Hannah Georgas

"It's a really great feeling to know people want to hear my opinion and my advice on music. It's an honour," Hannah Georgas says demurely, detailing her current position as a mentor and expert in a local music program. "It's amazing to sit on the other end and be like, 'Wow, I did this songwriting competition like a year ago.' It's pretty fucking sweet."

Georgas is grinning like a kid who's just won her grade-two spelling bee. For a fledgling artist with only a six-song EP to her name, the 26-year-old still can't believe how far she's come. As Georgas sips her Americano, bashfully noting how she's morphed into a singing-songwriting wizard in the eyes of her Vancouver-based counterparts, her caution slowly turns to pride. And who can blame her? After all, she's got musical stats that could sucker punch much more "established" Canadian indie bands.

Since deciding to seriously pursue music three years ago, her resume has exploded, chock-full of television song placements, a Taylor Swift shout-out and a Wal-Mart commercial commission. Between her EP The Beat Stuff and this month's debut full-length This Is Good, Georgas's songs have been heard on shows like Heroes, Degrassi-The Next Generation, Flashpoint and Peak Season. She won the 2009 CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award for "Best New Artist." Starbucks has licensed "The Beat Stuff" to play in its North American stores. And love-struck critics everywhere are crowning her the next Feist.

In short, she's managed to become one of the most successful Canadian musicians you've probably never heard of.

It won't be long before Georgas becomes a household name. Even as I sit across from the fiery-haired singer-songwriter at Vancouver's Our Town Café, a local booking manager spots her, not just tucked in the corner but hidden behind an oversized pillar that also serves as a rambunctious air vent. Later that night at an overcrowded Jason Collett/Zeus/Bahamas show, a friend points out a black hooded figure standing in the shadows: "Oh, there's Hannah Georgas."

For those who have kept tabs on her, we can agree the talented songstress has had a meteoric rise in exposure and acclaim with very little back catalogue. She didn't get in on sparkle or image; she's doing it all on good tunes. A quick-witted and warm conversationalist, Georgas isn't just a new artist gliding on good luck, but someone wholly devoted to unembellished melodies.

"I write because it's an honest thing," Georgas says about her process. "I get inspired to write when I'm feeling something and that's what comes out. There's honesty in my music. Music that inspires me is music that I can emotionally connect to. Not even just the lyrics, but the feeling of the song itself. Whenever I feel like I just want to fist pump a song" ? Georgas bites her lower lip and jabs the air above her ? "that's what inspires me. When I hear a song and am like, 'Ohhh yeah,' that's the music I try to make so people can have that same connection. So hopefully I'm doing something like that. Fist-pumping music."

Although "Bang Bang You're Dead" ? with its adorable pre-pubescent gang vocals and upbeat, 8-bit intro ? is the first single off of This Is Good, "Thick Skin" is the first video from the album. Directed and inspired by Sean Wainsteim (Wintersleep, Tokyo Police Club, Born Ruffians), the video was released in January, and features Georgas completely naked, crawling through mud and tunnels. The video involved 300 takes, bruised knees and mud in crevices she didn't know existed, but according to Georgas, it was well worth the mess. Some may question her motivation for producing such a racy piece as easy publicity, but she maintains Wainsteim's vision worked to define her as more than just a singer-songwriter in a sea of them.

"I think it was a really cool way of introducing me ? like, 'okay, here's Hannah Georgas!'" she exclaims. "It was kind of ballsy. I just wanted it to show the rawness to who I am. It's all of me, in this video, and it's a very honest way of showing who I am. Some of the responses [to the video] were like 'Hot! Sexy video' but it's not intended to be that at all. It's a progression to my other songs, different from what people have heard before, and takes this interesting route where there's a little bit more to Hannah than just these folk songs. There's something darker." - Exclaim!

You’re 27 and the Next Big Thing on the Canadian indie singer-songwriter scene, according to review after review of your debut full-length CD. Do you start to believe your own press? Let it get to your head? Not if you’re Hannah Georgas. The level-headed Vancouver-based musician still gets a kick - even a shock - out of the most minor recognition.

