We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hanna Simone a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hanna, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I first knew I wanted to pursue music professionally when the idea of anything other kind of work felt like “settling” or uncomfortable for in my body. I knew that music would come before marriage, children, or a house in the suburbs. I figured I wouldn’t be able to live my life fully without being confident that I gave music everything I had in me.

My goal as an artist is to create music not just for what it is but also because I can contribute good to society. I want to always stay true to my values and make sure people feel heard. My art is a reflection of who I am today and the shoes I have walked in along the way. I need to share my music and showcase the artist I am and what I stand for. I am working hard for the opportunity to travel and do what I love most. My biggest dream is to make it in the big leagues. :)

Hanna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Hanna Simone. Simone is my middle name given to me from my great grandmother on my fathers side. I started writing songs early in life. I wrote about God, romance, suffering, and questions. I was very curious as a child. There was so much chaos around me that I didn’t know how to sit with. I learned that I had a steady to lean on. Music was a comforting friend for me. She showed me I could speak about my feelings and I could share them in a beautiful way. She showed me that being angry isn’t wrong and that other people feel it too. As I grew in love and passion with songwriting and singing… I started to explore what this could mean. Some people feel strong after accelerating a car, winning the game point shot, or solving a master puzzle. I felt my strongest and truest self when I could sit down and create a song that came from the deepest parts of my self. I am proud to always stay dedicated to my purpose for creating. I want my listeners to know that I write from experience in life. I write from what I do and don’t know about humanity. I write knowing that each of us are equals navigating the same shit storm. Please know that I firstly write for myself but I write in a way so that you can feel you’re not the only person in the world feeling a certain way too.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The word resilience used to form a lump in my throat and make my face hot. I remember when I first learned it. An older woman of power mentioned that I should lean more into resilience and take charge. I didn’t know what it was so I googled it when I had a moment to myself. I was so angry! Am I not strong enough?! Looking now from 5 years later, I’m not surprised to share that she was right. I had spent so long stuck in my pain and suffering. I hadn’t even known there was a possibility of hope for me or a life of stability. I began a mental health recovery journey in 2021. Three years later I am able to stand firm that I have completed an intense trauma recovery program. I wouldn’t be able to create or process my experiences in life without the help from this program and the people who walked that path alongside me. I AM resilient. I put in the time, the thought, and the accountability. My music would not exist without my resilience and the new places my resilience has brought me.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My biggest goal or mission with my creativity is to reach people. When I think about the songs that have most impacted me, I think about vulnerable songs/artists. I believe my journey is to reach that one person sitting in there car outside of their house, waiting to go inside because they are just so overwhelmed that their body can’t move. I want that person to hear my song while shuffling through their music and land on it because it brings them relief. Maybe I am tending to their anger, fueling their confidence, or validating their excitement. I want to be my listeners friends and comfort. My favorite artists brought me that. In many good moments and in many painful moments. My goals are aligned with this.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hannasimonemusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannasimonemusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hannasmusicpage/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hannasimonemusic/featured

Image Credits
Jozi Binder- Photographer