After going viral on TikTok and receiving 6.6 million views on one singular video, Hannah Hill has been rising up and become an artist you simply have to keep an eye on. Her debut single Sacred has had an incredible reaction from her fanbase, all falling head over heels for the blessed offering titled Sacred. Her musical journey is only just beginning but it’s clear to see that she’s on the verge of something wonderful. I had the opportunity to chat with Hill about everything that’s been going on in this edition of Q&A1234.
Let’s start it all off with how are you feeling today? This week been good so far?
I’m feeling great. I’m going through finals week right now, so definitely a bit of stress but I think I’m managing it pretty well. They’re just about over, I’ve got one more essay due then I head off to London for a week.
Living in London I highly recommend it. It’s a fantastic city.
I’ve actually never been to Europe or London before! It’s going to be so fun, I’m really excited!
You’ll love it, there’s so many great venues! For anyone who hasn’t heard your music before give us an elevator pitch of what your sound is.
I like to tell stories with very vivid imagery, so i think what makes my music stand out for the most part is the lyrics. I like to say things that are a bit shocking, things we’d think but never say if you get me? As for the sound, there’s elements of soul and pop, even a bit of rock at times, but the first song I put out called Sacred I’d say is more chilled out soul pop.
Speaking of Sacred, with it just coming out how’s the reaction been for you? It’s gotten a lot of love from your fans!
Yeah, I had three videos that did really well on TikTok, one of them got like 6.6 million views! The energy around the song beforehand was so exciting and exhilarating, I didn’t know if it was going to drop off or how it was going to be maintained, but the key for me was to engage with my audience. People who dm’d me I responded to, people who commented on my videos I replied, I tried to engage as much as possible and get relationships with the people who were supporting me. It paid off for me, people stayed and I got so much heartwarming feedback from it. I had so many DM’s saying they loved the whole song and I was so worried about them not enjoying it. There’s this big moment in the second chorus that’s so different to the snippet I shared but it’s just been so overwhelmingly positive. Once I saw that I was able to take such a deep breath from it.
It’s fantastic to hear that its been such a great experience for you. With your fans loving it, is there any lyric from Sacred that you love the most? Give us a Genius Verified styled rundown of it!
I have always loved writing the verses and have a bit of a tougher time writing the chorus. For me at least the verse is the part where I get to truly tell the story, play with details, have fun with words and build the world I’m creating for people. Where as the chorus is more of me summing up what I’m saying for people so it’s easier to grasp. The part I shared on TikTok is my personal favourite, the first line is, ‘I don’t think about you when I’m touching me because baby it won’t come close to the real thing,’ and I think that goes back to what I was saying about shocking people a bit with the lyrics. People hear that and know I’m sharing everything with them in an authentic way. It was the reality of the situation, I really miss this person, I love this person and they’re so sacred to me.
You seem to be really invested in your music. Diving head first and pulling together so many little details to create your music in this fashion. Is there any artist who you look up to who’s done things like that or is just someone you admire?
Yeah for sure, the one who pops into my head straight away is Phoebe Bridgers. She’s my favourite artist, I think she is a genius songwriter and I’ve listened to so many interviews and podcasts about her. She’s talked about how it takes her so long to write a song and she likes to write them independently. It’s a very inward looking process and I relate to her because of that. My songs start off with me in my bedroom, with my guitar and I use that as my outlet. It’s how I figure out what I’m feeling before I even know what I’m feeling sometimes.
I’ll go back and rewrite the lyrics so many times, they’re like my babies and I spend hours thinking about getting these lyrics right, writing them in my notes and constantly trying to get the best one out there. If I’m not fully satisfied with a lyric, I will go back and get rid of it. You only have a few minutes to tell this story so I want to make sure the words are perfect for telling this story, it’s the most intimate thing I do everyday. Sit with myself and write music. Phoebe Bridgers has said she’s done the same, starting acoustic and then building into something. I love that about her.
With how she inspires you, is there anything outside of music that inspires you?
I would say I draw inspiration from everything I experience on a daily basis. I have so many disorganised lyric docs that come from my everyday life. I’ll be in a conversation and someone will say a word that’s not said often, I’ll take that and put it into a song because it just sounds so cool! I don’t watch a ton of TV but once in a while I’ll get inspired by one. Just finished Killing Eve, it’s a work of art and so beautiful! Villanelle’s character inspired me, I’m currently writing a song that’s about the draw Eve and Villanelle have to each other and the trajectory of the relationship. It’s a bit of an experimental experience for me because my music is extremely personal and real to me, but here I am writing a song that I have no experiences to relate to, so lets see how that goes! Might never release it haha. Inspiration just comes from everywhere for me.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self what would it be?
That’s such a great question. My piece of advice would be just start. When I was younger I had so many of moments of am I good enough to begin, am I good enough to start making actual songs, should I do more preparation, when really I just needed to start doing it. I was reluctant to do so because I thought I needed my whole artist brand figured out and all my songs perfect so there was this cohesive box for the world to see. I eventually did that but part of me wishes I did that a little bit earlier. I didn’t start too late, I’m 19, but I can’t imagine how much better I’d be if I started sooner.
What’s next for Hannah Hill?
I only have one song out right now, but currently I want to focus on putting more content out there. Help my fans gain a connection with me and provide more music for them. I’m planning to put out a single or two and then an EP, that’s at the forefront of my mind. I’ve done a lot of recording in New York, I’m going to LA this summer to do some more sessions to go to as well and I’ve got some songs I want to put out already, it’s just a matter of what order they come out in. I’m really into music videos so I need to start thinking about a music video for Sacred, maybe even for all my songs in the future too.
I want to do more live performances as well. I love performing because you get such a great connection with my fans. I played a show at the Mercury Lounge and beforehand a girl messaged me saying she wanted to be at the show, I messaged her back, bought her ticket and she brought her girlfriend too! We hung out, chatted after the show and it was the first time I’d ever met a fan. It felt so amazing.
Who’re you counting in?
First of all I have two unbelievable talented best friends, Mercer Henderson and Stephen Dawes who’re both doing incredible things. It’s the start of their career, I’m seeing their writings and they’re masterful lyricists. Stephen is a master producer, Mercer has the most incredible voice. Keep an eye on those two because they’re going to be big. I also love Devon Again, she’s so cool, I love her vibe. Her lyrics are so fun and refreshing, I would love to get the opportunity to write with her, she’s got such a sick music video for Suberbia too!