FEATURE: Spotlight: Rachel Mae Hannon

FEATURE:

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Guy Boggan

Rachel Mae Hannon

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HAVING released…

her new single, Breathe, yesterday (23rd), I am more and more in love with Rachel Mae Hannon’s music! The stunning Irish musician (hailing from Monaghan, she is now living in Dublin) has one of the most soulful and expressible voices I have heard! A beautiful, chocolate-rich and passionate blend. In terms of a colour palette, there are purples, blues and reds mixing with some warmer oranges and pinks. Sorry if that sounds a bit pretentious but, when it comes to sounds an artist’s voice, I imagine colours and shades coming from their mouths. Hannon’s voice and projection is extraordinary and from the soul. I am not sure whether she has an album coming later in the year or other singles, but everything she releases is sensational! Before continuing, Breaking Tunes (from earlier in the year) give us some details about the amazing Hannon:

“Rachel Mae Hannon is a soulful vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer from Ireland. Her sound can be described as where pop meets neo-soul. The low range of her vocals and her eloquent use of harmonies as well as instrumentation gives her a distinctive soul pop sound.

Rachel has supported HAIM at the Trinity Summer Series, Tom Odell in The 3Olympia, and Eloise in The Sugar Club. She has also played the main stage at Sea Sessions 2022, Kaleidoscope 2022, and is set to play Indiependence 2022.

Her new single with video 'Work It Out' was released on the 6th of May.

PRESS:

"Vivid in its scale and scope, Rachel Mae Hannon’s lush sounding new single ‘Closer’ has an instantly attention grabbing vibe." - The Last Mixed Tape

“Rachel Mae Hannon is one to watch and the perfect soundtrack to a sunny day.” - Tara Kumar, RTÉ 2FM

"As calming as a sheet of morning mist over a lake, Rachel Mae Harmon's debut EP is sophisticated jazz/pop of the highest quality." - Tony Clayton-Lea Irish Times/Business Post)

‘You can hear strident heart-on-sleeve tones and sentiment on ‘Be In Love’. - Nialler9”.

I do adore her music and think that she could be a major star of the future. There is so much amazing and varied talent in Ireland right now. A remarkable nation that fosters unique and incredible potent artists, Rachel Mae Hannon is primed for glory. I think that her voice and talent is so dexterous, she could release a Jazz-tinged album or something soulful or smoky (in places, Hannon reminds me of Amy Winehouse, Lianne La Havas, Jorja Smith and Gemma Hayes). Someone who I could see interpreting some of her favourite songs or vintage classics in her own way, there is no telling just how far she can go! Breathe is a typically amazing cut from an artist who is growing in confidence and popularity. I am going to bring in some interviews that give us greater insight into the fabulous Rachel Mae Hannon. The first interview is quite ‘local’. IMAGE, chatted to her about her music, but also about her experiences in and around the beautiful and picturesque areas around Monaghan town. I have chosen some interesting sections:

“Home is … Killyvane, just outside Monaghan town. They say home is where the heart is – which I agree with – but home for me is also where you can make as many cups of tea as you want, take your shoes off when you feel like it, talk nonsense with your family, meet long term friends for walks, sing as loud as you can in the shower, and where you can write music in peace.

Where was your first home outside of your childhood home

My first home outside of my childhood home was student accommodation in UCD. I remember I was at the debs the night before my big move to Dublin, which did not help the nerves! I went to college without any of my close friends from school which I found so daunting at the time. But I can safely say that in this first year of living in Dublin, I made friends for life.

What was your first job?

My first job was as a face painter when I was in 3rd year of secondary school! After this, I worked in a newsagents in Monaghan called McConnon’s, then I worked in Roberto’s Coffee Shop, and more recently at the start of college, I was a piano teacher.

What’s your first/favourite memory in Monaghan?

One of my first and favourite memories of being in Monaghan is walking around Rossmore Park with my family. Even though I was that child that wanted to be carried absolutely everywhere, we used to have so much fun there – rolling down hills, having races (I never won), climbing trees, skimming stones, seeing calves being born and just generally exploring.

Where do you go to let your hair down?

In Monaghan, there are different bars where you can go out and have a pint and chats which I love doing when I go home. If I’m going for a pint with my family, we would usually go to Terry’s Bar. For gigs it is usually McKenna’s bar, and if I am going for a cocktail with a friend, I would go to the DV lounge. There is one nightclub in Monaghan town called Spy which I usually go to at Christmas time when I am home. The best thing about only having one club is that you know absolutely everyone will be there (some people think this is the worst thing about it!)

But besides going out and drinking, there are other places I go to let my hair down. The cinema, to one of the many coffee shops, for a walk around one of the local lakes. My favourite place of all is my piano room in my family home. This is where I can truly let my hair down, play piano, sing and write comfortably.

If you could buy any building in Monaghan, which would it be?

There are two buildings I would buy – Aviemore house in Monaghan town or Castle Leslie in Glaslough. Aviemore has a Victorian architecture feel to it that I love, it has a prominent hillside position with lights shining on it which I always admire when I drive past”.

