Hannah Grace - 'I’m always working towards growing and developing as an artist'

By James Garbett

“A good song is a song that makes a significant connection with others. A song that makes you think, makes you feel, makes you dance, something that provokes a reaction! Ultimately I think lots of writers are looking to connect”.
 
Back in 2017, chances are you heard the powerful, sensational cover of the 1999 Fat Boy Slim hit: “Praise you”. A version that breathed a new sensational life into the song that swiftly caught the attention of many ears about who was this new exciting voice.
 
Hannah Grace has continued to build off her success, moving far beyond the cover and into her own songs that are personal and sterling. We love how her music blends the classic elements of soul with gloriously anthemic lyrics and her intoxicating voice. Her new song “How True Is Your Love” showcases all the elements that makes Hannah Grace such an exciting new voice, with -additionally - one of the best bass lines in years!
 
We couldn’t miss the chance to talk to her about her new releases and how her background has influenced her music.

First of all, how are you spending this rather strange lockdown period? Is it a good time to write music?
“I have been at home in Wales with my family. I’m very grateful for the time I get to spend at home, I’ve been running and cooking and having a really nice quiet time with my family - but I’m also really missing ‘normal’ life. In so many ways music carried on for me, I have done some online Zoom collaborations and writing - which has been great! I’ve also started to learn how to record myself which is something I’ve been meaning to do for ages, so I’m so happy I’m finally getting around to it! I’ve written a couple of songs. Every day there is usually something to think about which might be the basis of a song”.
 
 Could you tell us more about the production of “Praise You”?
“I was actually asked to record Praise You for an advert so I didn’t choose it myself. But it is a song that I’ve always loved. Given that it was hugely successful as a dance tune, I found it really fun completely changing it. It was nice to really get into the lyrics and see that they can elicit different emotions”. 

You graduated from The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with a degree in Jazz vocals and performance. What are the big lessons you've taken from studying jazz? 
“Jazz is a hugely social and collaborative genre, the spontaneous and improvisational element of the music lends itself to playing music with other people. So much Jazz music is conversations through the language of melody and rhythm - I love that. So many of the musicians I play with I met through studying and it’s great to be part of that community.
Studying jazz helped me to improve as a singer and musician overall. I’m always working towards growing and developing as an artist, as a result of being challenged and taken out of my comfort zone during my degree.
The vocal training I had was so valuable and I’ve learnt to look after my voice so well and use my voice to the best of it’s potential”.

 Could you tell me more about "How True Is Your Love", where did that song come from and how did it develop? 
“I wrote ‘How True Is Your Love’ about giving myself the courage to question the love I deserve. It’s about how hard it is to fall back in love after being hurt but not holding back, throwing yourself into the pain and joy all at once. It is about having the strength not to lose all of your trust in love for the future. I wrote it with my friend Joe Keogh. Joe is such a brilliant writer, he’s real and honest and helped me capture this idea perfectly. We wrote it together in his house in Brighton last year. It was the first song we’d written together and we just clicked!”.

What about your excellent #StayAtHome Music video for the song, how did that come about?
“I filmed the video in my house in Wales, I knew I wanted to create some visuals for the song and made a little set in my living room. I have worked a lot with Bee Happy Media in the past and they edited the footage for me and brought in the idea of the kaleidoscopes which really brought the whole video together - I’m so happy with how it turned out - it really is amazing what you can achieve at home with technology and working with people on virtual platforms”.

 Could you tell me more about how performing live is an influence? What sort of thing is important when writing a song?
“I love performing live, it’s my favourite thing, so when I’m writing I guess I also imagine what I’d like to perform and what it is I want to say to an audience. I really want my songs to be honest and about something real, so that people can relate to it and hear the story, and I want people to feel something. So when I’m writing a slow reflective song or an upbeat one I definitely keep that in mind.”
 
What are the key lessons you've learned whilst making your two EPs that you'll apply to your debut album? 
“I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so patience is key. I really want to completely love everything I put out so it definitely takes time. Some of the songs on the record have been on a long journey with writing or production, being able to take my time on this has been really important. So I suppose another thing would be to enjoy the process. Once it's out it's out. I’ve been trying to enjoy every little thing along the way”.

“I think the music industry is constantly changing for the better. Even in my short few years working within it I’ve seen such positive change for female writers and producers, writers, in general, getting more recognition (as well as other people ‘behind the scenes’). I think there needs to be continued emphasis on a community existing that supports and helps each other rather than a focus on competition.

“I’ve been very lucky to be in a very strong community of writers and artists and a label that promotes these values too. It has been so valuable to my development as an artist and how I’ve grown to believe in myself and have more confidence in my potential. I think it would be great if this was the ‘norm’ rather than the exception”.

Listen to Hannah Grace’s latest track ‘How True is Your Love’ here.