Tone Talk with Hannah Fairlight | “I mainly use a ’77 Stratocaster hardtail with an ash body and a Fender Blues Junior amp.”

GGM Staff April 19, 2024

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Tone Talk with Hannah Fairlight | “I mainly use a ’77 Stratocaster hardtail with an ash body and a Fender Blues Junior amp.”

In today’s Tone Talk interview with Hannah Fairlight, we dive deep with the fiercely independent artist Hannah Fairlight on the influences that have shaped her tone and about the dynamics of recording live to tape — a method that captures the visceral intensity of her performances. Fairlight’s new musical center is the bold and raw album Lone Wolf, which drops on May 24th through CEN/The Orchard; it showcases Hannah’s evolution from the introspective nuances of her previous work to a full-throated celebration of guitar-driven riot-grrrl energy. Each of the 13 tracks promises a blend of nostalgia and innovation, marked by her signature blend of fiery lyrics and powerhouse guitar riffs.

On Saturday, May 25, Hannah will celebrate the eternal release of Lone Wolf with hometown friends and family at The Underdog, a favorite haunt in the heart of East Nashville. Downbeat at twilight, the wolfpack will come alive, a Flower Moon on high. Come one, come all, come together, right now.

What is your definition of tone, and how has it changed over the years?

Tone, to me, is the style of the sound that hits your ear. It’s a combination of frequency — highs, mids, lows — and how those frequencies resonate after a finger, bow, or hammer (or whatever!) first strikes the instrument….

How has it changed over the years? I think in the same way I used to fear that all the melodies would be “used up” by the time I was old enough to play in clubs (haha); tone has expanded and changed, but in the same way, one reinvents the wheel. We find different, experimental ways of getting to the same place. And that place is some primal space deep inside us that either gives us goosebumps or simply pulls us in because of how pleasant and satisfying it feels… an experience we want to repeat. The different ways of getting to that place could be pedals, amps, styles of playing, the instrument itself, the bow-hammer-pick-mallet-breath you apply to the instrument, and all those possibilities and variables have exploded over the years. But the place we’re trying to get to is age-old.

Which guitars, amps, and pedals are you currently using and why?

I mainly use a ’77 Stratocaster hardtail with an ash body and a Fender Blues Junior amp. No pedals. I LOVE reverb and the junior satisfies that, plus a little distortion/gain action when I jack the volume up and the master down. Tone-wise, I can get great variation with my Strat, too, switching between pickups or even with the volume knob. I love the chuck-a-chuck-a slappiness of it; it’s great for rhythm playing, fingerpicking, fat blunt riffs, or even more nasal retro-sounding ones. There’s something soulful and ’60s about this combo — the Strat and the Blues Junior — it resonates in a way that sticks to me, and I can’t quite let it go, though I’ve tried different guitars and amps for years. I had a love affair with an amp by Guild called the Maverick — I actually wrote the riff to my song “Restless Heart” on it my first time plugging in. It was my muse and has a great tremolo — also something I like now and then. I also SWEAR I’m a Telecaster girl; I just guess I haven’t found one I’ve fallen head over heels for yet. TBD. Why no pedals? I’ve messed with a couple pedal combos for more power, overdrive and distortion, one I’ve used a lot is the MXR M78 Custom Badass. I’ve messed around with delay pedals some, or tremolo. I have a LOOP station — a BOSS RC-30 dual track looper, which is handy when I’m playing solo and I want to solo over myself or experiment…. But honestly, I don’t dig using pedals. I really like the “less is more” approach. I really like to move and stay connected to the song and the audience when I perform, and I’ve found that too many “triggers” to pull at timed intervals for sonic effect really take me out of my experience with my instrument and the song. I like to try to achieve the tone I want with as little “tools” and fuss as possible. I want my guitar to sound like my guitar, amplified through my amp, and then straight into a mic through a PA or straight into the room. Less stops along the signal flow = more organic sound.

What about strings?

I use Elixir 10s or 11s. I like Elixir because I REALLY don’t like to change strings often, and they last forever and stay in tune! Plus I tend to bend the neck of my guitar for vibrato (I know, terrible of me really but it’s a learned habit that’s hard to break and I love how it sounds) so staying in tune can be tricky for me. Love them Elixirs! And my truss rod, ha.

Are there certain recording techniques you prefer in the studio?

