Get to know Hannah Frey

Photo Credit: Michael Garza

Indie folk songwriter Hannah Frey has released her second full-length album Lucky Girl. The title is Frey’s take on moving to Chicago in 2021. It was there that she found a community of people in the indie scene, leading to collaborations with other musicians. The album was recorded live with her band: Jonah Penningroth (drums), Mitch McAndrew (guitar), Josh Ruebeck (bass), and Max Berg (guitar). It captures the spirit of a songwriter who is swept up in the magic of a city.

We spoke to Frey about the influence of strong female songwriters, finding balance in the recording studio, making room for other musicians in the scene and more.

How did moving to Chicago influence your work and help you find your voice as a songwriter?

Oh man, Chicago has influenced me in countless ways. I think there’s something mystical going on here because the talent in this scene is out of this world and most artists seem to share an intention of creating community. There’s also this supportive energy in the air here that has allowed me to put myself out there and act on ideas without having everything figured out. This community helped me make the record and music video of my dreams. We regularly hang out under a bridge in the summer watching our friends’ bands play on a concrete pillar in the middle of the river. Chicago is a DIY dream and it’s based on a mindset of helping each other make things happen. My songwriting is clearly influenced by that too. The title track “Lucky Girl” is based on the visual of driving down Lake Shore Drive with the windows open but the feeling behind it came from how insanely lucky I feel to get to play music with my friends and have these connective experiences.

You grew up in a musical family. What were some of the records that you were exposed to early on? How did that shape your musical taste?

So many good ones to mention here — Lucinda Williams’ Car Wheels on a Gravel Road is probably my favorite. I want to do a cover set playing the whole thing through with my band this year. Kathleen Edwards Failer was a huge one that stuck out to me. Mindy Smith, Gillian Welch, Kasey Chambers, The Chicks, Joni Mitchell’s live albums. My dad loves the blues so I got a lot of that in too. And we were a big NPR family. The main theme, though, was really strong female songwriters with unique voices. These women live in my subconscious and I love them. 

 Lucky Girl was recorded live. Do you have any memories from those recording sessions that you’d like to share?

We recorded the bones of Lucky Girl live at Roseboom Recording in Logan Square on one of the coldest weekends of January 2024. The stars just kind of aligned for us that weekend. I don't know how else to describe it. My hope for recording is always to balance getting things done with making sure the people involved are on the same wavelength and, hopefully, having a great time. Nathan Roseboom, our recording and mixing engineer, has such a knack for curating a good vibe. My friends and I like to joke that time doesn't exist in his space, which is a really great thing to have on your side when you're in the studio because focusing on time and money can be a killer of creativity and process. My band is made up of some of my favorite people — Jonah Penningroth, Mitch McAndrew, Josh Ruebeck, and Max Berg — and I think it helps to have players who are not only pros but also know how to have fun with each other. 

Okay, so now that I've set the scene, here are some favorite memories:

• Getting ramen with everyone the first night and then going back to record “Inner Child” after a few beers with some of our friends in the room. You can hear some room noise if you pay close attention to the record.

• Mitch falling in love with guitar pedals. At one point Nate and Mitch were laying down on the floor in a sea of Nate's pedals looking so giddy. This led to some really cool sounds on the record.

• Jonah tracking the shaker for “Girls Gotta Yearn” in one go like a champ. It was honestly so impressive. Their drum doubling on “Lucky Girl” is still one of my favorite parts of the record too.

• All of the Remi moments — Remi is Nate's gorgeous cat who I swear was a cabaret singer in a past life because she loves instruments and music. She's the best to have around while you're tracking and famously loves to lick the strings on a guitar.

• Josh and Mitch improvising “Cold Snack Lullaby” in the last few minutes of the second session.

• Crying happy tears in the bathroom after we wrapped (on brand).

• Listening to everything back (and dancing) with our friends and feeling so, so lucky everything worked out the way it did.

The lyrics on songs like “People Pleaser” and “Inner Child” are quite introspective. Do you find writing such personal lyrics to be a cathartic process or is it more challenging to be that vulnerable in your music?

The vulnerable stuff is totally in my wheelhouse. I love writing from that place. I think sometimes it's less natural for me to take other approaches to songwriting. I'm a Pisces, and if you're into astrology this all probably makes a lot of sense now.

Who are some of your favorite musical acts from Chicago at the moment?

This is tough to answer because there are countless bands I'm a big fan of here. Chicago is one of the best music cities in the country (and probably the most slept on) but some of my current faves are Shoulderbird, Growing Boys, Orillia, Disaster Kid, Shannon Baker, Winefred RT, and Tenci. I'm also partial to the projects of my band members — Universal Automation, Measuring Marigolds, and Dogcatcher — and my best friends/collaborators — Sara Geist, Julia Morrison, Elijah Berlow, and Mikaela Brielle.

Anything else you want people to know about Lucky Girl?

I really just want people to know that music builds community and makes me feel so lucky to be alive and to experience everything the universe, fate, or whatever you want to call it has in store for me. That's what this record is about, and everyone can be a part of it. Come to shows, dance, talk to people, plot wild ideas with each other. We're all creative, and there's room for everyone.

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Lucky Girl is out now. You can listen below via Spotify or wherever you stream music. Follow Hannah Frey on Instagram.

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