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Liverpool-based duo King Hannah has carved out a unique place in the alternative music scene with their melancholic guitar sounds and mesmerizing vocals. In June, they will perform their first-ever concert in Turkey, promising listeners a dark yet captivating musical experience. In our interview with King Hannah, we talked about everything from how they first met to their musical evolution, their collaboration with Sharon Van Etten, and their excitement about performing in Istanbul. For an inside look at King Hannah’s world and their musical journey, keep reading our interview.
I read that you two met while working in a bar in 2017. And, Craig, you mentioned that you first saw Hannah performing in a university band night. What was the most memorable thing of that day for you?
Craig: Well, when I first saw Hannah perform, that was about two years before I started working in the bar. But I never met her that night. I just saw her perform, and the night was really terrible music wise. But Hannah got up and played one song on an acoustic guitar, like, kind of folky song, and she just completely blew me away. I think Hannah's quite embarrassed by that song now and that night. But her voice and the song just completely blew me away. So then when I started working in the bar two years later and Hannah was working there, I was like, straight away on the first, I was like, “oh, I know you I've seen you sing before”. And that was kind of the start of this, I guess.
And then how did you decide to come together and make music?
Hannah: Well, I was looking for a guitarist. And I was told that Craig is a guitarist, so I thought, oh, okay. Well, we get on, we're friendly, so let's try this. So it took a long, long time because I was so, so nervous to show him my songs, but I eventually did after about a year of attempting and it was as from then it was easy peasy. And it was great. It felt always felt right, doesn't it, Craig? Or didn't it?
Craig: So far yeah.
Hannah: That's how it began really. It's very slow, slow process. But I think that was for the best.
By the way, you released your last single, “Leftovers” today, and I listened to it. It's a very dark and poetic song.. It builds a slow, rising tension and ends with a powerful finale. So how would you describe your musical journey or musical evolution from your first EP to the last single that you published today?
Hannah: That's a good question. Go on, Craig, you go, you start.
Craig: No. You go.
Hannah: Oh, gosh. Our music taste has changed a lot. Actually, the artists we're listening to from the EP to now and we were listening to more folky stuff. Whereas now we have a broad sort of range. But I know that Craig's favourite music is like 70s music and Neil Young stuff, but then also 90s, like Built to Spill. There's so many. And I'm similar in that I love Joni Mitchell's voice, but then I love Built to Spill and Slint and all that cool stuff. Whereas in the EP days it was just kind of folky. But I think our tastes have developed for the better. We've definitely got better taste in music now than we did then. So I think who we listen to definitely reflects in how we're writing and who we're listening to at that moment in time definitely has a reflection on the current songs that you're writing. I think it shows across the time because we are aware that it's changed quite a lot really since the early days. But I think it's okay.
Craig do you want to add anything?
Craig: No. It's just same thing really. I think that we've got a lot more confidence since the start. And just doing it for so long. And with each thing that you bring out, you kind of, when you listen back to them, you can hear the things that you don't love so much in them, and they're the things you kind of want to address on the next thing and playing live as well. I think playing live is like, we want the shows to feel a certain way and have certain moments in them and have really quiet moments and have the big, loud moments. So the album should reflect that.
Hannah: Craig, also recording wise?
Craig: Yeah. Recording as well. That's one of the things I think we've got more confidence in. In the first record very much was figuring out how to do things and how to write. We'd never written anything long form like that takes, that fills up 35, 45 minutes of music. So I think on the last album we got closer to how we want to sound.
You collaborated with Sharon Van Etten on the songs Big Summer and This Wasn't Intentional. How did this collaboration come about? And what is it like to work with Sharon?
Hannah: We've been in touch with Sharon briefly via email and Instagram messaging since “Creme Brulée”. Because when we self-released Creme Brulée originally, we sent it her, and she posted it onto her Instagram feed. And so we got a lot of attention for us from then and we've kept in touch ever since then. I think that was 2019. So we always said it'd be so cool to do something together. And she was like, “yeah, cool that'd be great”. We've never met her. We did it all, like via email and then we just sent her. You know, the timing felt right because we were writing new stuff. So we sent her a couple of songs and asked if she'd like to be on any of them. And “Big Summer” and “This Wasn't Intentional”, the two tracks that she chose to be on. So she recorded them where she was based in America in her home studio, then sent them to us, and we loved them.