Case in point: She’s getting her hair done the day of our interview, and when she hands her credit card over to the receptionist, he can’t believe it. “He’s like, you’re the girl who’s been playing in our store and we’re all huge fans and he’s like my gosh and he all of a sudden started getting all weird around me,” Georgas says over coffee in Vancouver’s hip Main Street neighbourhood. “His whole attitude towards me changed.”

She seems incredulous.

And frankly, not all that interested. Fame is not what Georgas aspires to.

“I love making music and that’s the bottom line. ... Fame scares me but that’s not the path that I’m going down.”

Georgas burst onto the scene in 2008 with her EP The Beat Stuff. She followed it up this year with the bravely-titled This Is Good (imagine what fun the critics would have had if it wasn’t). With brash, catchy pop tunes such as Chit Chat and Dancefloor, the record drew praise and Georgas had herself a little indie hit.

She’s been touring fairly steadily ever since the release, and last week – with gigs in Victoria and Vancouver – began a cross-Canada jaunt with fellow Ontario native Royal Wood, the elder statesman of this indie pairing.

Last month, Georgas played her first European dates; three gigs in Germany. “It’s always been like a dream of mine to go overseas and tour. So it’s just awesome to see that nice progression.”

Georgas grew up in Newmarket, Ont., just north of Toronto. At 20, she moved to Victoria for university. Two years later, she was in Vancouver, pursuing a music career.

What may have been her big break followed a poorly attended show in New York last year. After the gig (she says there was only a handful of people there; maximum 20) she was approached by a music supervisor who was working on a Walmart campaign. Georgas’s You’ve Got a Place Called Home was selected for a heading-off-to-college TV commercial. She grappled a bit with lending her voice to the corporate giant, but ultimately decided to go for it.

Around the same time, Georgas was able to give up her day job at an after-school children’s program (you can hear them on Bang Bang You’re Dead). She’s still on the substitute list, though. Two days before our interview, she was asked to pull a shift.

“The parents are like, ‘What are you doing here?’ I think the parents automatically think as soon as you’re on the radio you’re making a mad cash flow. Not quite yet.”

If Georgas fantasizes about financial rewards, it’s so she can buy more gear: guitars, synthesizers and maybe a touring van.

Last year, in the middle of recording This Is Good with producers Howard Redekopp (the New Pornographers, Tegan and Sara) and Ryan Guldemond (Mother Mother), Georgas’s father died. It wasn’t a shock; he’d been ill with diabetes for 10 years. But it’s been a blow to achieve this success and have her father miss it.

The loss, like pretty much everything in her life, has translated into new material.

“It’s kind of inspired me to write stuff about my mom too,” she says. “I’ll just be hanging out with her and I’ll get all sentimental and cry and I realize after losing my dad how important my mom is to me.”

The last year has been a whirlwind: her father’s death, finishing the album, the release, the raves, the touring, her first official music video. (For Thick Skin, it features Georgas completely naked. “I didn’t drink beer for a month before.”)

If Georgas has a thick skin, it works both ways. She says as long as she’s staying true to her vision, she’s not bothered by criticism. But she’s not buying into the kudos either. She’s sticking to her path, setting realistic goals, and feeling good about that “nice progression,” as she calls it.

“I feel like I’ve matured a heck of a lot,” she says about the last, eventful year. “I have a more clear vision and I know what I want. I’m growing up.”

Hannah Georgas’s tour includes Oct. 12 in Edmonton, Oct 16 in Winnipeg, Nov. 3 in Halifax, Nov. 19 in Montreal and Nov. 26 in Toronto. - The Globe and Mail