I hope that Rachel Mae Hannon comes and plays in the U.K. I think there is a sizable chunk or love for her in London! Venues that would definitely house her. I could see her playing in Manchester, and maybe a Brighton gig. Perhaps it is a bit expensive to do a mini tour at the moment, though she has an impressive and highlight memorable collection of songs under her belt that can wow the crowds (the brilliant Hannon delivers an incredible set with her Neo-Soul/R&B gems). To that end, I want to flip to an interview from late last year from Last Mixed Tape. This was not too long after lockdown and the worst of the pandemic. She was asked how she got through the lockdowns and what it was like releasing her phenomenal E.P., Like It Is:

“What artist or album has gotten you through lockdown the most?

Tom Misch – Geography. I feel as though this album had a song for a lot of the emotions I was going through during lockdown. It had songs with the positive affirmation that you needed to pick yourself up when feeling low. For example, ‘Disco Yes’ and ‘It Runs Through Me’ were perfect on the days that felt hopeless and monotonous. It also had slow-reflective songs like ‘Movie’ and ‘We’ve Come So Far’. As well as that, the album gave me such production and instrumentation inspiration while writing my own songs.

What’s influencing your music right now?

There are so many things influencing my music right now. I think live performance coming back into our lives is certainly one. Music has changed from 2D to 3D for me. At the beginning of lockdown, I thought only about writing and creating sounds in order to have an end result – a song to listen to. But since I have started back gigging, I see the music I create in a new light. It makes me think of how the songs can be altered or shaped into something completely new in a live setting – all while basing them off their original constructs. It showed me that each step of the process is just as important as the next. You can always add to the building blocks to develop a work – but it is up to you to know when to stop.

I also think social media is heavily influencing my music right now. Seeing other like-minded (or unlike-minded) artists broadens your horizons when it comes to listening, creating and performing.

As well as this, I think re-experiencing things for the first time in a while since restrictions have eased has influenced how I view myself and the wider world, and therefore how I create my music. Lockdown was a great time to be retrospective on life, and this inevitably influenced me and my taste and composition of music.

Tell us about your new E.P., Like It Is, what was the inspiration behind the record?

My debut EP Like It Is is all about understanding my own emotions and the importance of communicating these with others. The EP explores a journey of being true to myself, of opening up, and saying it ‘like it is’.

I wanted the EP to have a dream-like quality in its sound, to express the passing thoughts I had throughout making it. I also wanted to create a work that I enjoyed performing and listening to myself, and have it as something that I will always look back on and be proud of.

Each of the tracks on the EP are my emotional responses to certain situations caught in time – I see the work as a mini time capsule of my life.

For example, the first track that was released from the EP was ‘Alright’. I wrote this song at a time of losing someone important in my life. Therefore the track focuses on our individual experiences of recovery, moving on, and our constant ability to rediscover ourselves.

The second single from the EP was ‘Closer’, and this is about the frustration of not being able to have physical contact with people (especially during lockdown). It is about the longing to get closer to people, yet the uncertainty of where people’s boundaries lie.

The unreleased tracks from the EP include ‘Tell Me’ and ‘Road’ (out on October 8th). These tracks explore the ideas of looking for reassurance in relationships and celebrating how we are somewhat sculpted by those we surround ourselves with”.

The scene is particular busy with young Pop, R&B, Soul and Indie artists. Each has their own sound and, though many stand out and have a clear future, I think others will struggle because they are not distinct enough or have the requisite edge or unique selling point. It is not their fault at all: the scene is so busy and bustling, it is very tough to nestle free from the rabble and acquire your own territory. There are some really promising artists who, sadly, fade away. There is no denying that Rachel Mae Hannon has a bright future. Songs like Breathe, Work It Out and Be in Love are all so interesting and rich. In the same way artists like Nadine Shah are moving into acting, I also think there is something about Hannon that means that she could move into acting (I forgot to mention that St. Vincent, Halsey and Alana Haim also act!). Her voice has a sultriness and soulfulness, but there is a youthful energy and spark coupled with something more vulnerable and emotive. Many new artists are too limited when it comes to their subject matter and their vocals. You listen to Rachel Mae Hannon, and you get the sense of someone who had many years of experience inside of her.

I feel Hannon has this breadth and versatility that means she has very few limits when it comes to her sound and where she might head. At the moment, I can detect a few of her influences on her sleeve, but there is also that deeply personal element to her music. As she plays more stages, releases more music and explores new territory, the sensational Irish artist will get international requests, festival dates and huge plaudits. As I say, I wonder if an album is in her mind. Maybe that will be something for next year, because there is definitely a lot of love from the press and fans right now! The fact Breathe is already acquiring so much applause and commendation shows that she is a name to watch. Both vibrant and beautiful, open yet with an air of mystery, go and follow Rachel Mae Hannon’s music now. Support her on social media and, if there are future live dates near you, do go and see her play. These are the early days, but all the signs point towards the wonderful Rachel Mae Hannon enjoying…