Hannah Jadagu on Making Pies, Introspection, and her Latest Single 'Say It Now'

Written by Andrea Cacho, Photo by Sterling Smith

Indie pop rockstar Hannah Jadagu has been in the game for two years now, creating sticky makes-you-want-to-jump tracks, infused with soft harmonies and badass guitar riffs. In her work as a singer songwriter, Hannah often transmits themes of “the self” in her music (though, I am entirely sure she talks about me in Say It Now). Fresh out of her EP era, Hannah talks about her new single, influences, pies, YOLO, shyness, and her upcoming 2023 album.

Andrea: So, what are you doing right now?

Hannah: I'm making CD sleeves for an upcoming show. Me and my band will be opening for Frankie Cosmos.

Andrea: When is it?

Hannah: October 7 at the Knockdown Center’s Ruins, specifically.

 

Andrea: Are you excited?

Hannah: I'm really excited. Might be my last New York show this year, depending on where life takes me.

Andrea: Do you have an idea of where life will take you?

Hannah: Oh, no. I just go to school now. 

Andrea: What’s the worst thing about school?

Hannah: The worst thing about school for me, personally, is having to retain information that I do not believe will serve me. So for example, I was stuck at home doing econ work, memorizing formulas, and stuff like that. I don't believe that will serve me. So yeah, that's the worst thing about school, but I like learning.

Andrea: I mean, the economy is a lie.

Hannah: So true.

Andrea: What have you been listening to lately?

Hannah: Well, we’ve been listening to a lot of Alex G - his new album, God Save the Animals.

Andrea: It’s so good! We’re not incels though.

Hannah: Yeah, that’s not us. 

Andrea: Got to make it clear. 

Hannah: I’ve been listening to a lot of Julia Jacklin. My friend’s band Mamalarky also just released a new album. It’s called Pocket Fantasy. You should check it out.

Andrea: That’s a cool title.

Hannah: Yes, so cool. I wish I was good at naming things.  

Andrea: Well speaking of naming things, you have a new single that just dropped. And that has a name.

Hannah: So true, my new single that just dropped is named (or titled) Say It Now. 

Andrea: Yeah. Tell me about that. I want to know how that happened. How did you do that?

Hannah: Those are all great questions. First off, I love the song. I think sonically, this song came together in a very special way. I started working on this song back in December of 2021. So, when I made it, I was like - this is pretty catchy. I was listening to Bags by Clairo and stuff like that. I had just come back from a tour. It was getting cold in New York. It was sad! That's where I was headspace wise. Fast forward a few months, I wanted someone to complete the song. I tried out a few versions, but there was this one dude that stuck with me. Max, my producer. I had Covid around the time I got his take, that definitely cheered me up. I was sick, but happy. That's how it came together.

Andrea: And who are you asking in the song to say it now?

Hannah: You know, it could be anyone. Honestly.

Andrea: I don't believe you…

Hannah: I know. No one ever believes me when I say that. But there's this sort of thing in the song where it's basically me talking to myself. I feel like I do that a lot. I'm like…having a conversation with myself. 

Andrea: You paused.

Hannah: Well, every now and then I’ll talk to someone else.

Andrea: Oh, like who?

Hannah: We don’t need to know.

Andrea: Fine.

Hannah:  I feel like this song in general is just me sort of analyzing why I do things and how I do things that specifically pertain to my relationships with other people.

Andrea: I see. So, songwriting is very introspective for you.

Hannah: Extremely. I'm not one of those fine writers who goes in and embodies a character. A lot of people have stories that may not be personal stories. I don’t really work that way, so it's very cathartic for me. Mamalarky has this song called It Hurts and it talks about the topic of how musicians will take their own personal experience, whether it be like the most heart wrenching thing ever, or the most oddly weird personal fact. And, well, we have to give this to other people. 

Andrea: Isn’t that terrifying?

Hannah:  It is, especially the stuff I’ve been making now. But, you know, who cares?

Andrea: YOLO. [You Only Live Once]

Hannah: Yeah, we are so YOLO.

Andrea: Me and Hannah are thinking about doing mocktail nights every Wednesday night because we’re so YOLO.

Hannah: Mocktail? 

Andrea: Yeah, we’re not 21 yet.

Hannah: Oh, so true. We’re 20. We have so much freedom at this early stage of our lives Minimal responsibility. We have to take advantage of it.

Andrea: We can do mock drugs.

Hannah: Get that placebo effect?

Andrea: That’s a great title name.

Hannah: If only I could name my album that, but I won’t.

Andrea: So, this new upcoming album…what can you tell us about it?

Hannah: Well, it comes out next year - 2023. And I’ve basically been busy making it, like a pie. I spend a lot of time making the pie crust.

Andrea: How so?

Hannah: Making the crust equates to writing a song. And then production would be the pie filling. And mixing mastering would be putting the crust on top of that egg glaze. Putting it in the oven is giving it to your distributor. 

Andrea: Were you making Say It Now as you were creating other songs off the album?

Hannah: No, Say It Now is sort of its own entity. But, Say It Now is what started my album. I think it made me keep on writing, and then by the third song I had - it was like, okay, I’m doing a whole album. I was going through a rough patch at the time, so Say It Now was definitely my response to that period. This single and my upcoming album are a big step up from my previous stuff. 

Andrea: Do you think you take yourself more seriously now?

Hannah: Yes, for sure. I’m a bit older now, just a little bit. But, I feel a lot more confident nowadays.

Andrea: Do you outwardly say “I’m a musician?”

Hannah: …That’s a good question. I’m still really shy. Funny story - in this really big class Andrea and I are in, the professor asked us to share something that we had coming up. I didn’t say anything. Andrea raised  her hand and shared the details of my upcoming show. I sat there and shook my head. I’m still working on being confident in the fact that being an artist is my career, but I’m definitely confident in the music itself. I know it.

Andrea: What do you know a lot about?

Hannah: I know a lot about my favorite artists. I know a lot about random facts that pertain to music that I love, specifically within the indie rock genre. 

Andrea: I think you know a lot about objectivity.

Hannah: Expand.

Andrea: Okay, so when you don't like something taste-wise, you’ll still understand where it comes from. So, you’ll go “I know this is well made and attracts certain people, but it’s not something I’m personally attracted to.” And, you know, I don’t possess that ability. If something is bad for me, then it’s just bad. 

Hannah: I love that. 

Andrea: What does Frankie Cosmos’ music make you feel like?

Hannah: Ooohh! Every time One Year Stand comes on, I loop it for an hour. I think she's got a silky, smooth voice, but also something about it. It's almost childlike, but not really. Very rich and pretty vocal performance. And it's easy to listen to. 

Andrea: Do you like lobster?

Hannah: I’ve only had it once. Do you like lobster?

Andrea:  I’m allergic to it. 

Hannah: Really?

Andrea: I’m allergic to a bunch of stuff, you know this, Hannah.

Hannah: Oh. 

Andrea: Do you have any allergies?

Hannah: Nope. 

Andrea: None?

Hannah: None.