Playing empty NYC bar leads to big break, a Wal-Mart jingle, for Hannah Georgas
September 2, 2009
Michael Oliveira, THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO - Vancouver-based indie musician Hannah Georgas was playing to a mostly empty New York City bar when she got what might be her big break.
There weren't many people listening that night, but she won over one very important new fan, who asked her to write a jingle for Wal-Mart. That jingle is now in a commercial, which is getting Georgas more attention that she's ever gotten before, and even some notice from country-pop star Taylor Swift. The song - with some jangly guitar, glockenspiel flourishes and just a couple lines of vocals, "don't ever feel alone/ you've got a place called home" - is the backdrop for two different ads. In one, a mother and daughter share a sentimental goodbye as the teen prepares for life at college. In the other, a mother and son share a slightly more awkward moment as mom hands over a framed family photo to hang on his dorm wall.
"It's going to be airing on TV for back to school for eight weeks all through North America, it's been on YouTube and lots of people have been commenting on the song, it's just been a great response," Georgas said in a telephone interview. Georgas wrote, recorded and mixed several versions of the jingle with Ryan Guldemond of the band Mother Mother, with
the longest take stretching out to about 50 seconds. Based on the response from online posters, Georgas and Guldemond are now going back to the studio to turn the jingle into a full song, which will likely be posted on Wal-Mart's official website as a free download. Georgas, who has currently only released a five-song EP but is putting the finishing touches on her debut full-length
album, is going on tour across Canada in October and hopes the attention she's getting from the commercial sells a few extra tickets.
She adds she had no qualms about commercializing her music or writing for Wal-Mart, even if some musicians believe their compositions are sacrosanct and should never be used for corporate purposes. "It's another way for an artist to get their music out there and for people to hear it," she said. "People are asking, 'who is this artist that's singing on this song? We want to find it' and they go and look at my MySpace and other stuff I've done - think it's great."
Although she counts indie rock bands among her favourite acts, Georgas said she was thrilled when country-sensation Swift Tweeted to her more than 1.1 million followers about the mother-daughter commercial, saying it made her cry. Georgas returned the favour by Tweeting some Swift lyrics on her account. "I thought it was great, I think it's awesome," Georgas said with a laugh. "At the end of the day she's great too, she's got a good message."
"I work part time at an afterschool-care program and every single kid loves Taylor Swift, and if any kid is going to be listening to music, then let it be Taylor Swift."
© The Canadian Press, 2009
(Michael Oliveira, THE CANADIAN PRESS)
More news
- The Canadian Press

Vancouver artist's song wins online praise

BY SANDRA SPEROUNES, EDMONTON JOURNALAUGUST 31, 2009



A 30-second Wal-Mart jingle is turning out to be a major career booster for Vancouver singer-songwriter Hannah Georgas.
"Don't ever feel alone/You've got a place called home," she wistfully sings in the back-to-school TV ad, which features a mom dropping her daughter at college for the first time.
Georgas co-wrote the acoustic-pop jingle with Mother Mother's frontman Ryan Guldemond. Based on reaction from TV and YouTube viewers, they're turning it into a full-fledged song.
"where can i download this song and where can i listen to it fully!!!" writes vasubhar on YouTube.
"Rumor is WM corporate is getting bombarded with requests for a full length version of the track," writes foxysora.
"this song is going to be amazing. i wasnt moved to tears, but it did kind of touch me," writes MrJouten. "please give us the name of the song when it comes out, i cannot wait. amazing commercial."
The TV ad has even earned praise from country star Taylor Swift.
"Just cried after seeing the wal mart commercial where the mom drops her daughter off at college," she wrote on her Twitter feed, which prompted many of her own fans to watch the commercial on YouTube.
Georgas, who sang the national anthem during this year's Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill, is overwhelmed by the reaction. She's still a relatively unknown artist.
"There are so many people on You-Tube asking,'Who is this artist?Who is this artist?'and people on MySpace are asking about the song," she says. "Isn't it crazy? It's awesome."
She was commissioned to write the jingle after a music supervisor, Adam Weber, watched her perform in an empty club in New York. He pitched her to one of the world's largest ad firms, The Martin Agency, which represents Wal-Mart.
Georgas is now working with Weber's company, Agent Jackson, Martin Agency and Wal-Mart to finish the song and "make it available as a free download at Walmart.com,"says her manager Parkside Mike. Georgas released her first independent EP, The Beat Stuff, a whimsical collection of acoustic-pop tunes, in January. Thanks to her Wal-Mart ad, Starbucks has now licensed The Beat Stuff to play in its entirety in their 10,000-plus locations in North America. "It's developing into this perfect storm of awesomeness," says Parkside Mike.
Her first full-length album is due in March, but Georgas is working on a special preview to be released in October.
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
- The Edmonton Journal

