Hannah White Talks New Album, Touring And More
Words by Glenn Sargeant
Photo Credit: Supplied By PR
UK-based singer-songwriter and musician Hannah White has released her new album ‘Sweet Revolution’ and she kindly chatted to JLTT all about her new music, touring and more:
Your album ‘Sweet Revolution’ is out now. How did you want to approach the making of this album?
This record had been ready in my head and my heart for quite a long time before we started recording. I had a sound in my head and had been obsessively listening to songs that I like the sound of so that I could share with the others who were working with me – just to make sure we were all on the same page. We had a couple of meet-ups to talk about everything but actually the preparation was minimal. It was going to be about following our intuition and allowing the songs to speak for themselves.
Where did you record the album and who produced it?
The aIbum was recorded at home. My husband is my guitarist. He is is also like a mad scientist when it comes to microphones and capturing sound. He did all the engineering of the album. He knew the sound I was looking for and had been listening to the songs I’d sent him for reference and he then spent 3-months researching how the songs were recorded, which mics were used, where they were positioned, tricks and techniques etc. He rigged up the house so our cupboard under the stairs became a vocal booth with moving blankets hanging everywhere to deaden the sound. Our living room was a drum room and we installed structures around the kit to isolate the sound. Our bedroom was the mixing room and we recorded guitars and bass in another room. There were cables and leads everywhere. It was horrible as a place to live for a while. But it was a brilliant, exciting studio! Michele Stodart, who plays bass and guitar on the album, also produced the record. She was amazing. She is a rare musician with an astute ear. She captures a groove instantly and has a clever way of directing other musicians until we have a vibe. We worked closely together. She was sensitive and knew what I wanted. She introduced ideas and challenged me and it wasn’t always comfortable – but I love that it happened. I don’t think you can do anything important without feeling a little discomfort.
Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the album recording sessions?
There were quite a few times when we’d spent the entire day and into the night working on some sounds ending up in a state of hysteria. When we were recording One Foot, we were capturing sounds from the house. We used my kitchen bin as a snare drum. We were kicking floor boards and flicking spoons, whispering and strumming the strings of my piano. I had a didgeridoo and we all experimented with it until I found a good groove. We were laughing so much and were so tired at the same time we were crying in a heap on the floor. It makes me laugh now just thinking about it.
Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?
I live in Sutton in South London. Five words: suburban, unpretentious, common (in a good way, all kinds of people), unassuming & green.
How do you look after your voice?
I never do anything to look after my voice. I wouldn’t know how to.
Do you have any favoured stage instruments, pedals, effects etc?
I leave all the effects & pedals to my mad scientist guitarist husband who could talk about it all for hours. I am happy to rock up on stage with a guitar and a mic.
Earlier this year, you supported Paul Carrack on his UK Tour alongside your own shows such as Bush Hall in London. What was that experience like and what memories do you have of those shows?
Supporting Paul Carrack was amazing. I was a little bit anxious because the man is a master of performance, songwriting and musicianship. I didn’t want to let him down after he’d invited us on tour and I always have a touch of imposter syndrome – whether I’m playing down the local pub or on a huge stage. Anyway, I needn’t have felt any anxiety because Paul was so nice. He is an inspiring man to follow around on tour and his band were just brilliant people and a real laugh. Also the audiences were so nice! They all turned up for the support act for a start – and they were so responsive. I even got a standing ovation on one night. For a sparse 30-minute support set, it couldn’t be further from what I expected. It was amazing and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Do you have any plans for more live dates in 2024?
Yes, 2024 is going to be busy. The album comes out officially in America in January which is really exciting as I’ve never had a US release campaign before. I’m touring the album properly in the UK in Spring and I’m doing a full tour of Norway in May. I have some festivals in Summer which I haven’t announced yet but will be in the new year, and then announcing some further travel which is happening in September which I can’t say yet but it’s really exciting!
One of the singles from the album is ‘Chains Of Ours’. What was the story/inspiration behind the track?
Chains of Ours is a song about being a woman. Trying to open doors which are so firmly closed; to reverse assumptions which are equally as closed and to overcome forces actively working against you – sometimes physical and sometimes societal. It’s a song I believe all women will be able to relate to in some way – but also probably all people who have been trodden on in some way at some stage. The stats for women in music & art are alarming. They are worse than the construction industry. But we all know it isn’t just in music that there is a problem. We have a long way to go but things are changing and issues are being raised which is positive and hopeful.
Was this a difficult album to write?
I find writing is the easiest thing to do. It’s easier than literally anything else in my life. It’s more difficult to turn songs into a finished piece but the writing is wonderful for me. I love it.
What makes Hannah White happy and what makes you unhappy?
I get sad about suffering. That could be people around me, or people I don’t know when I hear it in the news, for example innocent people caught up in war, or harm being done to the planet, or people living in poverty or trapped in cycles of abuse or hopelessness. I have to limit my access to the wider media because it affects my mental health when I hear about that kind of suffering and inequality. Writing songs makes me happy. Nature makes me happy. Being with the people I love makes me happy. The older I get, the less I crave the big things and the more I get from the small things.
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Photo Credit: Supplied By At The Helm PR
Hannah White’s new album ‘Sweet Revolution’ is out now on Last Music Company.
For more information and to purchase the album visit her official website here: https://www.hannahwhitemusic.com/
