Shouting Into The Well with Hannah Robinson
Artists can be inspired by all manner of things, but in a strange chain reaction of creativity, sometimes artists can be inspired by other artists of differing disciplines. Hannah Robinson’s latest single, ‘The Well’ is inspired by Haruki Murakami’s novel ‘The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle’.
Image Credit: Stuart Dudleston.
Guitarist and vocalist Hannah Robinson has several records under her name. Her debut album ‘Oil and Turpentine’ was released in 2012, followed up by her EPs ‘Water, Carry Me’ in 2015 and ‘Endless Street’ in 2019. Also a session and live vocalist, Hannah Robinson has toured with John Illsley of Dire Straits and featured on live recordings as part of his band. More recently, Hannah has put out three new singles beginning with ‘Run On Child’ in October 2020, ‘Dig Me Up’ in July, with ‘The Well’ seeing release in early August.
‘Maybe you’ve got this deep well inside, and you shout into it.’ – Haruki Murakami (The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle)
This was the particular line that struck Hannah Robinson in her inspiration for ‘The Well’. The song is intentionally sparse lyrically but it’s Robinson’s vocal pacing that disguises this fact. Just three short verses, my favourite is: ‘Galvanising, water's rising, sudden, flooding, pour it down the well.’ When laid next to Murakami’s words, it’s clear to see how one helped inspire the creation of the other. With each word held and delivered with encouragement to find your own meaning, Hannah’s voice is as strong as the band that plays behind it.
Featuring long-term collaborator Scott McKeon on guitar, his co-production and engineering with Stephen Darrell Smith helps to make The Well sound as big as it does. The tone is set early on by Paul Stacey’s striking piano chord and continues by interpreting Hannah Robinson’s writing in a way guitar alone couldn’t achieve. Backed with acoustic guitar, there are also atmospheric keyboard elements which make the first thirty seconds crucial for setting up the lyric.
Bassist Phil Brickell assists in backing vocals during the aforementioned verse, and it’s Paul Stacey’s mix that helps to make Brickell’s and Russ Parker’s rhythm section so punchy. The final minute or so of The Well is where the band really shines, especially Scott McKeon, whose unconventional guitar solo scours from one side of the stereo field to the other.
All this is represented by the beautiful black and white imagery in Przemyslaw Marek Przystup’s video for The Well. Passing between wide coastline shots and a solo studio performance from Robinson, it’s the evolution of the picture leading up to the kaleidoscopic coda that aligns this so well with the music.
With live music increasingly back on the agenda in the UK, Hannah Robinson has her own full band performance booked at The Tivoli Theatre in her home-county of Dorset – ticket information can be found below. Read on for our Q&A with Hannah Robinson. Conducted prior to the release of The Well music video, we ask about the writing and making of the track, plus working with Scott McKeon and John Illsley, her upcoming live show and more.
Image Credit: Richard Preston.
1. 'The Well' is your latest single, which is in part inspired by Haruki Murakami's 'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle'. Is this the first time you've been directly inspired by literature in your music? Where else do you draw inspiration?
This is the first time that a line from a book has jumped out at me in such a way. In the past I’ve been inspired by my own feelings and experiences, things I hear people say, things I notice, paintings and poems, relationships and people I know.
2. This song is made all the more powerful by its arrangement, how did the track sound when you wrote it originally?
Whilst playing one day, I stumbled across the arpeggio-like guitar part that underpins the song. The melody came next, followed by the lyrics and a fairly solid idea of the format. That’s a healthy place to stop I think, writing by yourself. Working with such great musicians, I couldn’t have predicted what they’d bring with their own parts once we got in the studio, and they just brought the song to life so well. The piano part that Paul Stacey created was one of the last things we recorded - it brings so much to the song and I can’t imagine it without it now. I love how other musicians instinctively hear something that surprises you.
3. You recorded at Room With A View, were you able to get everyone together to play? Or was the track more built up over time?
Luckily we were able to get everyone in the same room and capture the live take with the core instruments, and layer up the rest on the same day so we could keep that same feeling.
4. You've worked with Scott McKeon on previous projects, how did you first meet him? What was your first studio session like together?
I first met Scott in 2012 at a jam night in the south of England where we’re both from. I asked him to play some guitar on my first album and it was great to hear him bring his sound and ideas to it. He’s an amazing musician and I’ve been lucky to work with him so frequently.
5. As well, you've been touring with John Illsley too in recent years. What's the highlight of the set, the moment you look forward to each night?
It’s such a pleasure to play with John, the Dire Straits songs are so iconic. ‘Tunnel of Love’ is one of my favourites, it gets me every time. Live, it’s big and loud, but then has those really sensitive moments. The imagery and storytelling in Mark Knopfler’s lyrics are just amazing. There’s a really atmospheric song of John’s called ‘Testing the Water’ where I get to sing a vocal solo, which is a fun moment too!
6. You're also a part of live releases from John Illsley, are the nerves heightened when you know a gig is being recorded?
It does make a difference in your mind, but I suppose you have to try and forget it’s being recorded and not let that make you too self-aware. Just try and keep focussed on listening to what’s happening on stage and being in the moment and enjoying it, so that you capture something real.
7. Hopefully the Tivoli Theatre show can go ahead in October! What are you looking forward to most about playing this gig?
I really hope so! After all this time I just can’t wait to be playing my songs on stage with my friends and expressing myself with the luxury of a nice, big sound. I can imagine walking out onto the stage, the sound of my boots on the wooden floor, the lights in my eyes, and just enjoying listening to the guys as we play. I know we’ve all missed playing so much, and I’m sure the audience will have missed gigs too, so ultimately just that feeling of people being back in a theatre experiencing music after everything that’s happened.
8. 'Run On Child' and 'Dig Me Up' both received music videos, is one coming for 'The Well'?
Yes! The video for ‘The Well’ will be released on Wednesday 18th August and I can’t wait for people to see it. As with the other videos, it’s a collaboration with videographer Przemyslaw Marek Przystup, who I love working with. He has great vision and is musical himself so has excellent timing when it comes to editing! This was another one that was fun to make – half shot in a studio, half on the coast which involved me walking into the sea when it was 8 degrees..!
9. With music being more easily accessible than ever, there's great music being released all the time. What have you been listening to recently?
Lately I’ve been listening to Sharon van Etten, Courtney Barnett’s new stuff, Flyte’s latest album ‘This Is Really Going To Hurt’, Joni Mitchell (she’s a constant), Neil Young, George Harrison. Some classic, some contemporary!
10. 'The Well' is your second single of 2021, can fans expect more music this year? Perhaps a collection of songs?
Yes, more music is on its way! We recently recorded a new track and I’m writing more… It’s been fun to put out singles and create individual looks for them, but I’d like to release an album next, something with perhaps more weight and a longer story to it.
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Purchase the music of Hannah Robinson on her Bandcamp page, including CDs and a choice of downloadable formats.
For more information about Hannah Robinson, visit her official website here.
To purchase tickets for Hannah Robinson’s Tivoli Theatre show in Dorset, visit their website.
Follow Hannah Robinson on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @hannahrobinsong.
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