Liv Hanna: “Lonely” but Kind

Photo Credit: Lizzie Kristal

Liv Hanna is a self-made, up-and-coming singer-songwriter with a sharp pop vision bringing a unique twist to the genre. Her music blends elements of almost 10 styles together through her bedroom pop, synth, chill-soul, alt-pop, dark rock, lo-fi electro sensibilities. Her single “Lonely” is a vulnerable song that got me hooked from the very first second. In this interview, we dive deeper into the messages that the track carries, her main musical influences and what’s next for the 20-year-old New York City native rising star.

Miriam Boulos: Tell us a little more about “Lonely”. How did this one come together?

Liv Hanna: Well, I originally wrote it about someone else and then I went back and realized it was really a lot like me, the things that I was describing and the way that I am.

I wrote it a few years ago, actually. I brought it to my producer last May, and I was just showing him all my different pieces and ideas, and I never thought that this was the one that was actually going to be worked on and released. You know, when you write a lot of songs, some of them never come out and sometimes the world never hears them. I never thought this would make the cut. But then my producer paused me and he was like: “This one, this one right here, this is the one we're working on.”

It’s about being in isolation and that's mainly the whole thing, which is very similar to my last song, “Back to Hell”, which is basically about going back to a depressive episode, going back to listening to your intrusive thoughts or just going back on your negative thinking. “Lonely” was pretty much the same thing, but it's also saying that the character or me or whoever the song is about, is trying to cover it up by going out and doing all these things to not feel lonely. So, the chorus goes: “You wouldn't know she's hurt and broken/when she comes off as Paris Hilton/in her silver dress/Singing SOS by Rih.”

She’s getting dressed up. She's going out. She's drinking or whatever. She's with her friends and she's in her silver Paris Hilton dress and she's singing Rihanna in the club, and you would have no idea that she was so lonely in her head. She’s putting on this front, so you don't know what her thoughts are or how she really feels at the end of the day when she gets back from the club and she's all alone.

MB: Confronting the harsh reality head on! This one also illustrates the social media climate we currently live in, scrolling on Instagram or Tiktok and seeing all these happy moments with lots of people, but actually it's all fake and blurs.

LH: Exactly, because you think that everybody's picture perfect and everybody's so happy and everybody, like, has their perfect friend group or they all have their shit together 24/7 but that's never the case. Everybody has their shit going on.

MB:  With all the vulnerability it expresses, I was wondering when was the moment that clicked for you to start writing this one?

LH: You know, it was so long ago, but I started at the piano, because it was originally supposed to be a piano ballad. All the songs that I write, piano is my main instrument. I write them all just piano and voice. They all sound kind of similar, and they kind of have the same structure. Then I bring them into my producer, and they switch up the vibe and elevate it to a new level that I didn't know it could get to. So when we were working on this, I was like,“Wow, in my head it was a piano ballad.” So that's kind of how I started it, and I was just in a low space at the time, I was journaling out lyrics and then I started writing chords and it came together.

MB: It’s interesting that you say it was supposed to be a ballad at first. I would have never guessed because of how synth-heavy and up-tempo it is.

LH: Yeah, it has almost an angry energy.

MB: Absolutely, for me it is this kind of angsty, electropop, angry-ish anthem. Did you actually dig the production and who made that decision?

LH: Well, my producer, Jake Sonderman, he's amazing. I played him this song and he just gets these ideas. I met him through school actually, but he just gets these ideas, and he takes off with them and I love them because he understands my vibe like this dark pop-alt. So, I come in with what I have, and I can't make strictly dark-pop piano sounds you know so we just add like this twist to it and it comes alive every time.

MB: This is what I really like about your music, actually. It always has a twist that's a little unexpected. Were there any inspirations behind this one? Because when I heard it, I definitely thought Billie Eilish could have been on that one. Were there any particular artists or sounds you were listening to during that time?

LH: I will almost all the time have a reference playlist or reference songs. But for this specific one, I was just looking at my artists that I thought would match the vibe and you were right with Billie Eilish 100% I love her, and I love her vibe. Also, Nessa Barrett I would say, the young forever album, the production is insane. Also, Lana Del Rey. I kind of mentioned her in the song. Those are like my top three that I kind of always look up to.

MB: Are there any particular lyrics that resonate closely with you on that particular single?

LH: I really think just the chorus because it depicts accurately the message.
“You wouldn't know I'm hurt and broken/when I come off as Paris Hilton.” It just paints the picture so well of how “you wouldn't know”. And then also “it chills my bones”, just the thought of being lonely, because that's what she comes home to at the end of the day. Also, the bridge: “If you only knew the things they did/If you only had it happening”, not that I would wish my happenings on anyone but it's just saying that no one understands my past or what I've gone through, everybody's just putting up a front.

MB: ‘Lonely’ is for now a standalone single, but is it a pathway for what's to come next for Liv Hannah?

LH: Definitely. Since I released “Back to Hell” in June, I've kind of been rebranding myself and I was planning on releasing an EP called Back to Hell like a year ago. It's in the works and we're going to release a few more singles this year and then bundle them all together. So, it's gonna be “Lonely”, it's gonna be “Back To Hell” and a few others that aren't out yet, but I'm very excited. So yes, they all kind of match the same vibe and tell a story.

MB: So, will we be having more electro-ish dark alt-pop sounds?

LH: 100%, I'm so excited!

MB: Lastly, what central message do you hope resonates most strongly with listeners through “ Lonely “?

LH: That everyone's lives, they aren't what they seem, and that social media is not realistic. But also, that you never know what's going on in someone's life. So just be kind to everybody, you never know what's going on. So yeah, just be kind to everybody and don't judge. That’s the main one, I guess. Just do you, don't judge. Everybody has their own stuff going on. So don't look out, look in, if that makes sense. Like don't look out to others, don't compare yourself because comparison is the thief of joy. I feel like I'm just like spitting quotes now, but like, you know what I mean. Just focus on yourself.

###