Montreal artist, Hanorah has released a stunning new video for her song The Drudge. The song is the third single from her debut album “Perennial,” which drops tomorrow (October 14).
“Paul De Rita, who I’ve been playing and writing with since I started out, is the mastermind behind this one,” Hanorah says. “He made a really unusual-sounding demo that was groovy and strange, unlike anything either of us had done before. I need to quote him here:
“I was but a channel for The Drudge. It already existed, but it chose me as its channel, so I cannot claim its creation.”
When he brought this wild recording to me, I asked him what story he wanted. He imagined something that evoked the same mood as Toby, from The Office. So I wrote out some burnout words inspired by the show and by Paul’s own catchphrases and came up with the melody at the mic as he sat next to me at the computer. I still get nervous doing that now.
The final version we made with Jacques at Studio Opus is perhaps cleaner but still has the off-kilter quality that the delirium of the 9-5 merits. I made up the bridge vocals on the last day in the studio, which my best friend Christian sang. It was inspired by a close yet mysterious acquaintance of ours who drives a Cadillac, which we have borrowed to get to the studio a few times. I often wonder how people can afford their lives, and that Cadillac just stuck with me. I used to hate music about money, but the older I get, the more I understand. Paying bills is a drag, and they just keep coming.“
Watch the video below:
“Perennial” explores the paradox of intimacy: it is as difficult as it is necessary. In the past seven years, the singer-songwriter collected stories that weave the dark side of romance and humour in heartbreak with personal moments of self-reflection. She visits and revisits these subjects with affection for her past self and a little bit more wisdom this time around. The music reflects the intimate themes—often clear, with minimal added effects, her sound evokes equal parts levity and nostalgia. In contrast, Hanorah sings with a certain emotion and command; her voice can be warm and sensitive one moment, then powerful the next. All these natural elements blend well into a personalized sound, grounding the album with a distinctly human quality.
“The themes have to do with love, destruction, family, work, mental health, self-sabotage, self-discovery, identity, and trauma recovery. I sought a contrast of a smooth, airy mood and other times more choppy and rhythmic. The more I change, the more I stay the same. Instead of fighting and judging it or seeking to be something else, this album seeks to water the grass it’s standing on.”
Hanorah’s lyrics often reflect a strange comfort within a conflict. “Coffee” is a song that expresses gratitude for intimate moments that might be normally overlooked while hinting at the doubt that creeps in as a relationship matures. Lyrical snapshots of “swollen morning eyes” and “dry, hot hands in mine” are ambiguous, evoking the unglamorous moments that come with love. Hanorah sings with a sensual quality that has a relaxing effect and with a sensitivity that betrays her anxiety. Her vocal melodies express the open-hearted affection that is present when two people in a relationship come to truly know one another. She creates an alluring atmosphere around her words which describe this sentiment as one of “no apprehension in my bones” while making a plea for her love to leave his baggage behind.
The album explores another side of intimacy with the song “Skeletons,” where Hanorah turns the focus inwards to explore her personality’s dark corners. This act is a compassionate and honest one, even though it pinpoints aspects of the self that may resist scrutiny. “Skeletons” is an interesting juxtaposition to the previous song, “Coffee”, suggesting that close relationships can often trigger our defence mechanisms. Hanorah’s unique feel for music is especially moving in this song. Minimalistic and stripped down, the clear electric guitar plucking, sparse bass, and an occasional high hat provide the foundation for Hanorah’s versatile vocals to shine through. She builds emotional tension with her voice, finding relief, and repeating this rise and fall, as the song confronts certain “walls” and “apprehensions” that may fuel destructive patterns.
The album flies through highs and lows but moves organically in a positive direction. The song “Good Love” radiates a lively energy. Placed later in the album, after stories of heartache and personal struggle, this song seems to be a product of going through these hard experiences. Hanorah expresses both the physical and intellectual joys of a healthy relationship. Her lyrics paint a picture of a romantic rendezvous, where there is chemistry between two people, combined with “communication and trust”—the necessities for a “Good Love”. The song is a celebration of love and human connection as a radical act in a world that feeds people media soaked with suffering.
“Perennial” comes to a close by revisiting the motif of intimacy in a new form. “Afterlife” approaches heavy subject matter in a gentle way—the complicated emotions of saying goodbye to a loved one during their final hours. The song shows the anticipation of grief that fill these moments, as well as the pride one feels for carrying on someone’s legacy. Hanorah’s descriptive lyrics speak of “sharing the same eyes”, being there to “hold his hand, stroke his head” to “see how the grief alleviates.” “Afterlife” is a fitting song to end the album. A goodbye to the audience, but also a reassurance that this is not really the end—a conviction that life will go on, in one form or another.
While her 2019 EP looks back at serious trauma and assesses the damage, Perennial is here, now, a beckon to water the grass we are standing on so that we can be ready to face the same human problems head-on with new, hard-won perspective each time.
Hanorah will present the essence of Perennial on stage in Montreal on October 20 during a free show at Studio TD. Learn more about Hanorah’s upcoming live dates HERE.
Follow Hanorah online:
Facebook – @hanorah
Instagram – @hanorahmusic
Website – ensoulrecords.com/artist/hanorah/
Photo credit – Monse Muro
Album cover designed by Siou-Min Julien.