Cool. So you never came together physically, right?
Hannah: Yeah I think that happens a lot nowadays actually.
You covered Madonna's song Like a Prayer two years ago. How did you choose that song? And will there be similar surprises in the future?
Hannah: It didn't take very long to choose it. I was trying to write a song at the time, and it sounded like that. And I remember thinking “that sounds a bit like the Madonna one” And I was singing it and it actually just worked, and I always remembered that. Then when it came to it, I showed Craig and he was like “let's do that”. So we just did that one. But and then moving forward, we do want to do more covers, don't we, Craig?
Craig: Yeah, I think so. Because we did one of “State Trooper” a few years ago as well that people really like, isn't it?
Hannah: Yeah. We love doing covers live particularly. It's really fun.
So will we able to listen to some covers on the stage in Istanbul?
Hannah: We'll probably do “State Trooper”
Craig: It's not set in yet, but we'll definitely try to mix the set up a little bit, don't we?
Hannah: Yeah.
It will be your first Istanbul concert, right? Do you know anything about the city or the Turkish music scene?
Hannah: No.
Craig: No. We’ve never been there. We're really excited.
Hannah: You can tell us anything you want about it.
I think there will be a great crowd to watch you. There are so many people, around me at least, listening to you and your music. Festival is also headlining Air and Slowdive So it will be good to listen to you there. So you also haven’t been here as a tourist before, right?
Craig: Yeah, definitely will be the first time.
Hannah: We have no idea what to expect.
I was just going to ask “What do you expect?”
Hannah: No idea.
Will you have some days to walk around the city or taste the Turkish cuisine?
Craig: I hope so. That's arranged now, isn't it? I think we'll probably get there the night before the show. And then we'd have that evening and then the next day, depending on what time we're playing. I hope that we do get to see some of the city and eat some of the foods. And that's I'm very excited about that.
Who are you listening to on these days?
Craig: We've been listening to quite a lot of people like Neil Young. I've been listening to a lot of Ry Cooder lately who's like a slide guitarist from America. Lucinda Williams, a lot of Lucinda Williams. Mj Lendermann. You've been listening to him as well?
Hannah: Yeah, that's what I was going to say.
Craig: Sorry.
Hannah: That's the one I've been listening to. I listen to one person or one band for months, and then one move. That's just what I've always done. So I don't have as many as Craig. I just have one.
Is there anything that you are passionate about besides music?
Craig: Yeah. There's a lot like literature, film. I really like hiking and swimming.
Hannah: Camping? You like camping?
Craig: I like camping, yeah. I like being outside. What about you?
Hannah: I like the first two, but then I also like high end fashion and clothes and the whole fashion world. High end fashion industry.
Craig: That's the opposite of camping.
Hannah: I also love films and getting lost in something like that.
And what are your plans for the near future?
Hannah: We're touring really heavily as from 12th of April. And then up until October, we have some shows in November. And then Craig and I will get stuck into writing new material which we're very excited about.
it's quite rare that happens now, actually, so I can't wait to do that. That won't be until like November. December.
Thank you very much. Finally, is there anything you want to add?
Hannah: If anybody would like to recommend any Turkish food for us to try while we're there, that would be fun.
Probably you heard something about Turkish kebab or Turkish raki. But of course, you will find some much more in Istanbul. There are so many traditional and delicious foods and rich cuisine here in Turkey.
Hannah: Yeah, I don't eat red meat, so maybe like other recommends would be. Since it's our first time there, that would be really fun to hear some food suggestions that we can try and source.
Craig: Thank you so much.
So see you in summer.
Hannah: Yeah. Can't wait. Nice to meet you. Take Care.
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