Photo Courtesy of Becca Hannah<\/p>\n
Interview by: Brianna Benitez<\/p>\n
I recently spoke with Becca Hannah shortly after the release of her latest record, \u201cTonight In My Dreams.\u201d We discuss collaborative processes, musical inspiration, and living on the West Coast.<\/span><\/p>\n Brianna Benitez (BB):<\/strong> I\u2019m curious about your whole post-release process with your new album. It\u2019s been out for a couple of weeks now.<\/span><\/p>\n Becca Hannah (BH):<\/strong> It\u2019s been almost three weeks. It feels so good to be able to just listen to the album for the sake of enjoying it rather than listening to the mix or for a tweak that needs to be done. It expands my perspective on songwriting, too. I was in the thick of the nitpickiness, the crafting, and trying to make it as good as possible. Now I\u2019m sitting back, listening, and I\u2019m like, \u201cWow, this just exceeds what my expectations were.\u201d I was in the fog of being a perfectionist. Now that I\u2019m able to take a step back, I realize there is no perfect, but the album is also so much better than I realized.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> You know what they say about being our own worst self-critics. You talk about perfectionism with your art. Would you say that you try to be more intuition-focused or are you more technical?<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> I\u2019m definitely more intuition-focused. I work with a lot of people who are a lot more technical. Well, no, it\u2019s a mix of both, actually. But there are a lot of people who are more technical, and it\u2019s nice because we\u2019re able to balance each other out with our approaches and point out each other\u2019s blind spots. Just reminding each other, \u201cIt could go this way, or what if we try this?\u201d Just expanding our sense of curiosity.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> That\u2019s always important with a team. Is there maybe someone, or a few people, that have been important, that you wouldn\u2019t have been able to do this project without?<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> I would say my two close friends, who are part of my band and recorded the album with me, along with other musicians. My two close friends: Tristan Jantz, who co-wrote and co-produced the album with me; and P\u00e0ppa D, who is the pianist on the album. We\u2019ve had so much fun exploring different methods of how we want to perform the music live and other choices. They both went to Berklee College of Music, so they have the technical training, too. It grounds me and my ability to make those intuitive choices, and I think we\u2019ve made a great team. I would not be the artist I am today without them at all. I\u2019m really grateful for them. I\u2019m grateful for everyone on the project, but those two in particular, I see them the most, and they\u2019re in my day-to-day world out here in [Los Angeles].<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> The way you\u2019re describing it almost sounds like they know you also outside of the professional world.<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> Totally. They\u2019re some of my good friends here. That makes it easier. When people understand you on a personal level, it\u2019s important.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> Things can go unsaid, but that\u2019s only possible because they know you so well. About your collaborators, Tristan Jantz and P\u00e0ppa D, how did you meet them?<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> Tristan and I met in Boston five years ago through a Boston\u2019s musicians Facebook group. We started gigging at corporate events and weddings. Then we started writing together. He moved to [Los Angeles] in 2023, and I moved there in 2024. When I got here, he introduced me to some of his circle and we built on it together from there. He\u2019s challenged me and encouraged me in ways that I am so eternally grateful for. I truly would not be [at this point in my career] without him. P\u00e0ppa D, I love him. He and Tristan met out here. They both went to Berklee, but they met out here. His style is unmatched\u2014he dresses like he\u2019s in the 70s, he\u2019s Greek, and has this whole persona. He\u2019s the kind of guy who walks in the room and everyone is like \u201cWho is that?\u201d Everyone just wants to talk to him and get to know him. We make great strides as a collective and individuals because we support, lift each other up, challenge, and inspire one another.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> The way you speak about them is so endearing, too. But before we talk more about Tristan, I want to hear more about your timeline. Where exactly do you come from in Boston?<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> I grew up in Newton.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> I\u2019m from California. We swapped!<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> We swapped states! I\u2019m in East Hollywood, right on the border of Silver Lake. I love it a lot. It\u2019s so cool to be immersed in this creative culture where the arts are honored. It\u2019s just in the air. Sometimes it can be overwhelming and intimidating. Sometimes I fall into this trap of comparison and feeling like I need to be doing more than I\u2019m doing. When I have these moments, but I\u2019m in a really grounded headspace, I can take a step back and be like, \u201cLook at all this progress you\u2019ve made. Look at all these things you\u2019ve done. Look at all these people you\u2019ve met,\u201d and reflect on this journey because it\u2019s not a linear, overnight process, being an artist or creative in any capacity.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> And your whole transition from being on the East Coast to the West Coast. How has the cultural switch inspired you?<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> I\u2019ve been able to see the art and the inspiration and everything around me more so than ever. That directly translates to the way I write my music. I\u2019ve been writing new stuff with other people. My artistic vision and ability to break barriers once subconsciously put on creative work, I\u2019ve been able to break through them since being out here. Seeing all these artists and creatives, the molds that they\u2019re creating for themselves and their imprint on the artist world is unique. There\u2019s no conventional way to do it and I feel like I\u2019m able to think outside of the box more. I\u2019m consistently surprised by that. Even in the moments where I feel less inspired, I still trust that inspiration will come back, and it always does. The arts are celebrated more here. They are celebrated on the East Coast, in Boston, but it\u2019s a different kind of vibe.