SPECIAL THANKS EDGE ENTERTAINMENT
21-year-old Welsh singer-songwriter Hannah Grae is next up to take F Word through a day in her life as she gears up for her London show on May 22nd at The Grace.
We also had the chance to catch up with this rising pop-punk star to discuss her honest second mini-album, 'Nothing Lasts Forever', why this city (London) is bringing her so much joy lately, along with what manifestation means to this one-to-watch artist.
F Word: If you had to assign a temperature, a colour, and a taste to this mini album, what would they be?
Hannah Grae: I think all of my projects so far have been scathingly hot and I’m kind of keen to continue them being that way. For colour I think black and pink. I know that’s two colours, but it kind of has always sat in that world in my head. For taste, I was gonna say bitter, but I actually don’t think it is. I think it’s more salty.
FW: If you had to choose one component for a great song/EP/album, what would it be?
HG: I think for me it would be honesty. Whenever I truly am honest in a song it always feels way more cathartic for me, but also, I always find the song has a bit more longevity in it. It sort of captures a time in your life, almost in a way like a diary does if you look back on it in like ten years. It will always feel special, and you’ll always feel pulled towards it and drawn to it, and I think that’s what I personally take with my writing.
FW: Go-to lunch on a studio/writing day?
HG: Universally, a meal deal is what everyone gets. It’s always interesting though because with every studio there’s always a different local grocery shop, you know? So it’s not always Tesco! Actually, recently I had a Sainsbury’s meal deal and that was actually really good. Sainsbury’s is up there as one of the meal deals in my opinion. I’m not gonna tell you what my meal deal is because I don’t want to be judged.
FW: Fuck, marry, kill: album, EP, single?
HG: I would kill an EP just because I don’t really gravitate towards EPs that much. I feel like nowadays people are, maybe I’m wrong, but people are making albums a bit more. I’m taking this so seriously! I would fuck a single because, obviously, I feel like they’re fun, they know what they want, they know what they are. I feel like that would be the best option and then I’d definitely marry an album, for sure. I feel like quite a lot of people would agree with me.
FW: What’s bringing the most joy to your days recently?
HG: This is such a good question! I feel like I’ve been – touch wood – I’ve been feeling a lot of joy recently and I think one of my favourite things to do is to get outside as soon as possible after I wake up. I’ve been really appreciating living in London recently because where I’m from isn’t a walkable town really - you’ve gotta drive everywhere. I just love that I live in London and I can walk to a coffee shop, I can walk to the river, I just love it so much and I love walking. So getting outside pretty much as soon as I wake up, going for a little walk and either getting a little coffee or bringing a little coffee with me is just bringing me a lot of joy.
FW: What’s motivating you the most lately?
HG: I really wanted, and still want, this year to be the best year so far. At the beginning of the year, I always love setting myself some goals but this year I’ve done it a bit differently; I didn’t have specific targets. Last year I had a follower target, a stream target, and I just think that that’s not fun and it’s not healthy. So, this year I sort of did mini goals and I just sat myself some foundations, or pillars, and they were: fitness, social life, healthy eating, and then career. I set quarterly reminders in my phone for a check in of each of those things. I didn’t really set a goal for those things I just put words down like ‘healthy eating’ and then put underneath what it means to me, and I did that for each pillar. I had the first quarterly check in on the first of April! It’s just helped me stabilise the core things that are important to me. I also made a little mood board with maybe like six images and made that my lockscreen on my iPad and it’s just a nice way to keep myself in check but without putting too much pressure on succeeding in those things. That’s really been helping with my overall motivation as I’ve found I have less peaks and troughs, it’s just been consistent. I would recommend!
FW: What advice do you have for yourself tomorrow?
HG: Don’t snooze your alarm! That is my advice to myself every day as it ruins my day for real. When I don’t snooze, I always have a better day.
FW: Do you believe in manifestation?
HG: I do! It’s something that - I’ve explained this to my Dad before - sounds quite spiritual, and in many ways it can be, but for people who aren’t spiritual I think there are ways to look at it where it can still come into your life. I think it is so important, whether you’re spiritual or not.
The way I describe it to my Dad is: if you wake up in the morning and you say to yourself ‘I really want to see a yellow car today’, then you go outside, you live your day, you almost forget about it but inevitably see a yellow car because you’re looking for it! There’s no spirituality in that that’s just you setting an intention and then succeeding. That’s just a very small example and there’s obviously more spiritual ways to look at manifestation and things like that. I think it’s so important and, like I said with my New Year’s resolutions and goals, just setting your intentions is gonna help you succeed so I definitely, DEFINITELY, believe in manifestation.
FW: What is your favourite F-word?
HG: I think my favourite F word, at least for right now, is fresh. I love that word. It has so many positive connotations to it. Also, I’ve just been having a lot of fresh starts recently. I think that word is really important because no matter what stage of life you’re at, to find something fresh, even if it’s just like going outside and you find that the air is fresh, that will make you feel good! Or if it’s extreme and it’s like moving to a different country and meeting new friends, I think living each with the mindset of something fresh happening is just so nice, and it’s new to me! I just love being open to meeting new people, trying new things, so yeah, fresh is my favourite F-word.
