Fox Reviews Rock

Introduction

Indie rock duo King Hannah join us today ahead of their set at Orange Blossom Special Festival (OBS). The band fuse the noise of the 90s with the richness and soul of the 70s. This combination results in a sound that can only be associated with the Liverpudlian pair. Let’s get straight into the interview and that incredibly awkward first question!

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Spotify

Interview

As you’re from Liverpool I would love to know which Liverpudlian artists have inspired your music the most? This might be a crime where you’re from but personally I don’t think The Beatles are even the best band to come out of Liverpool… I’d like to know your thoughts on that too!

Hannah & Craig – Well, we’re going to have to disagree with you there!! The Beatles are by far the best band to come out of Liverpool, the world even, and although we don’t sit down and listen to them avidly, they’re a part of our childhoods and have subconsciously seeped into our music along the way.

Whether people think they’re the best band in the world or not, they’re certainly the most influential; bands and artists would not sound as they do today if The Beatles did not exist.

King Hannah as a name has a real punch to it! I’m just wondering if you could share a few band names that were left on the cutting room floor?

Hannah – Honestly, none! I had the name long before I ever met Craig and thankfully he instantly loved it!

You’re travelling all the way to Germany this summer to play the Orange Blossom Special Festival! I (Fox) will be in attendance. What are you going to do on stage at the festival that will stick in my mind for months afterwards?

Hannah & Craig – Hahah no idea!! We’ll put on the best show we can, and hopefully that’ll be enough.

Sticking with the Orange Blossom Special Festival, there’s plenty of great bands on the line up. I want to know how do you decide what other bands you’re going to check out?

Hannah & Craig – Honestly, that’s the best thing about festivals, earwigging stages until something sticks. Or often, someone will suggest an artist we must see and that’s cool too.

Your debut album “I’m Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me ” came out in 2022. I think I have listened to “All Being Fine” probably fifty times… It has a real upbeat tune paired with delicate vocals. It’s proven to be a popular song for you too! I want to know what you personally think attracts people to this song?

Hannah & Craig – Like you say, the upbeat groove gives something for people to get stuck into. Though we’ve had a few people telling us how honest it was for me (Hannah) to mention ‘wetting the bed’ as a kid, and how that particular line resonates with them. We never expected that reaction at all, but it’s cool!

When home in Liverpool, how do you like to spend your time when not doing things music related? Hobbies etc.

Hannah – Honestly, it’s not often I’m not doing music-related things! Even when I’m clothes shopping, which is my favourite thing to do, it’s all with KH in mind, the two go hand-in-hand. I live for this stuff! Days off are spent mainly with the family, big adventure days out with the children. Craig and I absolutely love going to the cinema too.

Craig – I love reading and watching films and hanging out with my family.

The lead and title track from your 2024 album “Big Swimmer” features Sharon Van Etten. What was it like to work with her , and did you learn anything from the experience?

Hannah & Craig – We learnt to be nicer, kinder people and to treat others how Sharon treated us. Sharon was so incredibly lovely with us and we’ll remember that forever. We hope to leave that same, lasting impression on everyone that we meet.

Sticking with the latest album I genuinely want to know how you go about doing nothing in New York. It strikes me as the type of place where you get dragged into doing things by accident!

Hannah & Craig – It’s hard doing nothing in New York, and in reality, you end up doing absolutely everything. But of all the things available, our favourite thing to do is just walk from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, eating ice cream and watching the world go by.

Big Swimmer was received really well from the music community. I’m curious to know, did you know the album would be such a big hit? Or were you surprised by the reaction it’s gotten?

Hannah & Craig – Obviously, you always want it to do the best it possibly can, but of course, you really never know, as there are so many external factors that play into it. Our job is to write the best songs we can, and the rest will follow.

We’re happy with how it’s going and look forward to making the third album even bigger and better!

Time to mix things up a bit … If you were a form of transport, what would you be and why?

Hannah & Craig – Probably a plane, so that we could go absolutely anywhere whenever we wanted!

I think it is really important as someone who consumes a lot of music to have the best surroundings when I stick the albums on. If you could tailor, make the surroundings for me so I experience your music in the best way. How would you have it set up?

Hannah & Craig – That’s a tricky one! A lot of people tell us that they like listening to us while on long drives, others prefer late evenings. Though, let’s go with the beach! Somewhere hot and lovely.

Are you team streaming or team physical media?

Hannah – For convenience, I stream music. I listen to music on the move more than anywhere else.

Craig – Same. Though I do have a record player and record collection.

I could not interview you and miss the chance to ask you why you chose to release a Christmas song? Also, what was it about Blue Christmas that enticed you to cover it?

Hannah & Craig – Recording and releasing Blue Christmas was actually a very last minute idea and it was my (Hannah’s) little Sister who suggested we did it.

We’d booked some time in the studio to record Leftovers, and so decided to squeeze it into the same session, and I’m glad we did! We posted a clip of us singing Blue Christmas to Instagram a few years prior to this, and people loved it! We’re big Christmas fans too, so it just made sense.

Finally, I’ve gone on a bit of a deep dive and got into Crème Brûlée recently, your single from 2020. But I would love to know if you could make any dessert for me. What would it be and why?

Hannah – I’m not sure I’ve ever cooked a desert in my life?! But obviously, it would be a crème brûlée, easy answer!!

Craig – Sticky toffee pudding, because it’s my favourite desert of all time!

All rights to the songs in this interview are retained by King Hannah. This site claims no rights over them. The photos for this interview were provided by King Hannah and taken by Josephine Leddet.