graham rockingham for Metro Toronto
07 October 2009 01:47
Hannah Georgas, a native of Ontario who lives in Vancouver, has been compared to another Canadian musician, Feist.
Hannah Georgas isn’t your typical Walmart shopper. She admits to shopping there maybe once or twice in her life. ??Which is strange, since she’s the current voice of the Walmart back-to-school TV ad campaign.??“I don’t even own a TV,” laughs Georgas in an interview from her East Vancouver home.??The spot has been running for several weeks across North America. Overtop images of worried moms packing kids off to college, Georgas sings a catchy little jingle in an almost childlike voice:?? “Wherever you may go, no matter how unknown, don’t ever feel alone. You’ve got a place to call home.”??There’s a glockenspiel chiming sweetly in accompaniment.??The ad is so popular that Walmart extended its run by a few weeks and made the song available for free download on its website. ??Georgas wrote and recorded the 30-second jingle about two months ago with her producer, Ryan Guldemond (of Vancouver alt-rock band Mother Mother).??It took them all of about six hours. Three weeks ago they went back into the studio to record a complete three-minute version of Place Called Home. They’re hoping to have it available soon on iTunes.??The Walmart commercial is a huge boost to Georgas’s new career. The 27-year-old singer-songwriter released a six-song EP in January and is working on a full-length album for release in March.??A year ago, the native of Newmarket, Ont., was performing at open stages in Vancouver pubs.??Now Georgas is on a national tour with up-and-coming Vancouver band Said the Whale.??Her voice and style have been compared to Feist, another Canadian singer-songwriter who scored a smash hit with a TV commercial (1 2 3 4, for iPod).??Georgas’s break came this summer in a small New York club called The Living Room.??“There was barely anybody in there watching me,” she says. “There was a man who worked for a company called the Martin Agency. He came up to me and said, ‘Hey, I really liked your set. Would you be interested in writing a jingle for Walmart?’??“And I said, ‘Okay.’”??Appearing live?• Toronto: Hannah Georgas opens for Canadian musician Danny Michel for four nights in a row, starting tonight, at the Rivoli, 334 Queen St. W. Tickets at www.maplemusic.com.??• Halifax: Georgas plays the Toothy Moose Oct. 21??On the web?• Hannah Georgas has recorded a three-minute version of her Walmart jingle, Place Called Home. It’s available for free download on Walmart’s website, and the singer hopes to have it on iTunes soon
- Metro Toronto

Written by Innika La Fontaine
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
It's been a whirlwind two years for Ontarian-born, Vancouver-based, songstress Hannah Georgas.
After quitting school to dedicate herself to music full time, Georgas began regularly performing live in small clubs. Then, in 2008, she won Music BC's song writing competition for her track, "The Beat Stuff". After releasing an EP of the same name, she toured Canada, and parts of the U. S. She wanted people to hear her sound. The hard has work paid off.
Her big break came in a near-empty New York bar, where Georgas' catchy acoustics and syrup-smooth vocals caught the attention of a media executive. He asked her to write a jingle for retail giant Wal-Mart. The rest is history. Thanks to the commercial, Georgas could be heard serenading students back to school this fall with her comforting lines: "Don't feel alone/ You've got a place called home". The mellow tune played for eight weeks in living rooms across North America, giving the musician well deserved mass exposure.
On the back of her EP release, and an upcoming split 7" vinyl previewing two songs from her next full-length album (set for released next March), she embarked on a second national tour.
Now mid-way through, and prepping for a show in Ottawa on Oct. 15, Georgas spoke with (Cult)ure about the infamous jingle, why she loves touring, and the tragedy that compels her to donate proceeds from her iTunes sales to juvenile diabetes.


Photo by Vanessa Heins
What is the biggest influence in your song writing?

