Hannah Campbell’s ‘East Coast Dream’ is a slice of folky bliss
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Hannah Campbell’s ‘East Coast Dream’ is a slice of folky bliss

A new track for adventurous souls who want to break free and live in the vast wide world has just dropped and we are absolutely loving it. ‘East Coast Dream’ by Gold Coast’s Hannah Campbell encourages you to nourish your soul by unshackling it. An untethered soul, Hannah’s dreamy instrumentals carry you to another place within yourself – a place that’s connected to zest and escape. We chat to Hannah following the release.

First up, can you introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello! I’m Hannah, a songwriter/sound maker. My story starts somewhere in Melbourne, meanders it’s way up the east coast and settles in the present moment somewhere on the Gold Coast in a little cafe. I started making music as a pretty young kid – on family holidays I used to stand on the beach in Byron Bay with a hat down for tips and I’d write little songs for passers-by.
I picked up the guitar as a teen and wrote my first song about being ‘young and free’ and just thinking about it now maybe not much has changed.

You’ve just released your new single ‘East Coast Dream’ which truly is a slice of folky bliss perfect for a road trip. What’s the story behind the track for you?
I wrote East Coast Dream about the feeling I got when I moved from Melbourne to the Gold Coast. So much of that journey was wide open roads, early mornings, and this sense of endless potential – there was so much freedom tied up in all these other emotions, mostly joy, and wide-eyed curiosity, it’s the first time in my life where I’ve watched my entire world change in real time.

What are some of your ultimate road trip tracks?
I have to start every road trip with Weather With You by Crowded House because I’m a shameless dag and it’s a total jam. But I recommend chucking on some Bon Iver, especially his self titled album, when you get out of the city and hit those open landscapes. For happy sing-along feels get onto some Ally Palmer, I would recommend ‘Under the Night Sky’. And Leif Vollebeck’s ‘Elegy’, Tess Guthrie’s ‘WUTO’, and Grand Pine’s ‘Back in Town’ are always guaranteed to make me feel nice combinations of happy, sad, and strong as well.

Originally from Melbourne, you’ve now made a life for yourself on the East Coast. How do you find the music scene up on the Gold Coast?
Life on the Gold Coast is sooo different to Melbourne! Mostly because the sun is literally always shining and you can swim in Winter. But also the music scene is different up here, people write about different things and they play it differently too. It’s hard to put my finger on exactly what it is, and I love both music scenes the same amount, but the Gold Coast has lots of warmth and joy in the music scene. There’s a lot of camaraderies just like in Melbourne, people are so supportive and lovely and I think it’s a smaller scene but it’s definitely growing!

You’ve released two singles now, both embracing that idea of adventure and freedom but sonically very different. Is there an EP or album on the horizon?
I have a lot of songs that I want to release right now! But I think I’m going to keep releasing singles for a little while longer while I save up for an album. You will definitely get to hear at least one new single before the end of the year.

Who are some of the musicians you look to for inspiration?
Gosh it seems like everyone in my life is a musician sometimes, and they all inspire me too much. I will always feel inspired when I listen to Neil Finn’s songwriting, and I absolutely lose my mind when I see Alisha Todd perform live.

Thanks for chatting Hannah! Where can we find your music?
You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and anywhere you like to stream music!

Image via Melting Wax Photography