INTERVIEW: Hannah Trigwell — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

Hannah Trigwell

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HER album, RED, arrives…

on 31st August, so I have been speaking with Hannah Trigwell about the record and whether there is a song she would highlight as a standout. Trigwell discusses her busking days and how her career has progressed; which artists were important to her growing up – the songwriter talks about her YouTube videos and the reaction they have gained.

I ask Trigwell which three albums are important to her; if there is a current artist she’d like to support on tour; what sort of gigs are approaching – she ends the interview by selecting an awesome song.

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Hi, Hannah. How are you? How has your week been?

Hi! I’m very well, thanks. How are you? My week has been very busy so far: recording vocals for a song coming out later this year and editing a new music video!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

My name is Hannah Trigwell - I’m a singer-songwriter from Leeds. My style of music is acoustic-driven Pop but I’m influenced by a lot of different genres and artists!

RED is your upcoming album. What sort of stories inspired the record? Is there a reason for that title, too?

The reason I’ve called the album RED is because it really sums up a lot of the emotions behind the songs: love, lust; anger and jealousy. There is also a track on the album called Red, which is about feeling like you are addicted to someone.

Is there a song from the album that stands as a highlight?

Taboo is one of my favourites. I wrote it quite a while ago and the initial sound of this song influenced the rest of the album. That track has elements of a lot of different types of music and I think it’s an interesting listen - but, I really connected with the whole concept of love being taboo, too. It was very therapeutic to write.

Is it true you started in music by busking?! How did you progress from busking to recording your own music?

I started busking in my hometown and did most days for about a year before uploading videos of my performances to YouTube and reaching an international audience. Whilst I was performing covers during street performances and on YouTube, people were asking me if I could release some of my original music - the demand for it gave me the confidence to start putting out original singles.

Many might recognise you from your videos on YouTube. How does it feel knowing so many people have seen your videos? Has that given you a lot of confidence?

It’s amazing to see how many people have watched the videos or streamed my music online! The numbers still blow my mind. The positive feedback (and constructive criticisms) gave me the confidence to start touring and also helped me improve in terms of playing guitar and singing. I’m self-taught so, in the early days, I got some comments specifically about things I was doing right or wrong and that really helped me progress.

Which artists did you grow up listening to? Do you recall when music first came into your life?

When I was younger, I loved a big range of artists including M People, Eternal; Blue, the Eagles and Michael Jackson - a lot of it was rooted in Pop and I think that has really affected the way that I write songs now. I remember buying an M People E.P. - that was my first C.D. and I thought it was so cool! I also had an obsession with Simply Red for a while. Phil Collins is still a big influence on my music.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I hope to have truly made my stamp with original music - so that people really get my style and who I am as an artist. I know I’ve kind of drip-fed my audience with original music; averaging about one single release a year and so I can appreciate how it might have been hard to truly understand me as a musician – but, now I have a fourteen-track album, I’m so excited to see the reaction.

Will there be any tour dates? Where can we see you play?

Yes! I’m on tour across the U.K. in the first two weeks of September - Glasgow, Nottingham; Leeds, Bristol; Brighton, London and Newcastle! Really looking forward to playing all of these new tunes. Then, I’ll be heading out to play mainland Europe - we have a bunch of international dates to announce soon!

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

I recently had quite a lengthy conversation with Quincy Jones at Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. He is a very nice guy and was very open with me straight away - we ended up talking about general life and different experiences we had had in music. He said to me that I should always make the kind of music that feels right and to go with my gut. I really needed to hear that! That’s an experience that will stay with me for a long time.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Red Hot Chili Peppers - By the Way

I got this album when I was twelve and listened to it on-repeat during a family holiday climbing mountains in Austria. Every time I listen to it, it takes me back there. I had such an awesome time. That album really inspired me to start writing my own material.

Damien Rice - O

Just such an amazing album. You can really hear the emotion in these songs. Damien Rice got me into playing guitar and Acoustic/Folk music in general. I think this is one of the best albums ever.

Joyner Lucas - 508-507-2209

An album I got into early this year. This guy has made a masterpiece. I must have listened to this record about fifty times. The lyrics are so raw and real so I connected with it instantly.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

I’d love to support Charlie Puth. I think his songwriting is awesome and all of the live performance videos I’ve seen of his are great. It’d be ace to share the stage with him!

My rider is pretty small, to be honest. A great rider for me would be bottles of water, good red wine; chicken salad chocolate and Yorkshire Tea.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Be nice and take every opportunity. If you’re not nice you get a rep pretty quickly: the industry is a lot smaller than you think in terms of who knows who. Definitely don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. It’s easier than ever - pretty much everyone has a camera phone; you just have to be motivated enough to make it happen.

IN THIS PHOTO: HANNIE/PHOTO CREDIT: Fay Summerfiel

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I recently co-wrote a track with HANNIE (an Electro/Pop/guitar duo) - definitely check them out. They have some awesome funky tunes.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

A little, not a lot! I love being outside. Hiking is something that really calms my mind. I like to watch movies. I often get inspiration for songwriting doing that too.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Ariana Grande - God Is a Woman, please! It is my current obsession