Discover the Quiet, Intimate World of Hannah + Gabi

Discover the Quiet, Intimate World of Hannah + Gabi

Music has the facility to maneuver you, and, relying on what you’re listening to, stir feelings from inside. Emotions stirred while you hearken to Hannah + Gabi’s songs are of the much less risky selection; if something, they make you pause no matter you’re doing, pay attention intently, and mood that bout of anger you felt some time in the past. In an immensely satisfying harmonic interaction, fluid melodies are complemented by wealthy harmonies and lyrics seemingly written by a kindred soul who wears his coronary heart on his sleeve. And whereas a few of the sentiments conveyed in a few of the verses make you are feeling just a little lonely, you’ll be able to’t assist your self from smiling, nonetheless melancholic at one level, passionate about and giddy at one other. 

Hannah + Gabi is Mikey Amistoso’s solo undertaking which he began in 2010. Amistoso is popularly often called the bassist and vocalist for Filipino rock band Ciudad. He can be an enormous fan of The Lemonheads, therefore the pseudonym derived from one of many band’s songs. 

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Mikey, aka Hannah + Gabi, talks extra about why he named himself as such, coming to phrases with the truth that he wanted to go solo, and all the things else in between, in addition to his favourite Hannah + Gabi tracks from his newly launched self-titled LP–on this on-line interview.  

Photo by Jill Tan Radovan.

Why go solo? Ciudad is such an important band

In 2008, I wrote this tune known as "Everything Refuses to Move" and recorded a demo. I actually liked it. It was a quiet, intimate tune, and it was totally different from all of the songs I’ve written earlier than. I attempted to current it to my band Ciudad, however everybody did not actually know what to do with it and learn how to re-arrange it. Ciudad is primarily a rock band in spite of everything, and my demo was high quality because it was. Eventually, I began writing extra songs like “Everything Refuses to Move,” extra of that very same quiet, folk-y vibe. My then-girlfriend (and now, spouse) Marian helped end just a few of the songs with me. I felt that musically and lyrically, these songs we got here up with roughly had the identical theme. So I made a decision they wanted to be compiled and launched below a special identify.

Why did you resolve to call your solo undertaking after a tune by The Lemonheads?

I undoubtedly did not wish to launch them as Mikey Amistoso. A solo man with an acoustic guitar? I used to be afraid to be bunched up with "acoustic artists" (on the time) like Paolo Santos, Nyoy Volante, Jimmy Bondoc, and so forth. (It was technically nonetheless the 2000s, the late 2000s, in order that part in OPM was nonetheless recent in individuals’s minds.) And apart from, that is miles away from what they had been doing.

So I mentioned, why not confuse individuals and never make it apparent that this is only one individual? So I attempted developing with obscure names. I figured two names could be nice, like the films I liked within the 90s—Frankie & Johnny, Benny & Joon, Thelma & Louise. Then it was my good friend Ramon De Veyra who mentioned, "You’re the most important Lemonheads fan right here. So why not identify it after Evan Dando’s tune "Hannah & Gabi?" So there it was. I simply modified the & to a +, as a result of…I do not know. Now there are well-known OPM artists like Ben & Ben, Leanne & Naara, in addition they maintain acoustic guitars. I simply wish to say, "hey I used to be there first!"

How is your strategy for Hannah + Gabi totally different from what you do with Ciudad?

I’m very a lot influenced by Elliott Smith, Sufjan Stevens, Rebecca Gates, Grizzly Bear, and The Beatles, and though these are additionally evident in a few of the issues I did for Ciudad, I attempt to pour most of this palette into the Hannah + Gabi stuff. Lush, principally acoustic and minimalist instrumentation: guitar, piano, some ambient sounds, minimal drums. I’d say Hannah + Gabi is extra subdued than Ciudad the place we will go all the way in which with the snarky tongue-in-cheekiness and rowdiness. 

