
The moment that you hear Hannah Rae’s voice you a transported into a world that you believe is a better place. Her gentle tone along with beautiful guitar playing is so beautiful and calming. In a way she reminds me a bit of Tori Kelly, but she is also so unique and original. The way that she performs and puts together her execution of the song, it’s different than the typical music you hear on the radio today. In reality it is a breath of fresh air.
I have been following Hannah’s career for quite some time now. Luckily for me, I actually went to high school with Hannah so I have been able to see her grow more confident with her talents and see her believe in herself the way others believe in her.
Hannah released her first big music project, an EP titled The Surface, at the beginning of January 2017. It is available on Itunes and Amazon, where it already has a 5 star rating.
Before you read the questions that she so graciously answered, be sure to follow her on Twitter and Facebook, along with check out more songs available on her Soundcloud account!
1. Who are you biggest musical influences?
“That’s a tough question! I have a lot and it’s funny because a lot of the music I listen to, doesn’t reflect my style of music. I would have to say the main influence is my favorite band, Paramore. I know that’s different. I grew up listening to many different genres of music, but when I discovered them, I was 11 and was in total awe. Hayley Williams was the reason I began singing. I saw their music video for their song, ‘Pressure’ and I remember thinking, “Holy crap. That’s amazing. She’s so badass and I’m going to do that one day.””
2. What inspired you to write the song “The Surface”?
“Surface was a song that I wrote a little over a year ago about a guy. Hella cheesy, I know. I was so infatuated by him and he made me feel like I was walking on clouds, I had to get my feelings out and the best way I knew how was through writing a song! I thought it was romantic and he liked it a lot when I played it for him.”
3. There are a few covers on your EP, why did you choose those specific songs to cover?
“I chose “Yellow” because I love Coldplay. They give me all the feels and I just wanted a slow jam on the track list and “Yellow” gives you just that. I chose “Wild Things” because I absolutely adore Alessia Cara and her music. She’s such a dope artist and that song really puts me in a great mood!”
4. When you write, do you have a specific place you like to write?
“I like to write in my bedroom or sometimes the beach. I need a place that’s quiet. I like an environment that gives me peace.”
5. Who would be your dream collaboration?
“There are way, way too many. Paramore, of course! Tori Kelly, Alessia Cara, Brendon Urie from Panic! At The Disco. There’s a lot of talented artists in today’s modern music and I would love to collaborate with all of them. In all genres too!”
6. How has music changed your life?
“Music has been my saving grace for as long as I can remember. I can’t even remember specifically when I was like, “Wow, I love music and I wanna pursue this the rest of my life.” It’s been a passion of mine since forever and it’s my entire happiness. There’s a lot of disconnect in the world and the only thing that seems to connect people, is music. It’s a community and it brings people together, makes people understand. It lives through me and I don’t think I will ever be able to describe how much it’s kept me going in my life.”
7. What is your all time favorite song?
“I have too many! As of right now though, I am really digging Kehlani’s music. She’s a dope R&B singer. I’m seeing her in February live and I’m so hyped about it!”
8. On the entire album, what lyric stands out most? What one means the most?
“You are stronger than you think you are, keep your heart of gold among the stars.” Or “You don’t know how much you grow when you let go.” Both are from “Lessons Learned”. Both have pertained to my life recently and there’s nothing more true than those lyrics I wrote. There’s not anything in life you cannot accomplish or overcome as long as you are true to yourself and do what’s right, once you learn how to do that, it gets easier to let go of the bad and toxic negativity that’s holding you back. I’m just a small girl, only 5′, from Boston with big dreams. I love music and if I’m not doing that, I’m probably at a show seeing other musicians. And if I’m not doing that, I’m probably at home in bed napping and eating food. This was my first big musical project and I was anxious to start. I had never recorded anything this in depth before and I knew it was going to be challenging, but I was ready to take it on. I wanted to do this album for not just myself, but so my friends and family could hear my sound. I was always doing small stuff with music, but this was a huge commitment and I wanted to finally present myself as a musician, as an artist. I’m such a creative person and this album process was so fun. It was fun to let my mind wander wherever!”
9. Backstreet Boys or *NSYNC ?
“I saw Backstreet Boys when I was 9 and I ended up getting front my row seats which resulted in me touching their hands. I went insane, but I have the strongest love for *NSYNC!”
10. Britney or Christina?
“Britney all the way!”
From a personal standpoint I truly believe that Hannah is an absolutely gifted musician who also had a great heart. Listening to her lyrics you can tell that she wears her heart on her sleeve and that she isn’t afraid to express emotion through her art.
She is definitely an artist you should keep an eye out for.
Again follow her on any of her social media outlets Twitter, Facebook, and Soundcloud. Be sure to pick up “The Surface” on Itunes or Amazon too!
Thank you for the interview Hannah!
Visit: Celebrities Are Tragic || Facebook || Twitter || Instagram