What first got you into music?
As cliche as it sounds I’ve always wanted to be a ‘pop star’. Ever since I was about 3 it was my dream! I started writing songs when I was about 8 and had guitar lessons when I was 9. After that I was convinced I’d become famous over the summer holidays, if only if was that easy haha!
Where do you see yourself going in 10 years?
I see myself continuing to grow as a songwriter, musician and content creator. I really want to have a name for myself as a songwriter within the industry as well as really elevating my own music, bigger support slots, bigger venues etc!
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
The first thing that comes to mind was from a speaker at BBC Introducing Live. I went and spoke to him at the end of the talk as I was worrying about not ‘making it’ yet and looking back it could sounds brutal (but that’s the music industry I guess) but he said something along the lines of “if you keep going and don’t give up, others around you will drop off and you will make it”. That really stuck with me because he was essentially saying persistence and showing up is key, don’t get bogged down just keep going.
If you could open a show for any artist in the world who would it be and why?
Either McFly or Little Mix! McFly have been a huge inspiration of mine since they began. I went to see them perform at Wembley Arena in November 2008 and I said to myself “I’ll play on that stage one day!”, then in January 2009 I started gigging and I haven’t looked back, so I really owe it all to them for giving me that inspiration to start. And Little Mix I just love them so much! Their shows are always 10/10 and their strong female energy is everything. (This is me manifesting a reunion!)
What inspiration from other musicians do you use for your music?
I love to see people succeed, so in this age of comparison culture, which can be disheartening and negative, I really use it in a positive way to think “wow they did that, I can too”. I love to learn from others whether that’s the quality of their videos online, their production style or melodies they’ve used. So I’d say I’m always inspired by others and take that with me on my journey.
What’s the best thing about your life as a musician, and what’s the worst thing about it?
The best thing is that I get to do what I love for a living, I sometimes have to pinch myself that I get to go and sing and entertain people AND get paid, it’s really special. Also just being creative is so fun! The worst thing is probably how fragile the industry is, COVID really showed that. I lost all of my work within the space of 3 days leaving me with no income, that was terrifying!
Can you tell us about your music and are there any future projects for us to look forward to?
My music seems to keep changing at the moment and I’m loving experimenting slightly with genres, nothing too crazy but I used to have a rockier band sound and then I dipped my toe into EDM. This year I’m really excited to go back to my roots a bit and write some old school Hannah Dorman tracks! This year be prepared for more solo original music and I’m also planning to release covers throughout the year, but with a twist.
You can find Hannah’s Instagram @Hannah_Dorman to hear more!