We occasionally have a debate here over what constitutes a 'Nordic' artist, and whether those who are now resident in Nordic countries but were born elsewhere, really count as being Nordic. However, whether they make lovely music is really the most important factor, and in Hannah Corinne, originally from the Appalachian mountains but currently resident in Iceland, we have a great example.
We came across Hannah Corinne only very recently due to her appearance at Sofar Sounds Reykjavik. None of us were there obviously, but we do religiously follow all the Nordic Sofar Sounds projects, they feature great new artists and it's lovely to see musicians appearing that we've long advocated at Nordic Music Review too - Kalandra and Love Sport being good examples in Oslo and Helsinki recently.
Anyway Hannah Corinne writes thoughtful and intense folk influenced songs, the type of music to get totally lost in. She released an EP entitled 'Out Of My Hands' last year, which unfortunately we didn't spot on Bandcamp, and it really is worth checking out for yourselves. I love the writing and musical instrumentation in 'Following You', whilst 'Ban Hul' is melancholic and haunting, with the track building in the latter stages with a real forcefulness, demonstrating that Corinne has a real presence about her. 'Spill' is an interesting track too, I love the lyrics, and with another track at 5 minutes, there is a real weight and substance that seems to sit behind each song.
Out of all the new artists we've featured in the last 3 days, Hannah Corinne is definitely the one which has resonated most personally. 'Out of My Hands' is some achievement, and a mention must go also to the production by Theodore Holmstead-Scott, because the whole effect is pretty mesmerizing.
If you're one of our Icelandic readers you can see Hannah for yourself at the Melodica Festival in August, which also has some other interesting names on the line-up for us to check out too.