The formation of King Hannah, as they tell it, was a long drawn out process. The duo’s Craig Whittle recognised his now musical partner Hannah Merrick as a musician he had seen perform before when he took a job in a bar where she also worked. Suggesting that they write some songs together, they then began meeting up at his house before work and… not doing that.
“That went on for a year”, says Merrick, explaining that she was simply too nervous to show Whittle any of her work. When the time came though, they had already formed a bond that glued their subsequent collaborations together. “It’s just about finding the right people”, Merrick goes on. “When I go to Craig with some chords and lyrics, he just gets it. There’s nothing pretend about us”.
And maybe there’s something to be said for not making music together for a while before you actually do, because King Hannah’s debut single – ‘Crème Brûlée’ – sounds like it’s from a far more seasoned act.
The song slowly unravels, never rushing to reveal all the layers of Merrick’s tale of longing. Eventually, her words give way to a long instrumental section that swells unhurriedly without feeling self-indulgent or overdone. “We don’t want to sound clean or polished”, says Whittle. “We want to sound real, and dynamic and authentic”.
Newly signed to City Slang, you can expect more from King Hannah soon. For now, here’s the video for ‘Crème Brûlée’:
