Hannah Trigwell Exclusive Interview

by Daniel Falconer | 10 January 2014

We put some questions to rising star Hannah Trigwell, who's about to embark on her first headlining UK tour, and we couldn't be more excited about her future.

What is it about music that drew you down this path?

I have a lot of interests, but I’m pursuing music because I feel so passionate about it. I’ve always connected with music - I remember when I was younger listening to songs in my dad's car I thought, how amazing it must be to make something that actually sounds beautiful and makes people feel something. It’s incredible to hear that people really connect with the lyrics and music that I’ve written.

How difficult would you say it is to break out into the industry?

I have found carving my own path in the industry quite challenging, but it’s different for everyone. It has taken me a while to find my own sound through experimentation but now that I’m confident with the style of music I’m producing, the people listening to it are really responding to that. Music is subjective, and you can’t please everyone, so I think it’s important to just go with your gut rather than writing and releasing music for the sole purpose of ‘breaking’. You really can’t follow trends in this industry, it’s all about new creation!

Did you find it tough to balance your university life with your music?

I managed it fairly well… and as a result my social life suffered at times! It was definitely a struggle having deadlines with both, but I’m glad I did it this way, I learnt my songwriting craft whilst I was in University, and graduated with a Science Honours degree, a record deal and a solid fan base in music, pretty good going! Music is a lot busier now that I’m out of full-time education but the science is still an interest - I think this shows through the lyrics I write.

How do you balance your personal life with your career now

Sometimes I have to make sacrifices in my personal life, but I try to get a good balance between music and quality time with friends & family. Everyone in my life is very supportive of my music. It is my full-time job, so I’m constantly trying to progress and develop as an artist, and sometimes I do overtime and the hours aren’t ideal, but I absolutely love what I do. Hard work pays off, and it’s not difficult to be motivated to work at what you love.

How would you describe yourself as an artist?

I’m very hands-on with all aspects of song production, and I write mostly from personal experience so it’s important for me that each song really communicates the emotion attached to it. Finding my own sound was essential, so I went through a lot of experimentation with Ollie Green who produced my upcoming EP (to be released in March), and that was really beneficial in realising who I want to be as an artist and the kind of music that I want to create.

You've had millions of views on YouTube - how does it feel to be so well received?

It’s quite surreal for me that millions of people have watched and shared my videos online. It’s great to get back so much instant feedback, positive as well as constructive criticism, and it encourages to keep going and improving. Sharing my music through YouTube has opened up a lot of doors for me, and has helped me to gather a loyal worldwide fan-base, I’m really grateful for all of the support.

You also have fans in some big names - Louis Tomlinson and Ed Sheeran to name just a couple - how did it feel to attract such attention?

To get positive comments from musicians that I really admire is brilliant, especially as they were praising my cover of their song - I think that is a real test of whether or not someone actually thinks you are any good! In that way YouTube has been an incredible platform for my music, letting it be heard by people who would have never come across me just playing these songs in my bedroom.

You toured with Boyce Avenue before being offered your signing to their label - how did you find that whole experience?

It was amazing! I was a big fan of Boyce Avenue when they started posting videos on Youtube, and then of their original material too… I had their first album on repeat. Then one day thought, I could share my music online like this, what’s the worst that could happen? So I did, and it went from there, after a couple of years Boyce Avenue contacted my manager out of the blue about having me support them on tour and it was a dream come true. The tour was great, nerve-wracking but a fantastic experience, and I learnt a lot from them about live performance. Then when we signed I was so excited, and still am, it’s great to work with people who really care about the music.

How have you been preparing for your upcoming UK debut headlining tour?

So many rehearsals with my band, improving my guitar playing and going to a lot of gigs! Also listening to my fans and what they want, I used to write and play purely acoustic music and I still love that genre, so that will definitely be a feature in the set. I always look for raw emotion from the bands at gigs that I go to, so I think it’s important that I play some stripped down songs which will bring an intimate element to the shows on this tour.

What can fans coming to the live shows expect?

Some acoustic stripped back covers and original songs, a lot of new music and re-vamped versions of songs I have already released… and definitely some banter. Some of the songs I will be playing with my band have a fun upbeat vibe; there will be such a mix! I have some really great supports on this tour too (Etham Basden, Elissa Franceschi, Intensi-T) so I’m really excited about the shows I think it’s going to be a lot of fun!

Your debut single Hurricane is out in late February - what can you tell us about it?

This song is about an instant attraction, meeting someone that you are so drawn to but you don’t know why. Lyrically, a lot of references are made to weather and anatomy, to get across the powerful feeling of attraction. The music is a result of my many influences, so there are driving acoustic chord progressions, delay and reverby electric guitar and a strong urban beat in the chorus.

If you could collaborate with anyone in the industry, who would you choose and why?

I’d love to collaborate with Pharrell Williams, he’s an amazing songwriter and musician, he’s written a lot of my favourite songs - it would be incredible to work on a track with him!

Do you have any other projects going on that you want to share some details about?

After the tour is over I’ll be working on the music video for my upcoming single ‘Hurricane”! I’m unbelievably excited about this! The lyrics in this track create powerful images, so it will be really interested to see how the visual part of the track release comes together. I can’t wait to get this song out and let everybody hear and see what I’ve been working on.

Check out Hannah's music at www.youtube.com/hannahtrigwell and catch her on tour at the following dates in January: