I have been fortunate enough to write many songs I love, but the songs on In and Out of Love are 110% me!

The EP follows the full cycle of a relationship, from the spark to the heartbreak to peace. Which song was the hardest for you to record emotionally, and why?

"Make a Move" was probably the most emotionally challenging song for me to record. This song is a message for myself, a reminder that I'm in the right place. The idea came to me when I was feeling stuck in my career. I was praying for a sign of motivation, and I needed something to happen to nudge me in the right direction. The day we wrote this song, I knew it was the sign I was asking for. "Make a Move" is one of my favorite songs I have written, and I'm so proud of where it landed on this project.

You've had a wild career arc, from pop beginnings to TV stages, worship camp breakthroughs, before landing in country. How did that evolution shape the artist you are now?

I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Deep down, I think that each step I've taken in music has led me to these songs I have just released. Without my time in pop and television, I never would've learned how to use my voice in the way that I do. I'm grateful to have a soul in the country where I write, and I owe that all to my past.

Country music can sometimes feel overly polished. You went the opposite route with stripped-back production. What made you want to pull everything back and let the lyrics breathe on this one?

Aaron Eshuis and Ryan Kohn absolutely crushed the production on my debut EP. I knew I wanted a stripped-back yet emotional production for these songs. I didn't want the music to distract from the lyrics, but instead I wanted it to accentuate its best moments!