Hannah Scott is a singer-songwriter. She has been played regularly on the BBC with releases supported by Dermot O’Leary and Bob Harris on BBC Radio 2 and Tom Robinson on 6 Music. Her newest single, Shape, was released in March. 

Where are you based?

In West London, though I am from Suffolk originally.

What have you been doing with music recently?

I have just released “Shape”, the first single from an album I am currently working on with my collaborator, Stefano Della Casa. We have a second single coming out in June and hope to put the album out by the end of the year, lockdown restrictions permitting! We were lucky to be awarded funding from Help Musicians to go towards the making of the album.

Why does live music matter to you?

As much as I love writing and working in the studio to bring the songs to life, to me performing live is the most important part of what I do. It’s an opportunity to really connect with people. I guess I write songs to share my stories and while it’s great knowing people are listening to the recordings, sharing them in person is what it’s all about. I go to lots of gigs as well and the feeling of being connected with other audience members by the artist is a powerful one. You can come away feeling like you’re part of a community. As an artist, I hope to inspire and move the way I am inspired and moved as an audience member at a show of an artist I love.

Favourite venue or festival?

Purbeck Valley Folk Festival a couple of summers back was one to remember. There was a really nice vibe and we had a lovely crowd for our set, many of whom have come out to see us live again following the festival. I love playing at The Drawingroom in Chesham too. I must have played there at least ten times over the years. The venue is basically a house turned into a coffee shop / restaurant and the feel is really intimate, like a house concert. The welcome from Richard, the owner, makes it feel a bit like going home!

What challenges do you face as an artist?

As an independent artist, the main challenge I face is how to reach a wider audience! As an artist with an (invisible) disability, my main difficulties are having enough energy to do more than two shows in a run and when solo or playing festivals with big sites, moving my equipment around.

If you’d like to hear more of Hannah’s music, you can find her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.