Hannah Grace, Devoted to Plan A
The music industry is a multi-faceted entity, full of twists, turns and standards that make little sense in other industries. There is a fundamental problem with the way artists are promoted, and seemingly discarded when it suits. Previous methods of building an artist’s rapport over multiple records, tours and years establishing a fanbase have been thrown out in favour of viral or overnight success. Age also plays into this with many artists attesting to a youth cult in the music industry, with experience and prior successes counting against them.
So it’s no surprise this kind of working affects the artists making the art. Having almost left the industry entirely to contemplate a different career, we explore the new EP from Hannah Grace entitled ‘Devoted’. We also chat to Hannah about her industry experiences in recent years and how they informed her songwriting.
Image Credit: Nat Michele.
We’re no stranger to the career of Hannah Grace, whose work we discovered when she supported Gabrielle Aplin on tour in 2016. Having devoured her strong earlier EPs in ‘Meant To Be Kind’ (2014) and ‘Mustang’ (2016), we eagerly awaited the release of her debut album. In the meantime, we caught her performing a headline show at St. Pancras Old Church, saw her join her label mates for multiple Never Fade Christmas Parties and even saw her support Barbra Streisand at Hyde Park in 2019.
Hannah Grace finally released her debut album ‘Remedy’ in late 2020. Interviewing her for the first time, she had this to say about the record:
‘The album is a reflection of my life for the past 3 years, I wrote it and recorded it through all of the good times as well as the bad. The process became a homemade remedy for me, a constant thread throughout my life that I could go to and express everything that was going on.’ (M&G, September 2020)
In 2021, Hannah released her ‘Body & Soul’ EP, a collection of cover songs better suited to the direction she wanted to take her music. Including standards such as Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ and the classic Etta James song ‘At Last’, the sparse arrangements based around piano would foreshadow her latest work.
At the end of 2022, Hannah returned with a Christmas single, entitled ‘Just ‘cause It’s Christmas (Always Been A Dreamer)’, its lyric a nostalgic look at the majick of the season. We didn’t know it then, but when asking Grace about the song, similar themes would resurface in her current work:
‘While writing it we talked a lot about how sometimes when you’re an adult life doesn’t feel as magical anymore and sometimes we just need that back.’ (M&G, November 2022)
In the lead-up to releasing her latest EP, we asked Hannah what her favourite Taylor Swift song is and why, her answer aligning perfectly with her own musical style:
‘My favourite Taylor song is ‘August’. The track sounds like nostalgia in music form to me. I remember when I first heard it I already felt like I knew it. She has such an amazing way of putting these feelings into her songs, through the melodies and lyrics - everything is always so effortless but still so intentional and refined.’ (M&G, June 2023)
Such is the way of Grace’s own music on the five-track ‘Devoted’ EP, which Hannah has been releasing steadily since New Year’s Day 2023. These songs are her first collection of original music since her album and strike out as being her most revealing and personal yet.
‘Praying for much brighter days, I’m sick of the clouds, oh they’re grey and they’re heavy.’
Written during the 2020 lockdown with Jessica Sharman, ‘Silver Lining’ is a song of defiance epitomised by its chorus, ‘When the world doesn’t want me to find it, I’ll paint my own Silver Lining.’ A feeling shared by many during the pandemic, Hannah uses ‘Silver Lining’ to look more inwards, especially at her career in music. There’s even a reference to her debut album in the second verse, ‘Look at my canvas of pink, it works like a remedy, but it’s gone in a blink. All of the years and the time in the making, the hurt and the heart and the aching…’
For the release of this EP, Hannah Grace has filmed some intimate sessions of the tracks, including this one for ‘Silver Lining’. Taking the piece back to sparse piano accompaniment with Hannah’s voice, the setting reflects the mood conveyed in the song. As well as defiance, there’s quiet optimism, independence and individualism laid out in ‘Silver Lining’, of which there is more to hear on the rest of ‘Devoted’.
‘At 28, growing up is getting harder, some of the friends I made for life are gone. There are days when I don’t mind getting older, but there are others when I don’t feel like I belong.’
Hannah’s career is full of effortlessly perfect vocal takes, and ‘At 28’ is one of those cases. Right from the opening verse of soft piano and lead vocal, Grace’s voice is confessional, ‘I try to be a natural woman, but I hide myself in make-up each day.’ Co-written with Dan Smith, this song talks about the struggle of continuing to grow up in your twenties, of not having everything figured out.
It’s here where Hannah Grace alludes to her potential exit from the music industry, ‘I’ve been running out of space in the city, ‘cause my heart is always racing to the sea, but before I make it to my plan B, I told myself that I would give the game another year.’ Grace’s notes in the chorus reach high, but are gentle, with the closing passage featuring an almost choral backing. Far from attempting to cover up her doubts, Hannah’s revealing writing in ‘At 28’ makes for one of her most emotionally engaging singles yet.
‘Sometimes the world brings out the worst in us, nothing’s ever quite enough. Too many days I’m close to giving up, always wishing I was tough.’
