2 minute read
HANNAH ROBINSON
by narc_media
Image by Coast to Coast Photography
KRISTOPHER COOK FINDS OUT MORE ABOUT THE GATESHEAD SONGWRITER’S SELF-PRODUCED EP
Advertisement
Where do you go when you’re trapped at home? Bet you’ve picked up a hobby or two, or focused more on your creative side; you know, the spark that’s long gone unnoticed. Either way, local artist Hannah Robinson is making the soundtrack to your mental wanderlust, and has been for quite some time now.
“I’ll sit and recite songs I made when I was 12/13 and recycle them to use now. I’ve had a bit of writer’s block recently, so going back and either adding or taking bits away definitely helps. The lyrics are obviously bad, but there is definitely something there for me to use.” Musically, she pulls from a range of colours – despite her style emanating a whole lotta rouge. Hannah names Ladyhawke and first real sonic crush KT Tunstall as set inspirations. Presently she trips to California via a somewhat famous coast. “My current vibe…I love Best Coast – they love the reverb, same as me! It has this beach sound to it which works really well with my voice. Reverb and echo definitely do – it’s also really fun to just experiment with.”
Hannah releases her new EP, Dark Desires, this month, and everything that you see and hear is made in-house by her directly, from artwork, instrumentals and vocals, to doing the promo. “I definitely feel like I’ve gotten more of a following since being in lockdown – especially on YouTube. People have so much spare time now and access to technology to find you. It’s definitely helped me take advantage of the space I’ve got with my music videos as they’re all done in the house or wherever.”
Lo-fi and washed out in a somewhat melancholic sadness, 2020 single Confusion leans on that spacey late-night lounge vibe, and is a literal confession of a DIY mind. Fool For Him, another gem from last year, lives life in carousel-like retrograde, documenting the push/pull of fond thoughts over another soul.
As well as a solo performer, Hannah is also the guitarist in Gateshead act Carabiniers, whose style skirts the sounds of garage rock and ska. Her upcoming solo project is not a farewell to the group, but an understanding of fresh challenges that appear when going out on your lonesome. “These are all songs that I’ve produced myself, and it’s a lot of pressure on me to make sure it goes down well and that people like the songs.”
Hannah explains that with Dark Desires she’s leaving everything open to interpretation. “I want my personality to come through on these songs, but at the same time I don’t want to give everything away. I want it to be a bit mysterious, which is where the name comes from.”
Hannah Robinson releases Dark Desires on 26th March www.facebook.com/hanrobinsonmusic
