Hannah Epperson + Alanna Eileen

Hannah Epperson

Armed with her violin, loop pedal and voice, sonic weaver Hannah Epperson arranges beautiful musical landscapes without indulgence or over-saturation. As a stirring solo performer and talented collaborative artist, she has joined forces with a versatile cast of collaborators across a spectrum of genres, including poet Shane Koyczan, Julianna Barwick, Porcelain Raft, We Are The City, and numerous others. More recently, these creative explorations have included composing and performing for interdisciplinary film and dance companies across the country and in New York, where she now resides.  Hannah's breadth as a collaborative and compositional powerhouse stems from from an eclectic experiential and educational background: from learning Appalachian folk tunes by ear with a cowgirl in Utah to travelling through Scandinavia and Europe as an accompanist; or from touring her solo project by sailboat with permaculturists to accompanying Flamenco dancers in Spain, before finishing her honours degree in Human Geography and representing Canada at World Championships for ultimate frisbee in 2015.

The versatile and collaborative journey of this Salt Lake City born violinist informs the creative compositions she offers in her solo projects. Hannah's unique songwriting and performance earned her one of British Columbia's Peak Performance Project awards in 2013 and international recognition as a powerful songwriter whose compositions weave classical emotion together with the raw energy of indie music. Her warm voice sits perfectly within the tone of her four acoustic strings layered together and affected electronically, evoking references to Andrew Bird turned with vocal melodies by Feist; or Owen Pallett reinterpreted by Lykke Li. Hannah’s sound crosses genres and will continue to offer various levels of musical and emotional exploration to the same listener at different times. 

Hannah will be returning to Europe in May/June with experimental-folk powerhouse Aidan Knight before releasing her debut album - //upsweep - later this year.

Alanna Eileen

Instantly it's love, Australian singer-songwriter Alanna Eileen has a rare sort of pure-toned vocal that grabs you the instant you hear it. "Motion" is the track I first heard, the lead track to her second EP In Your Hands (self released last month via Bandcamp) and it's just genuinely gorgeous. Her voice intoxicates as it weaves a pretty tapestry around a twinkling, circling piano melody and soon I am transported back toSognsvann Lake where I was on Saturday, but this time not running around snow covered paths but lazing amongst an idyllic summer day backdrop dreaming about something far greater than day to day chores of life.

It's a stunning EP, both simplistic and deep and hugely listenable with a set of songs that feel warm and caressing despite the darkness of the intimate subjects. The tracks switch between piano and acoustic guitar throughout, tender tales of melodic bliss with the title tracks exquisite strings and piano an obvious highlight, whilst the hauntingly beautiful vocals of "Blind Side" will chill you to the bone.
"Mahogany" is an almost jaunty folk track and "Love the Ghost" is another that's so incredibly clear and natural that you'll want to savour each note until it melts your heart.
What this rushed, concise review is basically saying is listen below and enter the most beguiling, poetic world you'll hear this week/month/year. 

-- Just Music I Like, 'In Your Hands', 2016