‘Focus On The Good’ is more of a traditional single, with an upbeat tempo, rhythm section, string arrangement and more prominent backing vocals. Written with producer Ian Barter (who also produced Hannah’s ‘Just ‘cause It’s Christmas’), the message is more uplifting, of choosing to believe in the good of people and ignore some of the bad news.
Hannah’s lyric overall is more direct, of reaching the end of your tether and deciding to change tact on the way you see the world, ‘I wanna Focus On The Good, I guess I kinda should.’ In doing so, Grace creates an accessible, timeless track, especially as news cycles explicitly focus on the bad. Leading into the final chorus, ‘I don’t wanna waste my energy, I don’t need that hurt’ reads like a personal mantra.
‘In another life, another world, we were meant to be. Maybe you, maybe me, we’d see this differently.’
When you think you know love, you discover it’s an uncharted territory. It’s different for everyone, there’s no handbook on love, or at least a definitive one. Hannah’s ‘Love Takes A While To Grow’, written with Laura White explores the concept that it isn’t always a given. It’s a mysterious thing.
‘It’s hard to know the perfect way of breaking in your heart. Try to pick it up, to work it out, it always falls apart.’
Produced with Ian Barter, the rhythm is soft, but essential. A gentle thud throughout with simple finger snaps for the choruses. Rosie Langley is the source of the beautiful and dynamic string accompaniment, flowing like water across this song. A real highlight here is the unison in Grace singing the melody while Langley mimics it with violin - musical heaven on Earth.
‘To you I’m Devoted, I hope that you know this. You have my time, you have my words, ‘cause I know your worth.’
The title track of this EP is pure expression. A simple idea, but executed in an exquisite way, right from the vocal humming ensemble running throughout this song, to Hannah Grace’s uncomplicated, blissfully transparent lyricism. ‘Devoted’ is like a hymn. Dan Smith co-writes this piece inspired by a post-pandemic wedding Grace attended that was brimming with love all round.
Where ‘Love Takes A While To Grow’ speaks of the complexity of love, ‘Devoted’ basks in the joy of it. It takes its rightful place as the closing piece on this EP, an imparting message of adoration. Going through life could all be so easy, if only we let it.
‘To you I am always, always a friend. I’ll listen to you, whenever you’re blue, to you I am always.’
Sonically, Hannah Grace has established a style more comfortable for her voice. Far removed from the belting of her earlier work, Grace’s delivery is now cushioned by warmer arrangements that work as a cohesive unit. ‘Devoted’ is the sound of an artist who is more in control of her career than ever, an artist who knows how to put across her message, and her mission statement for her future.
With headline shows already under her belt in 2023, Hannah Grace takes ‘Devoted’ out on tour in November across England and Scotland. The five-date tour features stops in Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol and Hannah’s largest headline show yet at London’s Oslo in Hackney. Though Manchester and Leeds have already sold-out, tickets for the remaining dates are available here.
Continue reading for our Q&A with Hannah Grace. We discuss the themes behind her ‘Devoted’ EP, including her Plan B to leave the music industry behind and ageism. But we also look at the forces of good in the industry, including some people that have inspired Hannah along the way. All this and more below!
‘Devoted’ EP artwork by Nat Michele.
1. Your new EP 'Devoted' has to be some of your most personal work yet. How does it feel to be releasing your first original collection of music since 2020?
It feels really good. I’m so excited to have new music out in the world. These songs are some of my favourite songs I’ve ever written, so it’s a special release for me.
2. Throughout your career, your music consistently has a lush sound. Where did you record these songs and who features on them?
Thank you so much that’s very kind! I recorded the EP in the English countryside last summer. The entire EP is produced by Ian Barter and we also co-wrote ‘Focus On The Good’ & ‘Devoted’. Ian always allows me to lead recording sessions with so much creative freedom and it always makes the process so much more fulfilling and joyful. He always makes sure that every inch of every track is exactly how I first imagine and for that I am so grateful, because this can be rare. I also collaborated with some of my closest friends for the writing for the other 3 tracks, Dan Smith, Jessica Sharman & Laura White, all people who I admire so much. It’s always important to me to work with people I trust whole-heartedly, especially when I’m writing about things that are so personal.
I worked on the creative direction with Nat Michele - who did all of the photography and visuals for the EP - our main focus for the visuals was feeling at home and I am just so happy with how all of the artwork turned out - Natalie has an amazing ability to bring music to life with her work and I am so lucky to have been able to work with her on this project. The whole EP was such a wholesome experience from start to finish.
‘Silver Lining’ single artwork by Nat Michele.
3. It shocked me to read that you'd contemplated leaving the music industry. Firstly, thank you for choosing to stay. What was your reasoning for wanting to leave? And what changed your mind?
