by sara welden
photo courtesy of hannah grae
London-based artist Hannah Grae is using her music to explore and navigate through all the big feelings that come with adulthood. Often finding herself writing from her own earnest perspective, Hannah’s music has a beautiful and refreshing sense of relatability that everyone needs to hear. Gearing up to release her sophomore mini-album Nothing Lasts Forever, Hannah took the time to chat with us about bittersweet beginnings and all things music.
Your recent single “Better Now You’re Gone” is a fantastic track, congratulations! It’s written from your own perspective of exploring the wave of feelings that come with experiencing a breakup. Can you take us through what that songwriting process looked like?
Hannah: “Thank you! I generally start with a concept in mind and then pull together some references to help visualize the song. Actually, one of the main references for BNYG was the end scene of Flushed Away. We muted the section that was originally soundtracked by Tina Turner and wrote the song to that. Listening back now, I can definitely feel that scene in the music!”
You’ve also given us a video to go along with “Better Now You’re Gone” directed by Lola Webster. It’s visually reminiscent of some of the early 2000s music videos that we all love and explores the reality of how a night out might fall short of our high expectations. Did you always know that you wanted this song to have a visual to go along with it?
Hannah: “When I’m writing, I always picture a music video to go with my songs. I’ve always been very visual, and I live in my imagination. I knew that this song in particular had a very clear storyline and I definitely wanted to pair it with a video.”
You’ve got another very exciting release coming up, your sophomore mini-album titled Nothing Lasts Forever is out on March 15th. How are you feeling in anticipation of that?
Hannah: “I wrote this project in 2022 and I’m so excited to finally release it. It feels like a time capsule of that period in my life. Letting that project out in the world will also help me. I feel like I’ve grown so much since then and finally seeing that piece of work off will help me grow that little bit more. I’m so excited for people to hear it.”
This release serves as a follow up to your debut mini album Hell Is A Teenage Girl released in 2023. Did you approach anything differently this time around while creating Nothing Lasts Forever in comparison to how Hell Is A Teenage Girl was made?
Hannah: “Actually, not really. My songwriting process didn’t change much from both of those eras. I was still very visual and pulled references from film and TV. I guess my music taste had changed slightly and I wanted to take a simpler approach in terms of instrumentation. Nothing Lasts Forever could be played by a band and sound very similar to the record. I also got a bit more personal within my storytelling and I think with each body of work that I release, I will hopefully get a bit more honest and even more personal.”
You wrote most of the album at age 19 before you made a big move from your hometown in South Wales to London, and you’ve described the project as a body of work about your first year living away from home. Did writing this album help you navigate through that journey and big life change?
Hannah: “I actually wrote the mini album after I moved to London. Hell Is A Teenage girl was written while I still lived in Wales. I wrote all of Nothing Lasts Forever when I was 19 and it was essentially the result of navigating that huge move. I would say it definitely helped and made me feel like I was doing something good for myself. I can’t help but listen back to it and just remember how hard that period was. I’m so glad I have this project to listen to and to remember how far I’ve come.”
Now being 21, what’s it like to revisit these songs again as the world is about to hear them for the first time?
Hannah: “It’s very strange, but I love that I can do that. Those songs haven’t changed much at all since I wrote them and they feel immensely nostalgic to me now. I feel so much when I listen to them. It’s almost like rewatching a movie you used to watch all the time as a kid. I remember how I felt when writing those songs and I do feel so sorry for that version of myself. I’m really glad that I pulled this project together and I see it as a great landmark to end my teenage years.”
You're a self-taught musician and started out by posting your rewritings of popular songs and covers online. Drawing elements from No Doubt, Alanis Morrisette, Phoebe Bridgers, Hayley Williams, and Taylor Swift, how has being able to study some of these giants impacted the music that you make today?
Hannah: “I’d consider myself to be like a sponge. I love sitting in inspiration. Discovering all of these artists just made me, and still makes me, so hopeful and excited for my own corner of the music world. I still draw inspiration from all of these artists. They are so different, but I connect with them all so deeply. I love that artists on opposite ends of the spectrum can still draw in the same fan and inspire them as greatly as they did me.”
You’ve certainly got an exciting 2024 lined up, but what can we expect next from you? Are there any items on your bucket list as an artist?
Hannah: “At the end of this year I would love to look back and be proud of everything that I’ve done and the decisions that I’ve made. I want to work as hard as I possibly can and write more songs on my own. I want to nurture the deep connection I have to writing and keep on growing. I’m trying not to set too many goals as I found that to be overwhelming last year. So this year, my bucket list is full of personal goals that will hopefully make me an artist that I’m proud of.”