King Hannah – I'm Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me

07-03-2022

Craig Whittle formed King Hannah before Hannah Merrick knew anything about it. He had seen her performing years before, but they didn't meet until she was assigned to show him the ropes at the bar job they'd both taken on to get by while still making music. He immediately pestered her to play some music with him, and they started a routine, spending the hours before work at Craig's house, where for a long time Hannah Merrick could not pluck up the courage to play him her own music. "That went on for a year," said Hannah, while Craig just waited patiently for her to play. When they finally got to writing their own songs together, everything clicked into place. "It's just about finding the right people. When I go to Craig with some chords and lyrics, he just gets it," says Hannah. "If we hadn't found each other, I don't know where we would be," says Craig. "There's nothing pretend about us," she says, the grit in their sound and her voice speaks volumes. "We don't want to sound clean or polished," says Craig, "we want to sound real, and dynamic and authentic." Theirs is a sound both soothing in its moods and intoxicating in its rushing soundscapes. Their neon guitar lines and intimate torchlight vocals put the everyday on a pedestal, lifted by melodic licks that swell into dense and swirling atmospheric textures. Debut single "Crème Brûlée" is a moody fugged-out ballad for the everyday. Today they share it with an accompanying video, commenting: "We couldn't be more excited to share with you our first ever music video, for our debut single, Crème Brûlée !!! We shot and edited it ourselves across Liverpool and North Wales (spot the Welsh flag!) with the aim to create a homemade, documentary-style piece inspired by the indie films we love. We really hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it !" A few years ago a fairy tale was written in an English café : while working behind the counter, two debuting musicians got to know each other, in between laughter. Both instinctively kept looking for each other like magnets and turned out to have the same love for music. Thus began the story of Hannah Merrick and Craig Whittle from Liverpool, who together form the band King Hannah. He mainly takes care of the guitar work, she delivers an inscrutable voice. By combining their talents, a fledgling success formula was created that is now slowly but surely starting to burst at the seams. It didn't take much to convince the world of their talent, because their first single "Crème Brûlée" was received full of praise. Rightly so, because the urge not to get carried away by deep-rooted emotions is hard to resist. Also on their debut EP "Tell Me Your Mind and I'll Tell You Mine", Hannah and Craig managed to balance beautifully between text and sound, where fragile words were supported by a penetrating guitar playing, or vice versa. That combination allows King Hannah to strike a chord with the public, even if their songs are simply about a spider in the bath on "Meal Deal" or a movie with Adam Sandler on "The Sea Has Stretch Marks". King Hannah's creations do not overflow with heavily loaded poetry, on the contrary, with just a few sentences we are immersed in an atmospheric story. That is also the case with "A Well-Made Woman", the opener of the album. With a bit of fantasy we are presented with an image of the former Hannah who lets the beer flow freely from the taps. A simple scene in itself, but the song has an obscure side that slowly blurs the line between sensuality and discomfort. The same idea is extended to the previously released "Big Big Baby", where the most repulsive words that flow smoothly from Hannah's mouth, have something seductive. If originality were a school subject, King Hannah would be the first in the class, because with "All Being Fine" she proved that even a song about bedwetting can sound impossibly good. Merrick's voice on "Foolius Caesar" is also used in such a surprising way that it seems as if Belgian pride Geike Arnaert is making her appearance. You will also be overwhelmed with drumming and roaring guitar riffs that work their way into the deepest part of your body. And if you thought the climax had already been reached, Hannah and Craig take it up a notch with "The Moods That I Get In", which has already crowned itself as one of the most compelling songs in the dreampop genre. It brings you into a pleasant intoxication that lingers for a long time and from which you can hardly get rid of with the best will. Even though this long player is overflowing with sublime songs, it can sometimes become too heavily loaded. As a listener you sometimes need something light and refreshing. "Death of The House Phone" and "Berenson" without singing are the perfect respite for this. Both songs serve as glue for the other songs, and together they make for a wonderfully cohesive whole. The transition to "Go-Kart Kid (Hell No !)" also seems to run smoothly, making the build-up to the explosive end even better. Another proof that this Liverpool duo knows exactly what they are doing. If we have to give one point of criticism, we like to talk about the title track. King Hannah's secret ingredient that they love to play with seems to have been forgotten. Unfortunately, "I'm Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me" consists of only repeated melodies and a rather weak guitar playing, which makes for a long-winded stretch of the album. It seems as if King Hannah realizes this himself, because shortly afterwards they spoil us with their grandiose closing track "It's Me and You, Kid" that makes us quickly forget the past disappointment. The entire album is completely summarized in this one song and leads to an impressive apotheosis. Whether it was intended or not, it will leave you feeling endeared and satisfied without a doubt. For a debut album, "I'm Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me" is anything but disappointing. She knows how to shock, move and affect in a way that is rarely seen in a very first full-length. Both lyrically and musically, the band plays with things that are unusual, but no less addictive. Unfortunately, there are still a few minor flaws, which make this album too much of the same after a while. All in all, King Hannah delivers a great performance, which still resonates even after a long time. The debut album from the critically acclaimed Liverpool band on City Slang ! An inspired fusion of American influences as diverse as Red House Painters, Mazzy Star or Smog with more British sources like PJ Harvey and Portishead ! Liverpool duo Hannah Merrick and Craig Whittle, aka King Hannah, make music that sits somewhere between the delightfully meditative pop of Yo La Tengo and the beautiful drama of Sharon Van Etten. The foundation of "I'm Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me" lies in Merrick's lyrics inspired by Raymond Carver-esque realism. The duo formed in 2017 and met while waiting tables in Liverpool. After seeing Merrick perform years earlier, Whittle immediately urged her to make music with him. A writing habit developed that led to her debut EP "Tell Me Your Mind And I'll Tell You Mine", which received early attention from The Guardian, Under The Radar, Brooklyn Vegan, Stereogum and many others.

1. A Well-Made Woman 05:19

2. So Much Water So Close To Drone 00:33

3. All Being Fine 03:29

4. Big Big Baby 03:01

5. Ants Crawling on an Apple Stork 03:12

6. The Moods That I Get In 07:43

7. Foolius Caesar 03:46

8. Death of the House Phone 01:27

9. Go-Kart Kid (Hell No !) 05:42

10. I'm Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me 04:30

11. Berenson 03:01

12. It's Me and You, Kid 04:03