"Trick me" by Hanne Kah
Get ready for "Trick me", the first single from the new album that has Fleetwood Mac’s friends raving about it. The song is a tribute to the one who helped us rise from the ashes and become stronger than ever. The song rocks with a mandolin, a western guitar, a bass and drums that support Hanne Kah’s stunning voice. She takes us to a new world with this song, but it also feels like an old friend. Hanne Kah is a genius at mixing musical tradition with today’s vibe and we are eager to see what she does next.
What is the story behind Hanne Kah as an artist and how did you discover your passion for music?
I discovered my passion for music early on in my childhood, because my parents always played stuff like Joni Mitchell or Joan Baez records at home. In my eyes (and ears) I had a very high quality musical upbringing, which built the foundation for my own ambitions to become a singer. So as many young musicians, I went through an early musical education in which I learnt some instruments, that I haven’t touched for years now. But after some teenage rockband adventures, I started writing my own music and from that moment on, things took off.
Your latest release, “Trick me”, is amazing and sounds awesome. What inspired you to create it and what message do you want to share with your listeners?
„Trick Me“ was written by my guitarist Patrick and me. In the past few years more and more people started comparing us to Fleetwood Mac - yes, the actual Fleetwood Mac! So in preparation for our studio sessions to record our new album earlier this year, we listened to Fleetwood Mac all the time and tried to suck in some of the magic they created and see what it could do for us. Though it sounds more modern than the original, we feel a strong connection to „Go Your Own Way“, musically as well as message-wise. „Trick Me“ is about having learnt a lesson, being screwed over one too many times and starting from the top with the experiences you’ve just made. It’s a hopeful look in the future, with a wise and knowing glance into the past.
You are currently on a small promotional tour in the US. How do you feel about performing your new material on stage?
It feels absolutely amazing! It’s really like coming home, because everyone here is so familiar with the kind of music I play. It’s a bit strange playing these show all on my own, because I usually have my band backing me, but the new songs just wanted to go out on the road. I just played the Virginia Women’s Music Festival (major reason why I couldn’t bring my boys) and it was insanely good! I even sold out my merch. It simply was a perfect fit.
How do you go about writing lyrics for your songs? What is your creative process like?
Almost every approach to every song is different. Sometimes there’s the melody first. At other times you might have the music or at least some chords on a guitar or piano. With „Trick Me“ both me and Patrick had some stuff in the past we had to process. So we went ahead and took the old saying „fool me once, shame on me. fool me twice, shame on you“ and sort of reinvented it and took our own turn on it. Fun fact concerning the songwriting process: initially the „I saw beauty in your lies too many times“-part was supposed to be the chorus. After we took our demo to the studio, work on it began together with our producer and this collaboration gave birth to the chorus as we know it today. It’s a creative journey and you always have to be openminded and allow stuff to happen - even when you think, you are already done. It’s worth it!
As a “Woman in Music”, what advice would you give to young female artists who are starting out or pursuing their dreams?
First of all: don’t see music as a competition. Music works best, when a few people get into a room and play some tunes together. As far as I’m concerned, a competitive mindset will stand more in your way, than it will be of help. What I do, is to empower especially other female musicians. When I see a male dominated festival, I try to raise awareness of this fact and just try to make people see what women are capable of.
What do you think about the role and influence of social media in the music industry and in your career?
No one can deny, that the role and influence of social media grew immensely in the last few years. When I started making music, I put it out on MySpace, which felt really weird back then. And for my generation, or at least for me, it’s sometimes still strange today to have music on the Internet. Especially since I’m a big fan of vinyl. I know we can’t do without it, but at times I’d rather much want to let the music speak and not some image or persona, I’ve created of myself on social media. I love to use it, to take the audience backstage, or let them have a glimpse into a rehearsal. Just stuff you usually don’t get to see. Please don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to be that grumpy lady and I definitely see the upside of social media. But all in all it’s a beast we can not take lightly and that sometimes scares me.
Besides music, what are some other topics or hobbies that interest you or inspire you?
I’m associated with a sub-network of musicwomengermany which is called musicRLPwomen, which is in charge of the state province I come from. It is based on the will to initiate long-term changes. We want to address players in the industry as well as people who are looking for an entry point or are interested in the topic. We are working on various formats to offer both contributions to the discourse and targeted support, for example of one's own artistic work, and to create creative and safe spaces. Apart from that I’m actually pretty nerdy and like to play video games. I am a coffee enthusiast and became a barista last year. But most of all I love to spend time with my dog Yola.
What are some of the upcoming projects or plans that you have in the works or that you are excited about?
„Trick Me“ was just the beginning of a new phase in our career. We recorded a whole album with a new producer and are absolutely in love with our new sound and can’t wait for the album to come out, so everyone can hear, what we’ve been cooking up in the past 6 months.
From then on, well take the new material out on the road and try to play as many gigs as people. We just want to get that bandwagon rolling again after the pandemic and even though we haven’t even dropped this album, we’re currently already writing new songs. We keep ourselves busy at all times and are most excited about hopefully bringing all the new songs to the United States for a tour with my entire band in 2024.
