Music fans are always on the look for new music, and more importantly, the next big thing in the genre they hold dear to their heart.
Well, meet Hannah Wicklund — rock ‘n’ roll’s next big thing.
Now that you’ve finished rolling your eyes in disbelief, go listen to her music, particularly her new single “Bomb Through the Breeze.” What you’ll hear is a bombastic voice, blazing guitar work, and the sounds of a star. Despite her young age, Wicklund carries herself both in stage persona and in her music with the swagger and confidence of a seasoned veteran who’s been doing this for a long time.
And that’s probably because she has been. The 20 year old has been performing since she was nine years old and has logged nearly 2,000 shows under her belt including festival performances at Firefly.
We recently caught up with Wicklund to talk about her new music, working Jason Isbell’s guitarist, and performing for rock royalty. She performs at Wonder Bar in Asbury Park tonight.
You dropped your new album a little over a week ago. How do you feel this record stands out amongst the rest of your catalog?
I feel the most invested in this album, as it was drawn from experiences as opposed to observations. The songs represent the matured side of me that was able to look a little more inward.
You’re a singer, a songwriter, and one hell of a guitarist. When it comes to crafting songs — what comes first, is it the music, or is it the lyrics? And does one influence the other, especially when you get into the studio?
To be honest, it changes constantly. Each song is unique in how it comes about. Sometimes I’ll have a riff I’ve been sitting on for a while, and sometimes I’ll think of the title first. Either way, there’s always a mood that’s set with any idea and I feel like that is what shapes the song the most.
Speaking of the studio, Sadler Vaden of Jason Isbell’s band produced your new album. How did you end up working together?
I’m originally from Hilton Head, SC and spent some time living in Charleston before moving to Nashville. Sadler’s name comes up often in that town, a lot of times talking about his old three piece band, Lesley. He and I have a similar upbringing; both started playing young, from SC and started touring around 16. We got in touch and it was a pretty easy decision to go ahead and do this album together.
What did he bring to the table for this record and how did his input influence the overall sound of this album?
This was my first time working with a producer who doubles as a badass guitar player and songwriter himself. That had a tremendous effect on the record because Sadler was essentially looking at the songs and hearing the album from the same perspective as me. All of his input enhanced, but never changed the core or feel of the song. There wasn’t any point that I felt I had to compromise, rather it was just an easy collaboration between two artists.
Your touring with your brother’s band The High Divers on “The Sibling Rivalry Tour.” How does it feel to have a family member on tour with you? Also, given the title of the tour, is there a little friendly competition between you and your brother who can outperform each other?
Touring with my older brother has been hilarious, not to mention it’s the safest I’ve ever felt on the road. We are seven years apart so I grew up listening to Luke play music everyday. We’ve always had our own separate projects going, which naturally brings about a little friendly competition, so it’s a nice hang of pace to team up and combine forces for a few months.
You’ve performed for and with some amazing musicians in your career – which artist were you in awe of when you played for, or performed?
Brian Johnson is tough to beat. I remember playing ZZ Top’s “Gimme All Your Lovin” at 13, and watching him do a conga line with a bunch of race car drivers. Not to mention playing a couple AC/DC songs in front of him. I still remember hoping I wouldn’t screw up any of the lyrics.
One story of your career that blows my mind is that you played a private show, when you were 13, for AC/DC’s Brian Johnson and his race team. Can you tell us the story behind that?
Our first bass player, Mick Ray, lived next door to one of Brian’s teammates who were good friends of theirs. The first party we did for Brian’s team was an hour away at the Hutchinson Island Racetrack , and they paid us to come over and play their after party. Playing for Brian Johnson was a turning point for me. He got up at the end of our set on the mic and said to the 30 people there, “If these kids don’t go onwards and upwards, it’s their own damn fault!”. That was probably the most motivating thing he could have said, and it’s been my mission ever since.
What are you most excited for in 2018?
I’m really just excited to see where this new album takes us. We’ve got a busy year of touring ahead, and the goal is to spread the word about this new music, and hopefully sell a vinyl record or two.
