Hannah's got the groove

Zesty and driven; there is no stopping this Indie artist who is making waves in the country’s pop & blues music scene. We find out more about what her plan of action is...

At 23, Hannah Elizabeth Mathews is ahead of her peers in more ways than one. The zesty Bengaluru lass always had an inkling that she’d pursue music — right since middle school. At 20, she took to the stage and had her first gig at the Humming Tree, Bengaluru. Over 80 gigs and a short corporate stint later, the vision to pursue her calling got clearer — only to find herself being  labelled by BuzzFeed  as one of India’s top 15 Indie artists to look out for, and also being acclaimed for being one of India’s most stylish vocalists. Hannah, who has worked with Bollywood duo Bryden-Parth as a member of The Choral Riff, will be putting out a debut EP in the month of August. That aside, a gig is in the pipeline on June 2 at the Bagmane Business Tech Park, Bengaluru. In a candid chat, she tells us more...

“One of my great moments would be meeting Eric Martin, the front man of Mr Big. He’s been an inspiration. I’m also very grateful to have shared the stage with Bryden and Parth. They performed at Sonam Kapoor’s wedding. Sad that I missed it,” begins Hannah. As someone who quite a 9-5 to pursue music completely, Hannah believes music must be pursued with honesty. “As a live performer, I've always appreciated real, rawness and vulnerability. I’m also hugely fond of gospel music. So, the forthcoming EP, which will have 4-5 songs, are laced with a tinge of gospel and other genres too. I will be putting it out in the first week of August,” begins Hannah, who graduated from Jyothi Nivas College. She currently pursues music full-time, doing gigs across the country and in Bali, Sri Lanka and Kuwait. But, her favourites remain the Indian capital, Pune and Namma Ooru.

“I love the energy and how millennial Indians connect with the musicians performing at a gig. In Bengaluru, places like the Bootlegger and Humming Tree are top spots for any fledgling musician. Even in other metropolitan cities, it’s no longer just the music but about the connect and that is surely a positive sign for all of us, who wish to do something by going against the grain.”

From being pegged as one of the top Indie artists to look out for to sharing the stage with Eric Martin, Hannah has had a rather fruitful innings.

The singer-songwriter believes music is a language in itself, and nothing moves her as much as lively music. “Most of my songs are influenced by pop and funk! I think as performers, we have the responsibility to connect with our audiences, without which, the whole concept of crooning away amid all those lights and noise goes to waste. The whole intent behind pursuing music has been this, and will continue to be the same.” Born to a family of free thinkers, Hannah believes her upbringing helped her understand and make smarter choices. “My parents are quite supportive of our choices (my older brother does stand-up comedy. I think it’s important to have a strong system in place, especially if you want to pursue a career in alternative fields like music and art.”

The girl has got her groove on with  Pop Rock / Blues / Covers. Speaking of the same, she concludes, “Well, I like to keep my music lively, real, honest and a little silly. Because, what’s fun without some tongue and cheek?”