Project Description

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Have you always wanted to be a musician? When did you get the song writing bug?
Yes! I always loved to sing and play on the little organ we had when I was a child. I begged for piano lessons when I was five and never looked back. My dad is a songwriter as well and wrote three cds full of children’s songs for me and my brothers when we were young kids, and then many more as I was growing up. I always loved writing and singing with my dad, so I’d say that he was one of the biggest inspirations toward becoming a writer myself.

How would you describe your sound? Why do you think fans resonate with your music?
Well my sales pitch is that I have a ‘quirky and sensitive songwriting style, reminiscent of the likes of Regina Spektor, Missy Higgins, Fiona Apple and Yiruma, to name a few.’ It’s actually a little more complex than that as I’ve been writing professionally for fifteen years now, so my music has evolved and changed with me as I have grown throughout my life. I LOVE looking at how my life experiences Has influenced my music, as it always help me retrospectively process and understand things that were going on for me at the time of writing. It’s almost like having an audio diary that keeps me grounded in my experiences and identity; and helps me remember the lessons I’ve learnt and the people I’ve loved throughout my life so far. I could go on in more depth about this… but I guess you’re going to have to wait and listen to hear for yourselves….

Which artist’s music and/or performance, past or present, inspires you today?
Performances and artists that I love include…. Paul McCartney- Live in Melbourne in 2017 Joe Hisaishi with the MSO- 2018
Tan Dun and the MSO- 2018
The ACO performing Bach and Arvo Part- 2018
And then…
The first time I ever experienced George Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue performed by the Ballarat Symphony Orchestra
As well as any music and performances by: Dhafer Yousef, Dance of the Invisible Dervishes The music of Dudi Shaul
Elaine Rodriguez
And currently in my own piano study I’m going quite deep into the music of JS Bach, Chopin and Liszt.
To name a few!

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Your new single “Superman” was just released! Describe its origin and evolution.
I wrote Superman in 2008 as a reflection on how we as everyday humans have power and influence. It’s a little cynical, especially in the second verse with the lyrics “we need someone who can walk on water, turn things to ice, give us a reason to pay the price…” because those people don’t actually really exist!! So if we wait for them…. we will be waiting forever. It’s a call to take real, meaningful actions within our own lives towards our values and ideals.

Is there an Album on the drawing board?
Yes!! Which I am so excited about! First up is Black Balloons which is done and set for release in January. Superman and my other released single, Black Balloons, as well as my two upcoming singles for November and December, ‘Bad Company’ and ‘I’ll Get There,’ are all on this album along with eight other bangers. After that I’ve got another album lined up called ‘Butterfly,’ depending on whether I can get back in the studio… but if not I’ve got another album ready to go called the ‘Pivotal Music Sessions,’ all recorded over the past two years with the amazing Josh Hennessy from Pivotal Music Melbourne. That one is an intimate collection of about 10 songs, including two of my favourites, ‘Stars’ and ‘Waking Moments.’

Any tours or events coming up soon? What are you looking forward to, and what can the fans expect?How has Covid-19 affected you?
Coming up is my next single release for ‘Bad Company’ on the 27th November, then the December release of ‘I’ll Get There’ before the January album release of ‘Black Balloons!’ No specific plans for gigs or tours at this point given COVID-19 although I do still hold some hope that I may get to New Zealand in January for the Auckland Folk Festival and to play with Ethno NZ again…

If you could perform with any music artist, Alive or Dead, who would you choose? And why?
Dead would have to be… Any of the great classical composers. I think it would be very cool just to be in their presence for a while!
Alive….There is one amazing Sufi singer from India who I performed with in NZ last year named Murshid from the Murshidabadi project (check him out on insta and fb) there was something magical in his voice and the way our music came together. I’d love the opportunity to perform with him again. I’d also love to perform with the MSO, that would be grand!

Do you have any long-term aspirations as a music artist?
Other than making music for the rest of my life? Not really. Some cool things to do though would be to compose for a film, perform with an orchestra, travel around the world meeting and playing with amazing musicians…

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What is the best thing about performing to a live audience? What’s been the career highlight so far?
The best thing about performing to a live audience is when you realise that you’ve got them, that they’re enraptured in what you’re offering, that you’ve captured their souls, their hearts and their imaginations. There have been many career highlights for me as a musician but one of them that links in with that feeling above was a few years ago at an outdoor Christmas concert. I was performing Amy Grant’s ‘Breath Of Heaven’ (my standard Christmas song.) The stage was nestled down the bottom of a hill, with the audience sprawled our on their picnic blankets across the hillside. It was a lovely atmosphere, people were happy, drinking and catching up with each other while the children ran and played together, pretty much what you’d expect for that kind of performance… noisy! I was expecting to just play my song and have people listen as the music played in the back ground, but there was an amazing moment where I felt the music roll up over the hillside and capture people’s attention. Suddenly there was a sparkly, silent stillness as people held their breaths and listened to the song, and at the end as the last notes faded, there was another silence before the applause and the tears. It wasn’t a multi million dollar performance at the Sydney Myer Music Bowl, his was a performance for a community charity event, and it was one of the most satisfying musical moments of my career.

Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVOURITE:
Album – Abbey Road by The Beatles
Artist – Van Gogh
Movie – Spirited Away- Studio Ghibli
Place to visit – Greendale, Victoria.
Venue to play – Anywhere people listen
Food – Arabic Food
Drink – Coffee
Person in History – At the moment, Franz Liszt
Tattoo – (If you don’t have one, what would you get?) I’m not a fan of tattoos! Lovely on other people, not on me.

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Follow HANA
Bandcamp – Facebook – Apple Music – Instagram

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AMNPLIFY – DB