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> Has [Los Angeles] matched your vibe?<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> It has totally matched my vibe. But it\u2019s funny because everyone I meet out always knows [that] I\u2019m from the East Coast. I kind of love that. All of my people out here are from the East Coast. It’s funny that we find each other. I do feel like the East Coast will forever be my home. [Los Angeles] is a long-term adventure for me. I love both for different reasons.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> Home versus work. But work is also this beautiful thing.<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> For sure. I like the pace of the East Coast. The \u201cgo, go, go\u201d vibe. I hate it and I love it. Part of me is kind of addicted to it; it\u2019s ingrained in my being. But when I\u2019m in [Los Angeles] or California in general, I love the \u201cgo with the flow,\u201d laid-back, less punctual vibe. I feel I naturally move more towards that, but there\u2019s these two conflicted parts in myself that I see [reflected] in the East and West Coasts.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> With that last bit that you just mentioned, your music is kind of like that. It\u2019s this fusion of pop, but also some R&B, and some jazz. You could name a few artists that are doing these unconventional combinations, but yours is a unique approach amongst those. Your voice is also unique\u2014I see it as the lighthouse of your music. Especially with this new project, you were trying a lot of new textures and colors. It can be difficult for people to [be] open to new adventures, but maybe that\u2019s natural for you. I\u2019m interested in hearing how you opened up to these new ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> I love that question. The process is ever-unfolding. I\u2019m never going to emphasize just one genre. I am super inspired by jazz, R&B, soul, funk, pop, and all of it. It depends on the mood I\u2019m in or the message I\u2019m conveying. Having connected with such incredibly talented musicians and instrumentalists out here, I\u2019ve been able to really expand my vision and the sound I want to evoke. When it\u2019s just me and my acoustic guitar, or me and my keyboard, I can play, but I can\u2019t play like them. They have more training obviously, but because of that broader training or more in-depth training and skillset, they\u2019re able to explore the bending of genres and different core progressions. That\u2019s a goal I have. I\u2019ve done that, but I\u2019ve always only scratched the surface. I want to continue delving into working on my chops, like my guitar, my keyboard, and writing more intricate core progressions that strike chords, but there really aren\u2019t words to fully articulate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> And that\u2019s the reason we make art, to express what we can\u2019t put into words. Your voice reminds me of Amy Winehouse first of all. Erykah Badu as well with what she tries in her music. One of your songs specifically really reminded me of her.<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> Thank you! I get the whole Amy Winehouse comparison a lot and I love it, but Erykah Badu I\u2019ve only gotten that once or twice. That\u2019s a huge compliment.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> I could see you as their love child.<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> I feel like it\u2019s [as] if Erykah Badu, Amy Winehouse, and Norah Jones had a baby.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> There you go. That\u2019s perfect. Going from artists that you\u2019re compared to, could you give me three artists that inspire your work, whether they\u2019re similar [to your sound] or not?<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0BH:<\/strong> I listen to such a broad range of genres. I love Eloise. She\u2019s UK-based. She\u2019s soul and R&B and jazz, but a little more on the jazz end of the spectrum.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> Is she contemporary?<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> Yeah, she\u2019s contemporary, but some of her core progressions have this Billy Holiday-esque thing going that I\u2019m like, \u201cOh, my God, I need to write something like that.\u201d I think it\u2019s cool that when we try to write songs that, when compared to the inspirations, they end up sounding different, but it brings us one step closer to our authentic sound. I love Daniel Caesar so much. He\u2019s more R&B, but he takes you on a journey\u2014an emotional, in-depth story that fills, no, it envelopes you, like every song of his. Ugh, I love him.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> What\u2019s your favorite song of his?<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> He came out with a new album last year. There\u2019s a couple of songs in there that I love, like this one song called \u201cWho Knows.\u201d It\u2019s acoustic\u2026 [maybe not] acoustic, but it starts kind of acoustic guitar-esque. Ugh, it\u2019s so beautiful. I\u2019m literally going to listen to it after this. It really pulled me in and it\u2019s cool because I don\u2019t hear as much acoustic guitar vibes from him. But he still has the soul, the depth, and the R&B.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> The voice is the soul of it.<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> Yeah. Carole King has always inspired me, too. Her songwriting is world-class. It\u2019s remarkable, the stories she\u2019s able to convey, and the core progressions. She has the soulful-meets-folk sound that feels like home to me. I grew up listening to her and there\u2019s this sense of home and warmth and familiarity.