Art & Life with Hannah Yeun

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Yeun.

Hannah, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I am a songwriter, a musician, and a floral artist. I was born NYC’s East Village and raised in the suburbs of DC and Northern Virginia. I have also spent time in California, the Pacific Northwest, and the sandy hills of North Carolina.

As a child, I lived on a commune in California’s wine country with The Moonies, a cult my parents were actively involved with for many years. We had a small flower stand that we used to raise money for the church. Some of my earliest memories involved removing thorns from rose stems and sticking my hands into the green floral foam, so it feels full circle and very natural that I found my way back to this career path. My mother is also a classically trained singer, so music was always a part of my growing up. I started writing songs at a very young age as a coping mechanism to deal with the difficulties of my childhood, and this trend has continued into my adulthood. I often write songs as a means of processing my emotions, which is always very cathartic.

Though this paints my childhood in a romantic light, there were also many difficult moments which have forever shaped me. My parents had an arranged marriage and it was expected that I have one as well. This pressure to marry so young led me to leave home in order to focus on my music and escape the unavoidable walls of marriage that were closing in on me. Luckily, my parents and I have a very loving relationship now, and they are no longer involved with the church. My unique background and childhood inspired much of the songwriting on my debut album, Heavenly Sister. After a successful West Coast tour in 2017 starting in Portland and ending in San Diego, I decided to move to the Sonoran Desert of Tucson, Arizona, where she I am focused on writing and recording my next album, Desert Dream, expected for release in 2018.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am a musician and a songwriter and I am inspired by many styles of music, though the one that comes across the most is the Phil Spector-esque girl groups of the 60’s. When writing my songs, sometimes it feels like I am channeling Phil Spector or Roy Orbison, and my songs tend to have a sort of torch song feeling about them. I am also inspired by the moodiness of Kate Bush, Stevie Nicks, and PJ Harvey, and the dreaminess of Cocteau Twins.

Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
I moved to Tucson from Portland, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to sustain my music there and survive. It was a constant hustle and nearly every moment of my life was scheduled, down to the millisecond. I found myself doing fun math problems in my head like, how do I spend the rare ten minutes I have to myself before I need to leave for practice (after sitting in traffic for an hour on the way home from work). Do I eat or take a power nap? One thing I do miss about Portland was that the women led the music community there.

The best bands in town were made of mostly women and it was incredible to see that kind of support. I find that the men tend to run things here in Tucson, but it is encouraging to see events like Chick Magnet really take off. I am excited to be a part of this community as it grows and I hope to see a cultural shift that focuses more on the thing’s women are doing.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My solo project can be heard through my website, but I am also in an indie dream-pop band, Weekend Lovers https://weekendloversaz.bandcamp.com/. I am currently putting together a musical gear workshop for women with a projected date of November 18th. I’ve been playing music and performing live for 15+ years and I still have men approach me at live shows and assume I don’t know what I am doing. While I do know a lot, there is still more to learn and I think the best way is for women in music to teach other and be involved in these workshop events.

In the music industry, men tend to be the gatekeepers, and I would like to change that. Even simple things such as how to properly wrap cables can be a heated topic that male musicians love to lecture women on. My goal is to create a safe space for women to ask questions, troubleshoot, and learn.

Contact Info:

• Website: hannahyeun.bandcamp.com
• Email: hannahyeunmccarthy@gmail.com
• Instagram: hannahyeunmusic
• Facebook: facebook.com/thisishannahyeun

Image Credit:
Al Smith, Megean McBride, James Charles Wise Sr.

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