Thank you, I am very happy to still be here! Coming out of the pandemic was tough for me, my whole musical world and personal life had changed completely. I felt like I was starting again in a lot of ways. I looked into studying a masters in counselling or music therapy and there was a time when this was really appealing to me, I wanted to escape the pressures that the industry can bring. But I suppose I kind of came full circle in the end, I went back to basics and decided to host a residency in London where I could play new songs and bring a community of friends and musicians back together after such a long time without real life shows. These nights reignited my love for music and helped me remember the reasons why I do it in the first place. This, along with realising that you might as well ‘fail’ at what you love than a plan B. This period of my life ended up being the main inspiration behind the new songs - so I suppose it all happened for a reason, and I’m thankful to be where I am now with a more positive outlook.
4. Music industry ageism is something many artists have been affected by, particularly women. How has your experience in the industry changed since you passed that perceived threshold?
I’d always known that the world of entertainment often had some kind of age limit, but experiencing it myself really hit home in a different way. After releasing my first album I was so excited to move onto the next project. I was looking for a new team and started to reach out to people in the industry. I was often met with views that caught me off guard. I’d hear things like ‘It would be different if you were brand new’ - people never explicitly mentioned anything about my actual age, but there was always the suggestion that my 10 years of experience and catalogue of music was going to go against me for any future opportunities. I was encouraged not to mention achievements if they had happened more than 2 or 3 years ago, as if they were now completely irrelevant. Ultimately - I felt like if I had been 22 instead of 28 things would have been very different.
It did hurt for a while, because I was casually told that all I had worked for my whole life had now been wiped as if it had expired, someone even suggested that ‘maybe it’s time to try and do something else instead’, so that’s why I did contemplate that for a while.
There’s not many industries where your experience goes against you, I strongly believed that I was better at writing songs, performing and singing than I’d ever been and surely that couldn’t be a bad thing, so I kept going and decided to give it another go. I know that some people have it way worse than me and I was very lucky to have so many wonderful people around me that did support me and my music, and I have since worked with people who acknowledge my experience. There’s corners of the industry that are really positive and lovely places to be, so I gravitated towards that good energy and I’m so glad I did, I’m very thankful for this and to my family and friends who were with me the whole way.
‘At 28’ single artwork by Nat Michele.
5. The idea of your twenties is an entirely different concept to what it was forty years ago. Was there a particular event that inspired the idea of continuing to grow up in 'At 28'?
I wrote At 28 at home by my piano, it was written for all of the people who were rooting for me and was written in defiance of all the people who weren’t. I kind of just told myself that good things don’t come easy and that’s okay, and it turned into a song.
6. 'Nothing that's real is ever easy' is a lyric from 'At 28', what's been the hardest aspect of pursuing your dream?
The hardest thing is picking yourself up on the incredibly doubtful days. There always seems to be a million reasons to give up and sometimes they are really heavy. The EP is a reflection of going through that process and making something positive.
7. There are uplifting messages in 'Silver Lining' and 'Focus On The Good' especially, what inspired the writing of these songs?
Silver Lining was written with Jessica Sharman. We’ve been writing together for years and Jess has been such an amazing mentor and friend to me. The song is about how you can make good things happen by yourself, something I often needed to be reminded of.
‘Focus On The Good’ single artwork by Nat Michele.
8. Music really thrives in small communities and scenes, is there anyone you want to give a shoutout to? What about independent artists we should be listening to?
So many wonderful people! Someone who has been there since the very beginning is Gabrielle Aplin. She’s been a constant support throughout my career and had always celebrated me and my music, as I’ve got older I’ve realised how rare that can be so I am so grateful to her. Jessica Sharman & Laura White - my gorgeous co-writing partners, I know I’ll be writing songs with these two forever, when I don’t believe in myself, they do!
Even though I’ve had negative experiences I’ve been so lucky to have been surrounded by so many supportive people too. I’d like to give a shout out to the label that are releasing this EP with me, Frictionless Music, they are so supportive and I couldn’t be more grateful to them and all they do to help me and the new music.
In terms of wonderful independent artists, Lloyd Jerwood, Benedict Cork, & Anna Pancaldi. Beautiful people with beautiful music. You should definitely listen to them!
9. With so much uncertainty in the music industry and difficulty in maintaining resolve, what's your advice to other artists coming through right now?
It is tough, so try not to lose the spark that inspires you to create in the first place, without that there’s really no point. I’d say lean into the people that support you and encourage you and focus on what you can create and what you can control. Figuring it all out can often be the fun part too, something I’ve realised is it’s nearly always more about the process than the end goal. Lastly, community is key. We’re often put in competition with each other but there really is room for everyone to succeed - so celebrate each other.
10. You're taking the 'Devoted' EP on tour in November, what are you most excited about in playing these shows?
I’m just so excited that they’re happening at all! The Hannah from a year ago wouldn’t believe it, so I’m constantly reminding myself of that fact. I’m excited to play the shows and go to these cities. I just want to enjoy every moment and I hope people enjoy coming along. The London show is going to be my biggest headline show to date. So that in itself is kind of proof that the doubtful days were worth pushing through, I know singing Silver Lining that night will be special.
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Purchase ‘Devoted’ on CD and download via Hannah Grace’s Bandcamp page, as well as her back catalogue.
For more information about Hannah Grace, including details of her upcoming tour, visit her official website.
Follow Hannah Grace on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @hangracemusic.
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