Hannah Connolly photo by Cody Actors
Hannah Connolly has a recently released album, Shadowboxing, an album whose main theme is the cathartic release of processing trauma and moving on and going ahead with life’s journey in spite of losses. The album was produced by Eric Cannata and Jon O’Brien, and features songs about grappling with the astounding loss of her brother, and how to handle life afterwards. We had a chance to chat with Hannah about her songwriting process and more.
Americana Highways: How did you decide to name your new album “Shadowboxing”?
HC: Shadowboxing is also a title of one of the songs on the album, and in the context of the rest of the record it always stood out to me. I chose it to be the title of the album because as a whole it felt fitting for the chapter of my life that this album was about.
Although it doesn’t show up in all of the songs, it’s very present in some of them, like “Golden,” “Tired of Trying,” “Stuck in Place” and “Brothers in the Same Dream.”
It felt like a theme that was running through my life intensely in the years I wrote the album, so I decided it would be a fitting title. If my life were a book, this chapter was all about love, growth, healing, and facing off with things within myself or in life that I was running from.
AH: Did any of the songs on the album come to you almost completely out of the blue? Which one / ones and how did it happen?
HC: “Shadowboxing,” the title track of the album, wasn’t a song that I sat down to write, but rather one that just floated in at the right time. It was a stream of consciousness, where the lyrics and the melody came together at once. After a little bit of refining, I knew the lyrics felt complete, but unlike most of my other songs, I didn’t fully understand where they were coming from.
The main feeling I had at the surface was that it was about conflict (or what we perceive as conflict) in our hearts and mind. As I listened to it more, my understanding of the song is that it’s about facing the things we may not always like about ourselves and moving through that process with growth and love.
AH: When songs don’t come to you out of the blue, what’s your songwriting process like?
HC: Some of the songs were more painstaking to write lyrically, one that comes to mind is “Golden.”
With that song, it started out as being about the grind of trying to find your path as an artist, but as I got more into writing it I realized it was also in part about slowly coming out of a deep depression following the loss of my brother.
I really struggled with the lyrics “…might not be golden, but I feel alright.” For a long time I wanted to cut them from the record, because I was afraid that by telling myself and others that I was ok, or going to be ok…that I was somehow dishonoring the memory of my brother, or downplaying all of the pain that is still very present from losing him.
Ultimately, I decided to push through that discomfort and keep the lyrics as they were originally written, because I know that my brother would WANT me to be ok, and to continue to move forward with love. I’ve written a couple songs about trying to create a feeling, to help move myself there, and this song was one of those. By writing to myself that I was alright, it helped me to start to open that door and welcome that feeling.
AH: What was the production process like? Any funny stories that happened?
HC: We recorded a lot of this album live together during a week in Idyllwild, CA. It was one of the first times we had all gotten together in one room since the pandemic and I think the joy and excitement of that really comes through, especially in tracks like Golden and Tired of Trying. One of my favorite memories from that trip was that we started it out on New Years Eve. I’m always superstitious about spending New Years Day the way you want to spend your year, so starting it off making music with some of my closest friends was a ton of fun. We also got a good snowfall in Idyllwild that year so we had some fun sledding and playing outside in the snow between takes.
AH: If someone only had ten minutes, which 3 songs on the album should they listen to first & why?
HC: “Shadowboxing,” “Reno” and “Worth the Wait.”
I’d say “Shadowboxing” because even though it hasn’t been one of the most played tracks yet, I really believe there is some magic in that song, and I don’t think I can credit it.
“Reno” would be my next recommendation because I love the production on that track and how cinematic it feels. I love a good romance story, and to me this is a love story come to life. Complete with a cinematic build at the end – like someone running into the arms of the person they love at an arrivals gate.
“Worth the Wait” would be my final recommendation because lyrically, this is one of the songs I am most proud of. I love the sparse instrumentation
AH: Were any of the songs on the album written by inspiration and or frustration about an event and or place? If so which song and tell us more about it?
HC: “Tired of Trying” and “Brothers in the Same Dream” were both born out of frustration, but “Tired of Trying” blows off steam, and “Brothers in the Same Dream” explores moving past it.
In “Tired of Trying,” there were a lot of layers to the feeling, from seemingly trivial things to the pandemic and the state of the world to and how painful it can be to hold your ground while being in conflict with people you love
“Brothers in the Same Dream” is about moving through that pain, acknowledging it, and surrendering to love as a guiding force.
AH: What would you like fans to take away after listening to your music?
HC: I ask myself this question a lot. Sometimes I make music just because I have the impulse to, because it’s fun or helps me move through a feeling. If people feel seen, or like they can give voice to a feeling they also have through one of the songs that feels like success to me.
AH: When you were a kid, who inspired you to make music?
HC: I remember the first time I heard a Patty Griffin song like it was yesterday. I was in my room in the 5th grade listening to music on my small blue boombox. I felt like I had never heard a voice like hers, and I listened to “Rain” on repeat. She was a big inspiration to me as a songwriter and vocalist.
Other standout inspirations to me were Hayley Williams, who I first saw at Warped Tour, and Brandi Carlile, who played with her band at the State Theater in Eau Claire. Seeing them command a stage with so much confidence and grounded power when I was a teen lit up a part of my brain that I didn’t know existed. I hoped that one day I could channel that same level of power and strength. It inspired me to start a band when I was young and gave me the courage to show up on stage in ways I didn’t know were possible for me.
AH: What is touring like lately for Hannah Connolly? Any big festivals recently and or shows coming up?
HC: I’m really excited to be part of Open Folk’s Joni Mitchell Tribute at Hotel Cafe in LA on July 28th. I’ll be performing a song I really love with the house band and they will have some really fun special guests.
As of next month I’ll also officially be splitting time between California and Nashville. A few upcoming shows include New Faces Night at The Basement, August 20th and several shows during AmericanaFest including a special event at The 5 Spot, September 20th. I’m excited to be playing a lot more in the Southeast.
Sounds great! Thanks very much for chatting with us, Hannah Connolly! You can find more details and her tour schedule here on her website: https://www.hannahconnolly.com
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Video Premiere: Hannah Connolly “Shadowboxing”