Last time Emma Way touched base with Hana Lili, she’d just performed at the Principality Stadium – opening up for a certain Coldplay. Today, she’s preparing to head out to Texas to play Austin music industry fest SXSW with her band, ahead of her new EP Hana dropping in mid-April.
You came up in music playing at folk contests and traditional Welsh events. So how did you land on the sound of your single Ur Girlfriend’s A Lawyer, which has an alt-rock edge?
I grew up being a Welsh person and a Welsh-language speaker, performing at the Eisteddfod and singing with the harp, which I think is where I found my love for performing music. But when it comes to the rocking out, I grew up being obsessed with bands like Nirvana, No Doubt and Radiohead. I remember finding my parents’ old CDs from the 90s and I’ve been obsessed with that genre ever since. It’s fun that it sits in that rock lane, because I’m inspired by so many bands in that space.
And this year’s International Women’s Day has just happened too… who are some of your favourite women in music?
I’m obsessed with No Doubt and Gwen Stefani in the 90s – her attitude – and artists such as Blondie and Hole. Just women being really cool and strong and rocking out. We’re going out to SXSW and another band playing there is Panic Shack – I’ve never seen them live and I’m really excited to see them play! I’ve seen a lot of cool videos of them rocking out on stage.
I think I’m just inspired by female musicians, but also my friends – I have a friend called Manon who’s an opera singer, and she inspires me because she’s confident and boisterous, and isn’t afraid to say what she thinks. I’m quite lucky in my life to be inspired by them, basically. Women, slay, love!
Your new EP, Hana, comes out soon – why is it a self-titled record?
A big reason for calling it Hana is that I’ve learned a lot making this EP – the main thing being that I don’t have to have it all figured out, and that I’m good enough as I am. Compared to previous works, I wanted to really simplify stuff, even in the songwriting process; I think I allowed myself to stop having everything together, so much so I could just say what I felt.
It felt appropriate to have it be eponymous. It goes back to bands that I love from the 90s, seeing their videos on YouTube, and just how real they were. That’s inspiring. As a woman, it’s like, I’m enough as I am. I don’t have to be a version of myself to appease a crowd. I can just be myself, and that’s enough.
You’re doing a lot of touring this year, starting with SXSW – what are some ‘must haves’ for your bag?
I’ve gotten into drinking water recently. I used to be a fizzy drinks person, but I realised that that needed to stop. I feel so much better on the road now. Hand sanitiser, because you’re traveling in loads of random places. And headphones, because it’s important to take chill time for yourself. That and good company, I think – which I’m fortunate to have.
You’re up on your TikTok game at the moment, posting videos of you skating and on tour. How do you combat the high pressure demand for online content?
We made the music videos for this EP with a really awesome videographer, Nick Suchak. We came up with all of these different ideas and worlds for every song, and it was a representation of the music itself – which as a creative person is always a really fun process. When it came to social media, it was more about capturing that, as opposed to just making content.
I’m a big believer in focusing on the music first and foremost, and that always takes priority. You’re kind of making mini music videos then from that. When you have cool creatives around you who are inspiring, you can create art that you’re proud of, and it’s easier then to capture that as a TikTok as opposed to the other way around.
And how is the skating going?
It’s taken a break! Since I stopped skating, I started reading and also sewing – making my own clothes. I’ll probably go back to skateboarding, but at the minute it’s sewing and reading.
Hana Lili plays SXSW on Sun 15 and Mon 16 Mar (Info: here)
The Hana EP is released on Fri 17 Apr via Nettwerk (Info: here)
words EMMA WAY