I like to play live, with a band, with demo’d vocals for guide and form that I will usually overdub later, along with any harmonies, lead parts, ambient synths, or percussion. But I’m not at all averse to a piecemeal approach, usually starting with voice and the main instrument — guitar or piano — and then building off that. I’m very good with a click if that’s how we’re going to roll, but I’m pretty good at keeping internal time, too, and sometimes that organic push and pull of the meter is exactly what makes up the magic juice in a song! Another approach I’ve been using more and more is when I demo out a song (usually on GarageBand in my phone), I like to pull a drum groove in there pretty quickly, or one of those “cyber drummers” that kind of play along “with” you and follow the nuances of the song with fills and different parts. I’m a VERY rhythmic player (originally a pianist), so I get a lot out of laying drums early rather than late. It just elevates the energy of my playing. Even if I’m making a faux drum track out of me hitting and slapping random s–t in the room, it always gets the idea across more powerfully than without. Another thing I’ll add is that I recorded my most recent album (out May 24, 2024) to tape! I haven’t ever done that in a studio before, and it was game-changing for me. It actually came extremely naturally for me because I’m all about capturing the emotion and energy of a song and getting it all the way through on the first or second take, if possible. That’s where all the magic’s at. The urgency and the liveness of recording to tape is such a thrill; I absolutely adore it.

How do you keep your sound consistent onstage?

Honestly, I just do the same set up every time. For years, even decades, I haven’t moved far away from my Strat, my Blues Junior, or sometimes a twin reverb, and that’s pretty much it. I know exactly what to expect and how to quickly dial in my sound, and nothing can really get lost in the signal flow. It feels so familiar to me and I don’t want to have to try to figure out or experiment with sounds while I’m trying to start a show or convey a song strongly to the audience. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

What does your practice consist of?

I really like to practice by playing a whole set straight through… it feels like a workout, and I can practice breaks and pauses and flow. I love to practice at full energy, even when I’m not with the band, so I usually stand up and play with the same intention and energy I would for an audience. Lately, I’ve been practicing a lot by playing my songs on acoustic guitar, which — the heavier strings and the feel of it really works up some good muscle and endurance, especially since the new stuff has a lot of power chords in it.

Favorite guitar riff or lick that inspired you to play guitar?

Honestly, initially, Ani DiFranco and Joni Mitchell were in my ears a bunch when I bought my first acoustic guitar while living in Peru, so my first songs echoed their really out-of-the-box rhythmic styles of playing. Then it was Chris Whitley — d–n, what a great, soulful player he was. I have a tattoo dedicated to him. I really honed in on his national steel open-tuning riff-based rhythmic style. Shortly after, The White Stripes and then The Black Keys were starting to hit hard and I LOVED their tone and their songs built around simple, tasty riffs. “Lonely Boy” by The Black Keys was one I would cover down on Bleecker Street in NYC on my ’77 Strat and a Bigfoot Stompbox I picked up in Australia, playing it sorta Chris Whitley style on the downbeats instead of the straight-ahead back-beat like the record.

What is your advice for young women who hope to work in the music industry?

Don’t be afraid to SCREW UP, BE WEIRD, and TAKE RISKS. It can be SO easy to stay inside of a little safe box you create for yourself as you’re doing this thing, but the only thing that will make you grow and want to try something is LISTEN TO IT and GO FOR IT. And if you fall on your face, you get to celebrate that you TRIED, and you get to try again with some experience behind you this time. The only way to grow and learn is to not be afraid to take chances. Don’t be afraid to screw up — you are GOING to screw up, and people will love you and admire you for it. Oh, and MAKE YOUR ART FOR YOU — DON’T try to satisfy anyone else’s idea of what you “should” be. You never will. The most important person to satisfy is YOURSELF. Make art for the sake of doing it, for the sake of discovery and joy and expression! Follow YOUR muse! You are unique, and no one else is you!

Electrifying 13-Track Diatribe Arrives May 24 via CEN/The Orchard

Garage Rock Lead Single “Emotional Men” Singes and Sears

Listen: https://orcd.co/w1awp4d

Watch: https://youtu.be/ckUNjPVl4hE

Surf-Infused Rocker “Apologetic Me” Rips and Roars

Listen: https://orcd.co/nb9wm8y

Watch: https://youtu.be/tjLR55jzBBM

LP pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CT2PMWMM

Lone Wolf tracklist:

LONE WOLF

1. Fever – A rock-girl anthem about the people in our lives who amp us up the most.

2. Sum Ppl R Jerx – An ode to practicing empathy and compassion, even when some people are jerks.

3. Take Too Much – A rallying cry for this generation and those to follow to stop living aimless lives and destroying our planet.

4. Jaded – A Ben Folds-style rock anthem for rekindling lost loving feelings.

5. Loser – A generous “fuck you” song to an ill-matched sociopathic ex.

6. Just Feel Better – A song about depression.

7. If Only You Could See Me Now – Ode to a long lost lover boasting “how do you like me now?” But still yearning for the past.

