Get to Know: HANNAH THOMAS

 

Hannah Thomas has a style all her own that’s hard to define. Amy Ray, one-half of the Grammy winning duo Indigo Girls, probably describes her best when she calls Thomas an “outlaw songwriter.” Touring the country since the age of 16 from Atlanta to NYC, and playing venues like Eddie’s Attic and The Bluebird Cafe, Thomas has shared the stage and opened for acts such as Michelle Malone, Amy Ray, Don Dixon & Marti Jones, Zac Brown, Antigone Rising, Jen Foster, Danielle Howle, Bree Sharp, and others.  Coming up soon on February 2, 2013, she will release her latest album, “Goodbye On Wasted Time” at The Red Clay Theater in Duluth, GA with  special guests Sonia Tetlow and Sarah Golden (from NBC’s The Voice) . Thomas took a few minutes out of her busy tour schedule to answer some questions for Butchieblog:

Name: Hannah Thomas

Occupation: Performing Singer/Songwriter

My companion animals (names and personality traits): Jessie (German Shepherd/Chow Mix) “Hard To Get”

The movie that best represents me right now: “The Runaways” always!

Obviously, my favorite musical of all time is: Spice World. Does that count? lol

The book that defined my childhood: Tori Amos “Piece By Piece.”  I was a weird kid. 

Bucket list item that would surprise my friends: I’m not really sure anything I could say would surprise my friends.

 My favorite road trip so far in my life: Charlotte to NYC . It was my first time in The Big Apple. A long way from Covington, GA I tell ya!

If I were independently wealthy I would: Probably build a home studio.

My weirdest hobby: Ebay at 3am when I can’t sleep.

My biggest fan: My Grandma

My most favorite veg food or restaurant: Veggie Sausage at Radial

The best music while cleaning house is: Patty GriffinTori Amos, or Garrison Starr

I am most passionate about this cause: Women’s Rights

If I could afford it, I would want a painting or photograph by: Marti Jones

My (s)hero is: Too many to name… Any woman who dared to test the boundaries or pave the way for the rest of us.

Most of my daydreams are about: Music

My latest and most awesome project is: My new album “Goodbye On Wasted Time”

To keep up with Thomas and her new CD release,  follow her on Twitter, like her Facebook, and check out her website to buy merch and find out where she’s playing near you.


Listen. Repeat.

I’m really, really hooked on Caroline Herring‘s new CD, CAMILLA.  Prepare to be moved by the title track, Camilla, in the video above. Herring’s songs are haunting, and her stories have meaning. Trust me on this, you won’t just listen to this once.


Get To Know: AMY ANDREWS

Amy Andrews is a Baltimore-born, Decatur GA-transplanted, fierce feminist singer-songwriter. She is about to embark on a Feminist Bookstore Tour of North America to raise funds for the few indie feminist bookstores and community centers still in operation.  She wants you to know about her many furry friends, and her encyclopedic knowledge of musicals, but MOSTLY about the Kickstarter campaign she just launched to get herself on the road to do good.

Name:

Amy Andrews

Occupation:

singer-songwriter

My companion animals (names and personality traits):

Lillian A. Cookie – “Lillian A. for ‘Angelic’ Cookie”

Freckles – “The Loveable Curmudgeon”

Hazel(le) – “The Maniac”

Lexi – “The Skittish Hedonist”

Louise – “The Big Ol’ Baby”

Magnolia – “The Misunderstood Misanthrope”

Ripley – “The Senior Stateswoman”

The movie that best represents me right now:

Tommy Boy – life on the road is just one adventure after another.

Obviously, my favorite musical of all time is:

As a kid I would sing “I Don’t Know How To Love Him” Mary Magdalene’s piece from JCS, “Aldonza” from Man of La Mancha, or “As If We Never Said Goodbye” from Sunset Boulevard for auditions. Auditions for kid roles.  Totally age inappropriate audition material, but it was what I felt most natural performing. I think I’ve always been a bit on the mature side. And intense.

And with that I say, favorite musical? Maybe a tie between RAGTIME, TITANIC, & GYPSY? I could also throw in The Last 5 Years, Songs for A New World, Jesus Christ Superstar, Mame, Chicago, Cabaret, Evita, …

Bucket list item that would surprise my friends:

I don’t think I have a bucket list item that would surprise anyone, and I can’t really think of anything that would.

I’m an introvert, but I’m a performer (I think that’s a lot more common than people imagine), so I suspect people would assume that I have a desire to do something wild or ostentatious, but… I would just love to travel the world, live in many places, experience different cultures, but… probably just spend a lot of time alone in beautiful, natural landscapes.

Well, I would also love to sing Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy alongside Bette Midler, but I don’t think that would surprise anyone either. I grew up with a, well documented, desire to become Bette Midler.

Here’s another, and maybe I’ve never said it aloud:  I would love to host SNL. (Gosh, I hope Lorne Michaels is reading this.)

My favorite road trip so far in my life:

The last one always seems the greatest, doesn’t it?

Well, nothing exotic here, but, I recently went on a drive just through north GA for the day – passing small-town churches, withering buildings, seemingly long-forgotten cemeteries. Stopping at roadside antique shops, leisurely taking in historical markers, dropping in a small diner tucked away just off the road, taking an impromptu hike through the woods. It was unexpected, and beautiful.

My biggest fan:

The aforementioned Lillian A. Cookie, and my mom, of course.

