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Hannan Wicklund drops new EP on Friday April 17th

 

South Carolinian-born Hannah Wicklund will release ‘The Inbetween’ a very special 10” inch vinyl EP of four stripped back solo performances on Friday 17th April 2020. The EP is available at  https://shop.hannahwicklund.com. 

Produced and recorded by her older brother, Luke Mitchell (The High Divers), in their parents’ home on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, the EP features intimate performances that sees Hannah getting back to her roots. The EP was mixed by Phil Ek and mastered by Ed Brooks in Seattle, WA. 

No one has ever heard  Wicklund quite like this. Known for her searing riffs, big voice, and rock and roll sound, her last self-titled record proved that rock is not dead. But what is her new EP ‘The Inbetween’ out to prove? Simple – she is more than a singer, guitar player, or songwriter. She is a true artist. What is evident on these four stripped down songs is that Hannah is an incredible, emotionally moving vocalist. 

Wicklund decided to take four songs from her self-titled release, Bomb Through the Breeze, Ghost, Meet You Again and Shadowboxes and Porcelain Faces and strip them down to their rawest form. 

“Piano was my first instrument, but I pretty much stopped playing when I picked up the guitar and traded in classical music for rock n roll,” Says Wicklund. “Those classical roots are undeniable, however, as I get older, I appreciate them more and more. I was at home visiting my parents and had my childhood upright and a little time off the road, so I decided to teach myself to play again. I did so by creating a piano arrangement for my most guitar-riff driven song as a challenge of sorts, and I loved how it turned out. That version of ‘Bomb Through the Breeze’ is what inspired me to do this project with my brother.” 

The EP starts out with a ballad version of ‘Bomb Through the Breeze’, an unexpected take to say the least. If you’ve seen a live show of Wicklund’s in the last two years, you’ve likely witnessed her play ‘Shadowboxes and Porcelain Faces’, just her and a guitar, which is exactly what you’ll find on ‘The Inbetween’. The title derived from a line in the song, “It’s the inbetween where we’ll figure out what your story says and what you’re all about.” The song serves as a reminder to not get too caught up in social media. 

The last song you’ll hear is a chilling version of ‘Ghost’, which will strike a chord for many of us at home right now due to the coronavirus epidemic. 

“I thought it was the right time to showcase a different side of myself,” reflects Wicklund. “I’ve been playing these songs for years now, and so I wanted to challenge myself and give them a lot more depth by stripping everything back to the bare essentials.” 

‘The Inbetween’ EP sees Wicklund delivering four emotionally charged performances that not only highlight her voice, but also allows her fans an opportunity to hear her songs in a whole new light.

ALBUM TRACK LISTING – 1.Bomb Through The Breeze (3:28) 2.Meet You Again (5:01)
3.Shadowboxes and Porcelain Faces (4:38) 4.Ghost (4:36) 

TRACK BY TRACK 

1. BOMB THROUGH THE BREEZE 

The original version of ‘Bomb Through the Breeze’ is the opening track of my last record and boasts a big guitar riff at the heart of the song. Lyrically it’s a rocker, which is part of why I wanted to flip it on its head and see what a softer approach would feel like. Sitting down at the piano for the first time in years, it was a challenge to transfer what was in my head to my hands. I had never quite arranged a song this way before, as my piano career ended many moons ago playing classical music and Beatles songs. No joke, it was a real labour of love for the second time around with this song. Through the process, I learned just how much of an influence my classical upbringing had on my musicianship. I feel as though it helped open a completely new door for me. 

2. MEET YOU AGAIN 

I’m a sucker for a drop D tuning, especially on an acoustic guitar. There’s something so sweet in having that low anchor there sonically, and Alice in Chains perhaps does it best. I took my drop D song ‘Meet You Again’ and did my own unplugged version. 

3. SHADOWBOXES AND PORCELAIN FACES 

The most powerful moment I feel on stage each night is in when I’m alone, just me and my guitar, singing ‘Shadowboxes and Porcelain Faces’. There’s something about going from a roar to a whisper that makes me focus so intently on each word as I deliver it. I wanted to capture that same kind of a performance for this EP and offer everyone a version they’ve seen live, so I stripped it down to its truest form. 

4. GHOST 

The emotions tied to ‘Ghost’ echo loudly on this EP. The song is about a truly lonely, tormented time in my life where I felt trapped in a silly house. Much like how I’m feeling in this quarantine as I write this, ironically. When I approached this song, I knew I wanted to do it in a way where the lyrics might land differently for me, which they did. I certainly felt like I learned more about the meaning of this song and was able to give it a more honest performance than the original. 

 
 

BIOGRAPHY 

23-year-old singer, songwriter and guitar player Hannah Wicklund boasts a resume that can be hard to match for most multi-decade musicians. With over 2,500 shows under her belt, three completed albums and festival appearances alongside acts such as Cage the Elephant, Tame Impala and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Wicklund is well on her way to becoming Rock & Roll’s next marquee act. 

Wicklund started her band in 2006 and has come a long way from playing Janis Joplin and Neil Young covers in South Carolina. Fast forward to now, Wicklund has amassed over 4 million streams on her recent self-titled, self-released record and is about to release a new EP of stripped-down versions of songs of her last full-length. This new project is sure to surprise her fans, delivering four emotionally charged vocal performances, including a song with her on piano for the first time. 

Although Wicklund’s roaring guitar riffs on her custom Anderson guitar and orange amp set the tone for the show, it’s her vocal range and well-beyond-her-years songwriting that have led to the success of the latest release, helping to propel her to a regular mainstay festival act. Wicklund’s musical vision is a refreshing focus on raw and organic emotions, leaving you feeling connected and inspired. 

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