Getting To Know... Hannah Peel

BobbySix.com first chanced upon the wonderful Hannah Peel when she was performing live as David Ford's backing multi-instrumentalist/vocalist. Since then, she has gone on to set tongues wagging with her own solo work, and is very much someone to look out for in 2011. Here, she tells Rob Townsend a bit about herself and her music:

I would describe my sound as something completely different to what everyone else thinks. Isn't that always the way? I write a lot of songs about death but they are disguised so much by the lyrics and music that you would never know. On The Broken Wave I worked alongside Mike Lindsay (Producer/Tunng). He is a vibe/party man. When making the record, if he didn't dance around the room when we were recording a song it got ditched. I loved it. I have never been in that kind of working atmosphere before. Musicians are much too precious at times (I'll include myself in that). Mike just has fun.

So my sound at the moment is a concoction of wonky folk pop with hints of traditional Irish, northern brass band bacon butties and a dash of HP melancholy sauce.

Music makes me want to do more music. However, only if I'm listening to something good. Good = interesting, unique, trying out new sounds and styles, good lyric writing, great melody. Some music out there makes me very, very sad… like the crap we get fed on TV/the charts/supermarkets. Its sad that it all orientates around money and for two minutes of fame.

I'm currently listening to This Mortal Coil.

Touring is essential. You need to see an artist live to really experience where they are coming from and to want to buy their music again. Records at times, can obscure this. But I know this doesn't work for everyone.
Personally, I find touring the one way I can connect to people properly - if they have come to listen.

If I could only listen to three albums for the rest of my life they would be:

Prelude to the afternoon of a Faun by Debussy
Blue - Joni Mitchell
Head over Heels - Cocteau Twins

Aside from music I like cake. All sorts of cake, just as long as it hasn't got lashings of cream. But my favourite at the moment is coffee and walnut. yummm.

Listen to some of Hannah's stuff at her Myspace page.