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> These are all such good choices. All these combined feels like the sun. They\u2019re fiery. I\u2019d love to go back to Tristan, though. You\u2019ve mentioned before that when you write on your own you\u2019re able to speak in a private language that only you understand. That\u2019s interesting to say because, it\u2019s so true, but you said it in such perfect words. It\u2019s different when you have a collaborator. I would love for you to talk more about how it was working with Tristan in that sense.<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> I started writing some of the songs alone a few years ago and I was stuck. Then Tristan, a couple years later, helped me finish them. He gave his interpretation, set an idea of what direction to move in, and it got the ball rolling. I needed that time to sit with it and then come back to it and hear his ideas and combine my new ideas with his, then tie the ribbon on top. Then the other songs we started writing last year together. Those are the kind of songs [where] I feel they needed both of us. Both of our unique quirks and ideas and styles combined to make these songs. I don\u2019t think I could\u2019ve written them like that without him. You know, I wrote a song the other day that was super personal and vulnerable, sort of like a diary? Some of my songs read like a diary, but not to the point where I wouldn\u2019t want to release them because I want to do something with it eventually. But I thought I was able to tap into my stream of consciousness without someone else interpreting and going, \u201cOh, what if you did that, or what if you did that?\u201d There\u2019s beauty in both processes of co-writing and independent writing. Both are great for different reasons. Both are, in my opinion, somewhat necessary for artists and writers to continue evolving, too.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> This song you brought up sounds interesting. I hope you release it at some point.<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> I will! And I\u2019ll let you know which one it is.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> Oh, please do. A little secret! How open are you to receiving feedback from any other collaborators or musicians?<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> I\u2019m pretty open. It brings me out of my head because I\u2019m like, \u201cOK, this person says this thing, but they want to challenge this thing,\u201d and, you know what, whenever that\u2019s happened, I listen back and I\u2019m like, \u201cOh, wait. That was a good call.\u201d It sounds like it exceeds my expectations of what I thought I could do.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> On that note of working with collaborators, but also people outside like family or friends who are not necessarily musicians\u2014outsiders from the music world\u2014goes back to one of your songs, \u201cEmpathy.\u201d It\u2019s about prioritizing what you need. Obviously, you have people who are next to you and there\u2019s this mutual, constant support, but you always come first. That\u2019s a special thing to acknowledge. Connecting it to you as an artist, how would you say you maintain your voice? Like I said, you have a unique voice, but people have expectations. Do you choose to meet people\u2019s expectations? Do you want to completely do something that is true to you? How do you mesh those two things together?<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> That\u2019s a great question. I\u2019m still figuring that out myself. I think every circumstance that evokes that question is different. Therefore, I\u2019m going to talk about it [in] a different way each time. It\u2019s an in the moment, game-time decision as to how I want to use my voice. \u201cWhat am I trying to do? What\u2019s my goal here?\u201d I mean, I don\u2019t really think that much of my goals before the night or show starts. I just go in and hope for the best possible outcome for everyone involved. I\u2019m very good at improvising and troubleshooting in the moment, knowing how to appease other people, but also to appease the crowd and whatnot. It\u2019s something I can\u2019t fully plan.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> That makes sense. It correlates to what we spoke about earlier with the \u201cgo-with-the-flow\u201d feeling that you enjoy. You were also talking about coming up and your experience evolving, learning how to become an artist. From what you\u2019ve learned through your process, what would be your advice to aspiring musicians?<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> I always want to say trust the process. I know that\u2019s overdone, but it really is true. Trust the process even if you feel uninspired or down on yourself. It\u2019s okay! You don\u2019t have to have it figured out all the time. You shouldn\u2019t have it figured out all the time. Lean into the moments of discomfort in whichever way that makes sense for you, in whatever capacity you have to do so. Take moments to celebrate your accomplishments.<\/span><\/p>\n BB:<\/strong> That\u2019s amazing. One last thing before we head out: What\u2019s a note you\u2019d give to your future self?<\/span><\/p>\n BH:<\/strong> Thank you for trusting me and knowing that you\u2019re more capable than you might initially think you are.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This interview was edited for clarity. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Photo Courtesy of Becca Hannah Interview by: Brianna Benitez I recently spoke with Becca Hannah shortly after the release of her latest record, \u201cTonight In My Dreams.\u201d We discuss collaborative processes, musical inspiration, and living on the West Coast. Brianna Benitez (BB): I\u2019m curious about your whole post-release process with your new album. It\u2019s been […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25741,"featured_media":52817,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16,1523],"tags":[2651,2652],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52835"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25741"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52835"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52835\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52839,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52835\/revisions\/52839"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52835"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}