The thing that inspires me is just listening to music. I draw from everyday life, personal experiences. Ever since I was little, I've been exposed to music. I've been playing piano since I was five, and when I was a child my dad was very musical. He played old-school boogy-woogy songs on the piano. He would sing along to songs, but it was more about the piano for him. I was five or six when my mum put me into piano lessons, and I went from there. Now I play piano and guitar, and sing.
You have quite a hectic tour schedule with only seven days off this month. How do keep from losing focus and maintain your quality of performance?
I've already done one cross Canada tour with Jeremy Fisher. This is my second tour and I've learned that the most important thing to do is to take your vitamins, drink lots of water, and try to get as much sleep as you can - even though this can be very hard! You need to take care of your body. So far it's working. I'm touring in a van with seven other people and already two are sick, so I'm trying to keep my distance (laughs).
You're playing a mix of solo and band-backed shows. What can fans expect from your performances?
I play with a band for most of the tour. I have the Said the Whale rhythm section backing me up, which is great. I get to rock out with my band, but it's also intimate as well. I'm playing solo for four of the shows. I would say those are really intimate shows. Both performances have their ups. I really like to play with the band because the songs come to life even more. Playing solo is such a cool experience as well because you can get personal with the crowd. You see more of yourself, and can dig into the songs more. With the band, you get to have a little bit more fun.
You recently played Pop Montreal. How was it playing in a festival with such a massive line-up?
"I've grown a lot in the last year with my music and writing."
It was great. I played the two nights before Pop in Edmonton, and the very morning of the show I had to fly out, and rush to get to the venue. It was my first show playing with Said the Whale, so that was cool. The venue was neat. It was in this loft nowhere near any of the other venues, and hard to find. I shared the bill with another band called The Daredevil Christopher Wright, who are amazing, and it was an honour to share the same stage and venue with those guys; they were rad. I wasn't able to stick around to hear any other acts, because I had to leave to play another show, but it was a great experience for me.
Tell me about the process of recording your next album.
I started recording in April, and I listened to the last mix yesterday. It's going to be mastered on October 9. I got to work with some pretty amazing people. My producer, Ryan Guldemond, plays in a band called Mother Mother. It's exciting. I'm releasing the full length album in March, and two songs off the record have already been released on iTunes.
I'm also releasing a vinyl with Mark Watrous. He's sharing a 7"with me, and we each get two songs. The vinyl was a cool idea that my manager thought up. Mark and I had met in New York back in June, and I just thought it was great to be able to do something like this. It's exciting to put your music on vinyl.
Can we expect a different sound to your previous releases?
I think I've grown a lot in the last year with my music and writing. You can expect a lot more. I had a bigger budget. The album is edgier. There has been a lot more time put into making the record. I had a couple of months, rather than the couple of weeks I had to make my EP, so it's a lot more in-depth.


Photo by Vanessa Heins
Your lyrics can be quite strong, for example, "I guess it's easy to get over an asshole," in "Mama's Boy". Where do you draw inspiration for songs like that?

It's from personal experience (laughs). I draw my inspirations from my life, and things that happen to me. All of the songs for my new record are really new. I was born in Ontario, and I moved out to B.C. five years ago. I went to school there for a couple of years. I've always been passionate about music, but had put it on the sidelines for so long, without fully diving into it. I kept on making excuses not to go out on my own. I was in Victoria doing school and finally I just made the decision to not go to anymore, forget everything else, and throw myself into music. I moved to Vancouver two years ago and the EP came about from me just writing a bunch of songs about relocation. All of these songs have been inspired by my life in the last couple of years and reflecting back on how I've been growing.
The proceeds from your vinyl release are going to juvenile diabetes. What was behind that decision?
It's a cause close to my heart. My Dad just passed away from diabetes a couple of months ago and I wanted to donate money to a cause that I could relate to - a cause that affected my life.
One of your more well-known songs is the Wal-Mart jingle. What is it like knowing your music plays in living rooms across North America? Is this something you saw yourself doing when you started writing music?
I think it's great. It's a way for people to hear my music and be exposed to my work. The Wal-Mart commercial is a great way for me to get listeners. It was a really exiting thing to have happen and it's crazy that there is not much to the song, but people were excited about the voice and wanted find my music.
Maybe I didn't see myself working with Wal-Mart (laughs), but I did see myself doing something like this. I've always wanted to get my music out there. I find artists through movies and TV shows and I'll think, "Man, I want my music out there on movies, so people can find it too."
- Culture Magazine

Oh, Canada.