My most favorite veg food or restaurant:

The Grit, in Athens. I’m going there this weekend, and I intend to get some delicious nutritional yeast goodness, sweet potatoes, and strong coffee. Read the rest of this entry »


Get to Know: THE SKIPPERDEES

The Skipperdees (twin sisters Emily and Catherine Backus) hail from Oak Ridge, TN, a town mentioned in the 1989 film Fat Man and Little Boy which featured Paul Newman with a mustache. They write sad songs but are happy people. They are Capricorns and vegetarians. Come say hey at theskipperdees.com. or find them in one of the seven Waffle House locations in their current home of Athens, GA. The ‘dees will be playing Eddie’s Attic > on Tuesday, September 4th at 8 pm.

Name

THE SKIPPERDEES  - Catherine Backus and Emily Backus

Occupation

Students??? (Not really making  a living doin’ the singin and strummin thing right now)

My companion animals (names and personality traits)

C: EMILY REFUSES TO LET CATS INTO OUR APARTMENT so we are petless.

E: Cats are vile, fickle creatures. I stand by my decision.

The movie that best represents me right now

C: I’m gonna go with Fried Green Tomatoes because I’ve really been trying to channel TOWANDA lately (also I will watch that film at any and all times you’rejustabeecharmeridgiethreadgoode)

E: Mystic Pizza (I’m Kat, the frumpy dreamer) meets  Drop Dead Gorgeous (I so badly want to be Allison Janney’s chain smoking Loretta)

Obviously, my favorite musical of all time is

C: Grease

E: THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Catty is clearly wrong.)

The book that defined my childhood

C : To Kill A Mockingbird

E: Captain Underpants Read the rest of this entry »


Folky Town

Hey, mark your busy calendars for Sunday, December 11th for a great night of folk music here  in Atlanta. While it may be a little out of the way for those of us accustomed to taking in folk music in homey downtown Decatur, heading to Midtown to Smith’s Olde Bar will be well worth it, even on a school night. Local singer-songwriter Amy Andrews will be sharing a stage with Michigan-based folk duo Nervous But Excited to take y’all down to folky town.

I interviewed NBE recently and learned a lot about their life on the road, so I’m excited that their travels are bringing them down South.  They picked a local rising star to round out the night with some amazing acoustic sounds. Amy Andrews performed in a Baltimore-based classic folk duo before relocating to Atlanta. She recently won a local competition at Eddie’s Attic and sang it out country style for the Texaco Country Showdown on the big stage at Stone Mountain.   To get a preview of her beautiful voice, listen in as she launches her new project, The Lovely Drifters, playing original songs on the folk and bluegrass radio show The Chattahoochee Folk Hour. She’ll join host Ralph Taylor on Monday, December 5th, from 6-7pm, on 89.1fm, which you can catch streaming live here or available as a free downloadable podcast: here.

Tickets for the show at Smith’s Olde Bar are on sale now for $8 + two cans of food in advance, or $10 + 2 cans at the door. So go mark your calendars. While you’re up, grab two cans out of the pantry and put them by the door.


Saturday Showdown! Dang!

I will do ANYTHING for a free t-shirt. Seriously, anything. I collect tees like some people collect autographs. Or snowglobes. Consider it a residual habit from all those political campaigns and rallies over the years. I’m completely happy being a human bumper sticker if the cause is right.  So, if you want to be on my good side, hit me up with one I haven’t seen before.  Where, exactly, am I going with this? Well, I’m about to pre-order my copy of Sonia Leigh‘s new CD “1978 December”  so I can get myself a free Southern Ground tee along with it (that’d be Zac Brown Band‘s label).

In this case though, not only do I get a shirt with the word Southern on it,  I also get an awesome new music set from one of my new favorite artists. I’m heading out to see her this Saturday, August 27th at Stone Mountain, GA for the Last Blast of Summer.  Don’t be fooled by that cheesy website. It’s going to be a beautiful day of  sunshine and music.

Sonia Leigh hits the stage only after my very favorite new vocalist  Amy Andrews  sings her heart out to win the Texaco Country Showdown finals for the ATL area. If you want to hear an old soul with a sultry, indescribable sound, come on out.  You can be one of those who said you knew her when. That time won’t last too long now. If only she’d send me a free tshirt too – size L – please.

 


Not Long Now

Sonia Leigh’s biography says of her music that “categorization is futile. Is it country, blues, soul or rock? The answer is yes. Is it southern? Add an exclamation point to the prior answer.”  All I can say is, it is good, and I want to hear more of it. What a bonus to see her on my country music quest August 27th for the Last Blast of Summer, when I go cheer on Amy Andrews for the Atlanta win of the Texaco Country Showdown. Looks like there will be more than one singer who can sing country, blues, soul and rock on stage that day. Yeehaw, for real.


This is Exactly What I’m Talking About

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dang. This is why life is so amazing.  One day out of the blue you find out about someone as storied and talented as blues artist Beverly ”Guitar” Watkins. An Atlanta-born blues guitar genius who started performing in high school in 1959, Watkins is still rocking us at age 72.  She’ll be on hand to inspire young guitarists at Girls Rock Camp ATL  next week when she stops by to share music with those lucky young musicians.


This is Exactly What I'm Talking About

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dang. This is why life is so amazing.  One day out of the blue you find out about someone as storied and talented as blues artist Beverly ”Guitar” Watkins. An Atlanta-born blues guitar genius who started performing in high school in 1959, Watkins is still rocking us at age 72.  She’ll be on hand to inspire young guitarists at Girls Rock Camp ATL  next week when she stops by to share music with those lucky young musicians.