Bacchanalia Magazine

by Reb Jordin

Hannah Wicklund, raised in South Carolina but now residing in Nashville, is a blues rock artist who recently visited Headrow House in Leeds as part of her ‘Hell In The Hallway World Tour’ on June 2nd . She was supported by the talented Bristol based Hunny Buzz, an indie band with an amazing stage presence, so much so that their base player even cartwheeled across the stage amping the audience up ready for the amazing Hannah Wicklund.

Hannah floated onto the stage looking like a demure forest fairy frolicking through a meadow of daisies and dragonflies before unleashing her powerhouse vocals and shredding her electric guitar. Opening the show with a bang, Hannah played her single ‘Hell In The Hallway’ before continuing the revelry though her most positive song on her recent album ‘Hide and Seek’. With intervals of Hannah and her amazing band just rocking out as the audience went wild, the show continued to blossom through the talk box solo which brings her single ‘Witness’ to life and her classic track ‘Mama Said’.

Hannah then transformed the sweat-laced walls and sticky floors of a small British music venue into a spiritual and intimate space with her small acoustic set. She sang ‘Shadowboxes and Porcelain Faces’ a song about the toxicity that surrounds social media and how it makes us look at ourselves, before singing a personal favourite of ours – ‘Songbird Sing’, a highly vulnerable song where her vocals really shine.

Before singing the title track ‘The Prize’ from her latest album, Hannah took a moment to acknowledge all the strong women in the room and dedicate her song about the passing of the baton from girlhood to womanhood to them. She sat alone on the stage and just before her fingers touched the delicate keys of the piano Hannah recounted her last visit to Leeds five years ago, clad in leather pants and a blue guitar when she still felt the only way to be respected in a toxic male dominated industry was to embrace her masculine. Now traveling the world in petals and tulle with a tiara coiled in her hair she knows her truth and no longer wishes to hide it for the respect of a man who will never be half as talented as her. Through her music that night Hannah inspired every woman in the room to just say ‘fuck em’ and create their own art away from the shackles of toxic masculinity just like Hannah herself did by releasing her album under her own record label ‘Strawberry Moon Records’. Hannah then began to sing ‘The Prize’ like a healing ritual for herself and all the other women who have overcome or are still trying to escape the patriarchal world and the scars of their past.

The show picked up again with the killer guitar solos in ‘Can’t Get Enough’, ‘Intervention’ and ‘Dark Passenger’ before seamlessly moving into ‘Sun to Sun’ another powerful feminist song. Then Hannah closed the show with fan favourites ‘Bomb Through The Breeze’ and ‘Strawberry Moon’ creating a full circle moment for herself and fans old and new.

What Hannah has is so much more than just an electric stage presence and a collection of killer songs which she has perfected over the years, Hannah is a kind soul who truly makes every single audience member feel seen and valued throughout her concerts. She doesn’t just get caught up in the music and nothing she does is half-hearted, instead she takes the time to smile at and acknowledge each person and really build a connection with her fans. Even after a show where she has belted and bared her soul to a hot, smoke-filled room of strangers she still sticks around afterwards to talk to everyone by the merch stand. She gives each person her full attention and talks to them as she would a friend, with the type of warmth and excitement which is often lost amongst the egos of talented artists. In a world of entitled musicians Hannah Wicklund is a true angel rockstar.

So be sure to check out Hannah’s music and catch her at one of her remaining dates on the ‘Hell In The Hallway’ Tour to experience the euphoria live.