We can’t produce a Stanley Cup-winning hockey team, but we’ve got more talented female singer-songwriters than we can shake a Vapor stick at.

It’s not a complaint, only the cold, hard truth. Every few months, another gaggle of girls tries to become the next Joni Mitchell, Sarah McLachlan or Leslie Feist — and most of them, sadly, will be overlooked, or forgotten in five months.

This year’s squad includes Jenn Grant, Emma-Lee, Paisley Jura, Lucie Idlout, Adaline, Sierra Noble, and Hannah Georgas, a rookie from Vancouver, where she plays Thursday at St. James Hall. She’s one of the early front-runners for most valuable player, based on the strength of her debut EP, The Beat Stuff, released earlier this week.

It’s a spry, six-song collection of wistful, Sarah Harmer-esque rootsy-pop ditties, snappy anthems — All I Need is a remix away from shaking up dance floors across the country — and colourful lyrics about spelling bees and cold-hearted snakes.

“I guess it’s easy to get over an asshole,” Georgas sings with relish on Mama’s Boy, a kiss-off to an ex-boyfriend. It’s such a deliciously devilish number, she can’t help but chuckle when she talks about it.

“I was in a pretty dramatic relationship a while ago,” she said. “We were together for two years and broke up 25 times. Yeah, he brought that song out in me. We’re friends now. I’m over it.”

Anger is far from her only muse. She’s got more than a few tricks up her sleeves. All I Need was inspired by her love of B.C. — Georgas grew up in the suburbs of Toronto — while the title track pays tribute to her longtime affair with music. She was hooked at an early age; she started playing piano when she was four.

“When I wake up you’re already in my head / As the day rolls on, I’m thinking about you song by song / Oh, please sing along,” she coos on The Beat Stuff.

Fittingly, those words helped her win Music BC’s songwriting competition in 2008, which included prizes such as a photo shoot and a lawyer’s consultation, and a priceless boost of confidence.

“That inspired me to want to record more songs,” says Georgas, referring to her EP, produced by Vancouver singer-songwriter Winston Hauschild at Hipposonic Studios. “The prizes were all right, but after that, things started to snowball.”

She’ll start working on her full-length album in April, after she wraps up her cross-country tour with Jeremy Fisher.

Prior to winning the competition, Georgas admits she spent the last few years in an existential wilderness, half-heartedly studying at the University of Victoria. She quit in 2006, when she could no longer deny her destiny. “I finally decided to put both feet in the water,” she says. “The thing that makes me the most happy is just being able to play music and listen to music.” - The Edmonton Journal by Sandra Sperounes

By Amber Garratt
Thursday, February 12, 2009

Thursday evening the London Music Hall was jam-packed with a crowd eagerly awaiting talented singer-songwriter Hannah Georgas to take the stage.
Accompanied by only her guitar, Georgas captivated the audience from start to finish, leaving them wanting more. She began her set with a song off her 2009 EP The Beat Stuff, which was sung as a beautiful a cappella. Georgas’ strong and distinct voice makes her simple yet eloquent lyrics stand out.
Having written all the songs on The Beat Stuff herself, Georgas’ lyrics touch on themes most can relate to — from having a crush to fighting with a sibling — allowing the listener to get lost in the song.
The dim lighting and coffee house aesthetic of the London Music Hall cradled the acoustic sound of Georgas perfectly and made for a relaxed setting to enjoy the performance. The turnout was phenomenal as there were few empty seats in the venue.
Her set flew by, having only recorded five songs on the EP. Jeremy Fisher accompanied Georgas on stage for her final two songs, resulting in a fusion of two tremendously talented artists. Fisher on harmonica complimented Georgas during one of her original songs, making it even more enjoyable. They finished the set with a cover of Tegan and Sara’s “Call It Off,” with Georgas singing lead vocals and Fisher on guitar and backup vocals.
Georgas has been opening for Fisher throughout his cross-country tour. The Georgas-Fisher duo is a perfect match as they complement each other flawlessly.
The immense talent of Georgas radiated off the stage during every song, leaving the audience wanting more. Keep an eye out for Hannah Georgas’ full-length album, which should hit record stores sometime this year.

- UWO Gazette 2009