After playing the Sofar Sounds circuit in London all summer, Hana is one of the most anticipated voices of 2017 on this thumping synth inspired record, mixed by producer Nick Bennett (Zak Abel/London Grammar/Asegir).
She says her new project has already been compared to 1975, early U2, and Blondie and are due to be released in early 2017. “I’ve been working on a handful of tracks they all start in the studio which is a converted stable out in a village in the middle of no where, no phone signal which is very handy when you want to be isolated and focus.” In the studio, artists often joke about using “airplane mode” to focus on their feelings and project at hand, instead of whomever is texting. A stable in the middle of no where is a new extreme.
For Hana, these singles are the first time she’s been fully creatively liberated with the tools and time she needs to create. “My obsession with music started at a early age; I grew up listening to Dusty Springfield, Oasis, Nirvana and Amy Winehouse. I got a guitar on my 11th birthday and started playing and writing songs, began playing in the local pubs when I got to about 15… that’s how I met my management.” Shortly after, she began recording material with them in their studio and she began honing her sound, finally having access to the freedom and time to grow with what she had wanted to achieve musically. So, in 2016, she formed a band and has been playing shows around the UK since then.
https://soundcloud.com/hanabrooks/hana-brooks-leave-it-1
““Leave it” came about one day in the studio my bass player had been playing the riff all day and it just sorted of engrained itself in my head cause it was so catchy. He kept playing it and this vocal melody and lyrics just came out of nowhere, when I write I don’t sit down with a pen and paper it all tends to come out like vomit and the lyrics I’ve spewed only make sense when I listen to the recording back.” She says they quickly recorded it and built the song to its final from there, but in this case that “it really didn’t take long for it to become what you’re hearing now”.
As for being a female in the music industry, she says some of the friction happens in the studio. “I have found in the past sometimes as a girl —particularly in the studio — it can be hard to get your point across when it comes to the technical aspects, as music tech is a predominately a male industry.” But she says beyond that, she thinks, if anything, being a female in the industry has affected her career in a positive sense, “I wouldn’t say that being a female has effected my career in The slightest if anything it’s a bonus as there isn’t many females in pop doing what I’m doing.
In 2018, Hana looks forward to creating even more. She will be releasing a series of singles starting the end of 2017 and plans to jump the pond to work with some great new producers and do some shows in the U.S.
Hana’s Girl Gang Advice
“DON’T GIVE UP.”
“DON’T GIVE UP. There have been times where I’ve woken up in the morning after a bad gig or a bad studio session and thought what am I doing with my life…but I always pick myself back up and carry on.”
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Hana Brooks Girl Gang Music Picks
Marie White
“I played a gig for the dating app ‘HER’ a couple of months ago I met this up and coming artist called “Marie White” her tone is insane and would highly recommend her.”
Charlotte Carpenter
“Charlotte Carpenter” is a friend of mine I’ve shared the stage with her recently.”
Pale Waves
“They’ve got such a infectious sound can’t get enough of the lead singer Heather.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkp0IZn8Awc