Hanne Kad began her musical journey at a young age, using music to express herself. Embracing diversity and the unknown, she released her first album in 2016, captivating her audience ever since.
Can you share with us the story of how you first started your musical journey?
Being in my early 30s now, the memories are already becoming a little fuzzy, but I do remember the music my parents introduced me to when I was quite young. Artists like Tracy Chapman, Joni Mitchell, Johnny Cash and many more were on repeat at home and even though I didn’t understand the lyrics then, I felt something that I couldn’t really explain. Thinking about it now, I know that I felt the spine-tingling magic, that only music can produce and that gave me the direction, I wanted to follow from then on…
So sometime after that, it started with those classical experiences, where I was at a camp each summer and, of course, there was a campfire in the evening and somebody with a guitar who knew three chords and probably played something like Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door or What’s Up by the Four Non Blondes.
Sooner or later I got my first guitar, started practising all these songs and once I managed to play a few of them, I began writing my own music… and even though more than 20 years have passed since all of this happened, it feels to me like this was the beginning of something, that’s still going on right now and which feels to me like it only just began a few weeks ago... But that’s exactly what some of the songs are about now. Music is absolutely timeless and can connect different generations.
You frequently talk about how you grew up in a diverse cultural environment. How has that impacted your view of the world and your approach to music?
Having grown up with these colourful experiences showed me, that there are beautiful things, once you come up with the courage, to step outside your door and see what the world behind it has to offer. This is something I totally absorbed into my thinking and my way of living, so you’ll surely find lots of clues to this in my lyrics, that spread the same message of love, acceptance and kindness.
What does your music creation process entail? Do you follow a specific routine when creating music?
I would love to say “yes” because that would mean, that I can sit down at any time and come up with a nice little song, whenever I want to… That’s clearly not the case and by now I actually think, that it’s good this way… for me, it means, that I write the songs, that have to be written (in my opinion). They come from my heart and are often embedded in deeply personal experiences, like the song “Pieces (I’ve left)” which for my late grandmother, or the song “100 People” which just poured out of my brain, after I heard a speech of Holocaust survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch.
There’s just this connection between these songs and my experiences, that is so strong, that it’s individually adaptable for every person, who’s listening to it.
In 2016, you completed your debut album, "Handful of Secrets." Could you share more about the experience of creating it and how you felt once it was finished?
By 2015 my band and I had already released 2 or 3 EPs, so we were familiar with the creative process of writing and being in a studio. We thought that an album wouldn’t feel too different, but it did…
The thought of a full-length album alone changed something in the approach. It was supposed to sound better and have something like a storyline, which wasn’t really there after all. It was the first time, that something like a pre-production happened, where we tackled each song individually and tried to find the arrangements and melodies, that would lift the sparse and raw idea to an actual song.
As you can tell, the whole production was way more complex than any EP we did before that. Everything we did before our debut album was recorded in 3-5 days. Production for our debut album began in October 2015 and was completed somewhere around March 2016.
Therefore it was 10 times more overwhelming, once it was done and ready to be released. Lots of things have happened since then, and I think we can say, that we’ve grown a lot since “Handfull of Secrets” came out, but back it was incredible. Last year I started producing myself, which adds a lot to the creative process of making an album and our newest record "Tell Me" will be released soon :)
We know you use AT4047 Cardioid Condenser Microphone and ATH-M50X Professional Monitor Headphones – what are the most important features of these products you’d emphasize and how important good equipment is?
I absolutely love using my AT equipment, whether we're performing live or recording. We mix and match a lot of our AT gear and have grown to appreciate its versatility and outstanding quality.
My studio favourite is the AT4047, which perfectly captures my style of music. It's incredible for my lead vocals, making them the standout track with a crisp, detailed, yet warm and vintage vibe. We've also used the AT4047 on acoustic guitars, upright bass, and so much more. It delivers a fantastic sound on all our records, and it looks great on video too!
Every member of our band is a fan of the ATH-M50x headphones. I think we all have at least 2 pairs! They're perfect for monitoring during recording sessions, and listening back to mixes, and they're durable enough to take on tour for some much-needed downtime on the bus. The ATH-M50x headphones are a staple in our gear collection, and they pair well with the ATH-E70 in-ear monitors that we rely on for on-stage performances.
Apart from your music, you also have your own KAH Merchandise – what inspired you to create that?
It’s that diy-urge, that’s spreading over so many creative aspects. This year marks the first time, that I’ve released a song, that was written, recorded AND produced all by myself.
It only seemed logical to do the same with the merchandise. So we bought a silk screening machine and all the stuff we needed, got together on a nice day in March this year, had no clue of what we were about to do, and were accordingly even more surprised, when we had around 50 shirts and sweaters at the end of the day, that really turned out so well, that we didn’t even feel bad for selling them to people for money.
All jokes aside, that’s really the most beautiful and personal merch, we’ve ever had. So grab something, while it’s in stock.
Do you have any tips you'd like to offer to those who are just starting their careers?
To be honest: not really... the music business can be rough and making a living as an artist is a rocky road. What I learned myself in the past years is, that my worth as a creator shouldn't be measured on my numbers on social media, on music streaming or anything else but on connecting people, and bringing them together as one. I think that is what music is all about and what's most important about being an artist: Building bridges, connecting and being an anchor in unstable times. And also very important: don’t pretend to be somebody you are not. Be true to yourself because the real you is always the heart of your art!
Your schedule in August is quite busy with all tour dates in Germany. What are the next plans - what can we expect in the near future?
That’s a good question and I’d love to know the answer to it. Being a musician is a constant journey where you have to adjust to whatever steps in (or out of) your way. There’ll be new music and especially music, that’ll be 100% by us. Not every song, because there’s still so many lovely people, we absolutely enjoy working with, but now we’ve become even more handmade and independent than ever before, that’s something we’ll certainly try to expand in the future. I will be back in the USA, Australia and Canada in the next years for sure. And apart from that, I guess you’ll have to stay tuned for what’s coming... :)
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