8. Emotional Men – Commentary on societal acceptance of sensitive men, the minuteness of humanity in the scheme of the universe, and global warming.

9. Naked – A love song about feeling able to completely bare one’s heart to another. First love. Second song I EVER wrote on the guitar.

10. How Many Times – How many times will I try to mend this fucked up relationship?

11. Apologetic Me – You’re right, I’m wrong. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

12. Lone Wolf – They all say I’m this so maybe I am.

13. Where – Story bout a girl trying to find her way. For Janie.

From the press release on the new album:

Nashville, TN: Why play by rules when you can make your own? Hannah Fairlight knows. Classically trained on piano as a youth, and a staunch Tori Amos fan and band camp attendee, Fairlight quickly swapped out classical piano and small town Midwest for the Big Apple and electric guitars, debuting at the infamous rock club CBGB at 18 years old. A regular at haunts like NYC’s The Bitter End and Arlene’s Grocery, Fairlight went on to grace stages across Europe, the UK, and Australia before settling in Music City, USA when landing a starring role in A&E’s TV show ‘Crazy Hearts: Nashville.’

If backpacking and busking all over the world wasn’t enough rule-making and breaking, Fairlight then landed a starring role in Universal’s ‘Pitch Perfect 3,’ embodying the character “Veracity,” a Joan Jett-style rabble-rouser going to bat alongside big hitters Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow and Ruby Rose.

Veracity is at the heart of everything she does, both figuratively and literally. Over the course of four dynamic releases, her core followers know one thing about Hannah: Expect the unexpected. From her raw Southern rock influenced debut EP, Creatures of Habit to the shimmering, Bright Future, produced by legendary rock monster Michael Wagener (Metallica, Skid Row, Mötley Crüe, Dokken), Fairlight has always done just that, lit the musical world ablaze with beams of emotional strength illuminating a path for a more fair and just world.

Fair and just is an apt wrap for her upcoming cataclysm. On Lone Wolf, her second full-length recording, Fairlight shimmies away from the introspective ballads of 2020’s Muscle & Skin and reignites her love of guitar-driven rule-bending riot grrrl rock and roll. With nods to Jack White, Lucinda Williams, and Ben Folds Five echoing some of Fairlight’s prime influences and 90s comeuppance, the Lone Wolf recordings – live to tape – come as close to the blood, sweat and tears of a live Fairlight show as one can come. No production gimmicks – just an incendiary, rule-breaking rock mama preaching anthems of societal, moral, and global change with great clarity and reverberating intensity, none moreso than on lead single, “Emotional Men,” which she says offers, “commentary on societal acceptance of sensitive men, the minuteness of humanity in the scheme of the universe, and global warming.” With the requisite amount of volume, you can feel the tension seething, its cylinders are peaking.

With the full album slated for May 24, 2024 via CEN/The Orchard, the Wolf’s second-born cub unfurls in the guise of surf-boogie ripcord, “Apologetic Me,” which sounds like the Dead Weather trading molotov cocktails with LA’s The Darts. Funk-driven flamethrowers also ignite the holy moly riffage of “Sum Ppl R Jerx,” the spicy Veruca Salt-flavored “Fever” and the garage rock bump n grind of “Take Too Much,” a rallying cry for humanity to stop living aimlessly and destroying our planet.

Elsewhere, Fairlight slows things down on the wistful title cut, the sprawling piano-fueled inquisition, “How Many Times” and the rueful mixed emotions of “If Only You Could See Me Now,” an ode to a lost lover. On “Naked,” Fairlight showcases her range with breathy vocals while baring her vulnerability. In a visual ode to this, she appears naked on the album cover with the song titles scrawled across her. Wearing her emotions on her sleeve, she’s embodying it fully.

Wolf closer is a raw examination of the world at large, told thru the lens of a girl named Janie, who’s trying to find her way amongst the bloated patriarchy where every newsreel sucks and the bureaucracy is filled with pus. Much like the apostle of Aerosmith’s 1989 anthem, the protagonist and the proletariat are fighting back.

Throughout every timeline and multiple dimensions, Lone Wolf is one that reckons. Neil Young, hang onto your butt. Pat Benatar – Thank you for having the guts. Chrissie, Lucinda, and Jenny Lewis, she sees you too.

While Fairlight continues to be a triple threat as rock star, multi-media provocateur and actor, recently appearing in the official music video for Ace Frehley’s latest single “Cherry Medicine,” her true passion is songwriting and performing live, where primordial gestation and animal magnetism are poetry in motion. As one Charles Bukowski, an infamous lone wolf himself, once quipped, “the free soul is rare, but you know it when you see it – basically because you feel good, very good, when you are near or with them.”