Hannah Lou Clark - Angels In Skate Parks
Music is a powerful memory tool. We hear a song from when we grew up and are instantly transported back to that time. That part is natural. What’s even better is when you hear a new song that reminds you of a specific time of your life, despite having no prior connection to it. That’s what happened to us when we heard Hannah Lou Clark’s new single ‘Elbows’.
Hannah Lou Clark is an artist who has lived many musical lives. While making music with her friends in the five-piece Arthur between 2005-2009, she released her ‘Monster’ EP as Hannah Shark in 2008. From 2011, Hannah became FOE, putting out the ‘Hot New Trash’ EP that year and debut album ‘Bad Dream Hotline’ in 2012. Embracing her own name, Clark put out three EPs from 2014-2017 entitled ‘Silent Type’, ‘It’s Your Love’ and ‘The Heart And All Its Sin’.
Hannah was amongst the first artists we interviewed for Moths and Giraffes back in 2020 for her ‘HLC Taped’ EP. Recorded at home on four-track tape, the collection contained her last current singles, ‘Trigger Happy Kisses’ and ‘Care’. During lockdown, Clark released a second volume in the series, this time collecting demos from her FOE era. ‘Xmas Breakup’, recorded by FOE in 2012, marked Hannah’s last release before focusing entirely on new music.
Though on the surface, four years is a long break between singles, Clark has in fact been exceedingly busy raising her family, creating pencil and acrylic artworks and recording new songs. ‘Elbows’ is the first single to be released from her forthcoming debut album as Hannah Lou Clark.
Physically pressing play on a tape recording, Hannah Lou Clark retains a link to her own analogue past, 'Hey it’s me, how's it going?' However, her new single is without the rustic quality of her tape recordings - ‘Elbows’ is co-produced by Clark with Philip Van Den Brandeler in a more substantial setting with session musicians. Having previously worked with Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Brandeler maintains a strong connection with Hannah’s musical family, also working with Charlotte Clark, Thom Rodriguez and Shyfoot.
Hannah’s spoken word introduction moves rhythmically over drums by George Traylen, with atmospheres crafted by the production duo. Listen closely for the way the rhythm and lead guitar parts are woven together, both essential but in isolation pulling ‘Elbows’ in opposing songwriting territories. Hannah’s rhythm is the sound of the song being written, while the lead by Ellie Jones is the track coming to life with the band.
Bassist Neal Casey completes the ensemble, felt most strongly in the chugging verses, ‘Deep down, earth covers your skin, your life never did begin.’ Loss is a central theme in ‘Elbows’, but the later, softer focus where you wonder if that person is still out there, somewhere. 'Also, where do you think people go when they die?' So innocently asked is the question, that it could've been put to Clark by one of her own children.
‘Holding out your arms, reliving the glory days…’
There's nostalgia in 'Elbows' too. I'm standing up in my kitchen listening to this song only for the second time and suddenly I'm 16 and it’s 2007 and I'm watching Kerrang! again. The underlying melancholia in 'Elbows' has recaptured that feeling of teenage angst, without the wallowing. The wider questions, girls tattoo their hands in gel pens with broken hearts in different colours, the words are scribbled in backs of planners or used as MSN display names:
‘ </3 eVeRyBoDy ElSe WiLl SlOwLy DrIvE tHeMsElVeS iNsAnE </3 ’
This nostalgia is present in the music video too, mostly shot by Kelly Spike of Us and the Wild. Remember all the pop punk videos that were filmed in skate parks? Hannah and the team capture this vibe well from Trumpington Skate Park in Cambridge, showing that the scene is still very much alive, the punks just stopped filming there.
The theme of personal loss in ‘Elbows’ is written by Hannah Lou Clark in such a knowing, universal way as to reflect your own losses. Not so solely in mortality, but also in the people having moved on from your life. How uncomplicated it was to be in a park with your mates, sharing laughs and music, scribbling your favourite lyrics on your hands.
‘Maybe there are angels.’
Continue reading for our Q&A with Hannah Lou Clark. We ask about shooting ‘Elbows’ in a skate park, nostalgia, FOE demos and performing live again. All this and more below!
1. 'Elbows' is your first brand-new music since 2020 - welcome back! How does it feel to be putting out new music at last?
Thank you! It just feels right. There’s been a lot of big life stuff going on, but now I’m finally ready for some HLC time.
2. Love the video set in the skate park. Where did that idea come from? Was everyone comfortable with being filmed or did it take a while for all the skaters to get used to the camera being about?
I wanted to mirror the sense of nostalgia in the song, so I thought back to being a teenager and hanging out in skateparks. Being outside with your mates all day with no real worries, chatting about music, crushes etc. I also had in mind the classic old school skate videos that use a fish eye lens, which I thought would work really well with the vibe.
When we got there we went round and told everyone what we were up to, and they were all cool with it. Once we started filming we noticed gradually more of them were skating around in shot and trying to do tricks and things. A friend of ours who skates also came down and shot some go pro footage which we used quite a lot of in the video.
3. I was listening to this track only for the second time and it reminded me of being sixteen and watching Kerrang, what music were you listening to at that age?
I used to buy Kerrang magazine, in fact any music mags that had CDs so I could find new stuff. I’ve always listened to a real mix to be honest. For Christmas that year I remember getting ‘Racecar Is racecar backwards’ by Reuben, and in contrast a Bert Jansch CD. I was heavily into ‘Uh huh her’ by PJ Harvey around that time too.
4. You've been digging into your past recently on your socials, what about nostalgia has been driving this moment in your career?
Since having kids it’s given me a bit of a fresh perspective on my life so far. I think it’s important to embrace our past selves, and realise how they have shaped our present. Music has been a constant thread in my life for as long as I can remember, and so it’s intertwined with all sorts of stages and events that I’ve been through. I suppose I’m piecing things together to better understand who I am now and where I’m at.
5. You've put out some FOE demos in various places over the past few years as part of the 'HLC Taped' series and 'Xmas Breakup', is there much more of that music about that hasn't come out yet?
I set up a Patreon in 2020 and I posted an unheard / unreleased demo pretty much every month until I’d run out! So there’s a lot of stuff on there, but I do like the idea of formally releasing some of it at some stage. Sometimes songs will tell you when it's their time.
6. In between releasing music, you've been getting your creativity out in drawings and paintings. Have you had any wacky commissions? What's been your favourite of these to do?
I did have a very specific request once to draw someone’s three cats in a secret underground bunker with guns and a poker table! That was interesting! I think one of my favourite drawings was of my dear mate’s cat and dogs playing in a band they called ‘The Ponytail Swing Band’. I love adding tiny details to my pictures so you see something new every time your eye wanders.
Artwork by Hannah Lou Clark.
7. You jumped back on stage in January supporting Charlie Barnes, how was that? Can we expect to see some headline shows again soon?
Honestly I felt incredibly nervous right before I went on! My mouth dried up and my heart was racing. It had been such a long time since I’d played! By the end of the set though I was really enjoying myself. Even got the crowd to sing happy birthday to one of my best mates who was there.
8. 'Elbows' is the first track from your debut album under your own name, what can you tell us about the music that's to come?
I am keeping things close to my chest for now…but I promise there is more, and it is real.
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Purchase ‘Elbows’ by Hannah Lou Clark, as well as a selection of her previous music on Bandcamp.
For more information about Hannah Lou Clark and to purchase her artwork, visit her official website.
To support Hannah’s career (and hear some great demos!), visit her Patreon.
Follow Hannah Lou Clark on Instagram @hannahlouclark, on Facebook @hannahlouclarkmusic and on Twitter @Hannahlouclark.
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