Hannah Hill stumbled into music. Or, more accurately, she tore her ACL while playing for her high school lacrosse team, and found music as a console to pass her time.
Many years later, the “Sacred” singer graces us with a new sad girl, acoustic-rock anthem, “National Disaster.” Released September 21st, the song tackles a common experience for women, queer women in particular. “The song is about catcalling and the over-fetishization of women,” she explains. “I went on a date with a girl and throughout the night we’d hear these guys surrounding us saying things like ‘that’s so hot’ and ‘can I join in?” Hill didn’t want to let those voices win. Instead, she chose to share the experience, as it’s something she hasn’t heard told in music before. “Anytime you can hear your situation represented in music, you immediately feel more understood.”
Hill recalls that throughout her childhood she loved getting people’s attention, and in an unmusical family, music was her way to do so. “I was always singing in front of people and performing,” she explains. Though she received her first guitar at age eight, it wasn’t until her early teenage years that she became more serious about songwriting and storytelling. “I saw inspiration everywhere. Little things that happened throughout my day turned into stories or the outline of songs,” she says.
During the pandemic, Hill blossomed as a songwriter. Cooped up, she found herself with little to do but put all her effort into her songs. She notes that this time, along with her time thus far as in college, was vital for her songwriting development. “At NYU, I found it immediately refreshing to be around people who were doing the same things as me,” she says. Learning and writing with people who are on her wavelength has enhanced her craft, especially through TikTok.
Hill’s relationship with TikTok, like many of its users, is a love/hate one. “It’s a smart marketing tool to get your music out there and test the songwriting waters,” she says. Learning how to effectively promote her music on TikTok has played an influential role in sharing her music. Part of this is through learning the algorithm of course, but the larger point that Hill examines is in regard to trends: “I just want to make sure I’m not writing my music for a trend or as a trend.” Paying more attention to things like light, sound, and timing is one thing, but sacrificing artistic integrity is another.
“It’s certainly a new era for the music industry to be controlled by the people and audience so much more,” she notes. “But on the other hand, it’s difficult to see all this mass production of songs when I take so much time and care with my songwriting.”
Speaking to her songwriting process, Hill explains that most of her songs begin in her dorm on her acoustic guitar. “They usually begin very slow and sad, then the tone evolves later.” With “National Disaster,” she began with the line “don’t act like I’m supposed to be flattered,” using the stairwell of her dorm hall to develop the sound she wanted. “I kept thinking about that date, that idea that ‘he complimented me, so I’m supposed to be flattered’ was caught in my mind,” she says. “I wrote the song in about three days.”
Hill wanted the sound to reflect the emotional appeal of the song, which is why she chose to contrast the melancholy verses with a heavier, angrier chorus. “My producer and I structured the song in a similar manner to ‘Happier than Ever’ by Billie Eilish,” Hill explains. The structure and tone convey her feelings about the event in such a way where the listener feels the exact moment. “I think it was important to show that the catcalling made me angry, not just sad and disappointed.” This is what the structure and sound capture.
Though most of the previous songs Hill has written, including her April 29th release “Sacred,” gravitate towards sad acoustic ballads, taking the risk with the chorus of “National Disaster” was important from an artistic standpoint. “I’m viewing this as a cool opportunity to expand my audience. And it’s really opened the door for me, production-wise,” she concludes. “It’s so much more experimental than anything else I’ve done before.”
As Hill was growing up, she mentions that she would have benefited from more songs that talked about the intricacies of queer relationships: “I wanted to provide a more specific facet of a queer relationship.” And she’s received a lot of DMs saying that she’s excelled. “It’s so gratifying to know that I’m talking about something that people didn’t even realize they needed to hear, something they were lacking perspective on.”
Following the release of “National Disaster,” Hill plans to drop a few more singles throughout the year, with the final goal being her first EP release. As an up-and-coming artist, she finds that the best way to build traction with her music is by releasing singles, that way each song gets a chance to make an impact and develop an audience for her.
“When I was younger, I was so worried that I’d be making music that sounded so different, that people wouldn’t be able to classify it or that they wouldn’t understand me as an artist,” Hill explains. “But I’ve come to understand that my identity as an artist comes from my songwriting.” The power behind her lyrics and the emotion within her vocals transcend her worries. As long as she keeps writing, which is a vital part of her daily routine, the music, the stories, and the inspiration will continue to unfold.
Words by Molly M