Since her last interview with CopperlineNews, musician and Research resident, Hana Zreikat, has been keeping busy with two of her passions: music and work in the community. Hana has just released a new album called Butterfly, and she was recently appointed a Nillumbik Performing Artist in Residence.
When we connect on Zoom for this interview, Hana is in New Zealand where she has been performing songs from her new album. She wrote this collection of songs ten years ago and says it is, “the right time to feel far enough away from them so that I can share the experiences”.
The record is autobiographical and Hana has put it all out there, exploring themes of grief, heartache, and the search for a higher purpose. “This album goes through a journey of introspection and personal growth. The first song is about going through an experience and not knowing how to ask for help, or how to connect, yet being desperate for connection,” she explains.
Just like her debut album, Black Balloons, Hana’s follow-up album showcases her melodic singing voice as well as her extensive talents as a musician, as she plays both piano and guitar on the tracks. A versatile singer, songwriter, Hana’s style has been compared to musical artists in the ilk of Missy Higgins and Regina Spektor.
Butterfly is available to purchase online and download on Spotify, however Hana won’t be releasing a physical CD. These days, the simplicity of releasing music digitally outweighs the cost and time of producing an actual CD. Hana says another benefit of releasing music online is being able to see in real-time how many people are listening to her songs, and where in the world people are listening from – something that a CD can’t do.
Currently, Hana is doing a residency with Living & Learning Nillumbik. She attends their office one day a week and is working on a live performance that she hopes to showcase in the coming months. And away from music, she works with the Eltham Lion’s Club as their Grants Officer.
If you would like to listen to Hana’s music, the new album is available to purchase from her website, and readers of CopperlineNews can go to this link and download the first three tracks from Butterfly for free using the code COPPERBUTTERFLY. https://bio.to/connectwithhana