But it does not should be minimalist on a regular basis. Sometimes the songs begin small however then explode into one thing huge (an instance is the tune "Winter"). I haven’t got a very charming voice, however I came upon that in recordings, when they’re layered on high of one another ten-fold and sung in probably the most sincere and earnest means attainable, it is a formidable weapon. But this leaves me just about screwed up throughout stay performances when my voice is as soon as once more left alone with out the magic of overdubs. Hence I included my greatest good friend and fixed musical collaborator, Jazz Nicolas within the stay exhibits, simply to try to compensate for the dearth of vocal sorcery.

Photo by Backspacer Records.

Tell us about your new document and eventually making it occur.

Hannah + Gabi launched 2 albums: Haha Yes in 2010 (which incorporates the precise "demo" of “Everything Refuses to Move,” unchanged and untouched) and Years Gone in 2015. Sometime through the pandemic, I met Rob and Tasha Tuazon of Backspacer Records on-line. They had been huge followers of Ciudad and by some means they wished to launch a Ciudad LP. So we made that occur (the Ciudad self-titled LP can be accessible at Backspacer Records). 

I took an opportunity and requested them in the event that they’d be open to launch a Hannah + Gabi LP as properly. They had been actually form to say sure. So right here it’s. It could be excellent to launch each albums on vinyl, however I might by no means assume that I’d get two possibilities with Backspacer Records, so I made a decision to only launch one for now. I hand-picked what I consider to be the perfect songs from each albums and launched them kind of like an "An Introduction to Hannah + Gabi" compilation. Who is aware of, perhaps sooner or later I’d get to launch the complete Haha Yes and Years Gone albums on vinyl.

Tell us about a few of your favourite Hannah + Gabi songs and why you’re keen on them.

“Everything Refuses to Move.” This one among course. It began the entire Hannah + Gabi undertaking. And it is just about the template of what this undertaking feels like.

“Waiting for the Rainfall.”  I had enjoyable layering vocals on this one. I even placed on some vocals and harmonies in reverse within the recordings they usually all labored out properly. 

“New Window.” A really quiet tune about my room (after I was single). It simply has that one looping hook/melody all all through the tune. This was featured in Marie Jamora’s movie "Ang Nawawala" and launched my music to new audiences.

“Finlegs.” Written like true fantasy. It’s a couple of boy having a secret assembly with a mermaid in an remoted seashore shore when it is nonetheless darkish and the solar remains to be nearly to rise. I think about the mermen royal guard and escorts lined up in formation and singing the very low "mmmmm’s" whereas the attractive mermaid swims to shore to fulfill up with the mortal.

“Winter.” I like how this begins small however then within the center, it explodes and soars into each course, after which will get again to being small.

“Thoughts They Disappear.” A tune I wrote after I was having a musical psychological block. So I wrote about that matter—my psychological block. The final three strains of the tune—"You are the earth, You are the day, We’ll fall in love”—is kind of like my prayer to God, admitting that He’s the supplier of my abilities, and that psychological block or no psychological block, I submit myself to Him.

The album launch, held final February 25, was an intimate gathering of loyal Hannah+ Gabi followers and pals of the artist. It was a preview of what to anticipate from the album: a light-hearted but introspective retelling of previous experiences, a satisfying revelation of real sentiments juxtaposed with plain musical expertise. 

The Itchyworms’ Jazz Nicolas, who recorded drum tracks for one of many tracks on the Hannah + Gabi album, performed an electrical piano and sang back-up vocals alongside Amistoso through the launch, filling in components that the latter nearly single-handedly created for his document. Apart from Nicolas, Geri Gil and former Ang Bandang Shirley vocalist Selena Davis lent their vocal chops for the album, too, which was mastered by none aside from Ely Buendia. 

Hannah + Gabi’s self-titled album is completely accessible by Backspacer Records.

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by way of Esquire Philippines: Lifestyle, Culture, Politics, Women https://Esquiremag.ph

March 3, 2024 at 01:03PM