TRACK BY TRACK: Brisbane Singer-Songwriter Hannah Releases Debut EP ‘Pages’

Brisbane-based artist Hannah explores themes of love, anxiety, burnout, and self-discovery with her debut EP Pages. And, to celebrate, the singer-songwriter is taking The Music through the release, track by track.

Butterflies

This was the first single I released out of Pages. Butterflies is inspired by the desire of wanting to find a dating relationship that would stand the test of time. I guess anyone who has the goal of finding a lifelong partner or spouse would go through this process at some point, where the butterflies of a new relationship are nice, but they aren't the depth that is going to carry a relationship in the long run. So the song poses the question, “Will you catch me when I fall?” as the hook line. 

Quiet

Quiet is a song about loneliness, particularly around the idea of loneliness you experience if you've moved into a new season of life or a new location. Or when you get busy and neglect relationships for a while, then you turn around and realise that they aren't what they used to be and you feel isolated. The hook of the song is like a cry of realisation that you really should have “picked up the phone” to keep in contact with loved ones, but you feel bad because it's been so long and you don't know how to reconcile to the way things were. I suppose there's a bit of unresolved bitterness through the lyrics, around the fact that you thought friends would be there for you when you needed them but they weren't, and also towards yourself for letting it happen. 

Merry-Go-Round

Merry-Go-Round is a song of hope in the midst of a place of anguish. The song is a personal one about struggles with anxiety and endometriosis. Where you find yourself in a perpetual cycle of wanting to be productive and effective, whilst feeling the pain of health issues and filling yourself with guilt for not being able to push through a wall of brain fog and burn out. The chorus is almost a lullaby to self that it will be okay, a reminder that things will get better.

Solstice

I think Solstice was the first song out of this EP that I wrote. I was a part of the I Heart Songwriting Club and the theme of the week was “Solstice”. I thought back to the beauty of being a child and how serene life was back then. The song is a wish for a moment of stillness and refreshment for the soul, wanting to take some time out to breathe and centre yourself again away from the crazy of the regular life schedule. It references the story where the sun stood still for a day. 

Cerulean

Cerulean is a song about the excitement of new love. That feeling of electricity and anticipation as you start to fall in love with someone. That moment where you are ready to give your heart to them, but also you are a bit scared because, “What if it's all a daydream?” or, “What if it's all just a cover and this isn't real?” I suppose some of that comes from failed dating relationships and, like it was mentioned in Butterflies, wanting to find that forever but being a bit scared of falling flat on your face. But it's a fun and exciting song of possibilities for me. 

Let It Happen

Let It Happen was fun to write. While we were in the studio recording the EP, I felt that there was something missing, so I looked back in my voice memos to see if I had any forgotten ideas, and found the original brainstorm of this song. So, I went home that night after a full day in the studio with the band, fleshed out the rest of the lyrics, chords, and structure, and we literally produced and recorded the song on the spot. The band (Sam Bertelone on drums, Angus Holmes on bass and Josh Pineda on electric guitar) were so awesome, just coming up with sick parts on the spot. Although I’ll admit, I asked Josh to bring on the corny guitar licks through verse one and he reluctantly obliged with my millennial need for some “Mayer esque” licks. 

The song talks about how it's okay to be scared of falling in love, but it's better to go through life loving at the risk of failure, than not experiencing it at all. I call this song the “piece of corn” for the EP as it’s got corny themes, but it feels that it really does bring that missing piece to the work as a whole. 

Amazing Grace

This (again) is a super personal one to include, but I felt it was a great conclusion piece to my EP. My journey over the last 5 years of life where I experienced all the themes of this EP was a bit of a rollercoaster, particularly mentally and spiritually for me. When I sing this song, I am reminded that through it all I am loved, and that my life is so much better when I put my faith in God. It’s a song of hope and restoration and grace for me. It was so fun recording this at the St Johns Cathedral, such a privilege to sing the song live in a beautiful space.

‘Pages’ is out now. To celebrate, Hannah will perform the EP on October 25 at It’s Still A Secret in South Brisbane. Buy tickets here.