THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “King Hannah are the Liverpool duo of Hannah Merrick and Craig Whittle. I’m Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me, their debut album, is drenched in cinematic, immersive and offbeam soundscapes, punctuated by lyrics that are darkly romantic and thrillingly sardonic in equal measures.
Written and then recorded with additional musicians Ted White, Jake Lipiec, and Olly Gorman in just eight months, the LP is a bold, memorable, even startling document of a dream shared, an ambition fulfilled and a vision realized. I’m Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me is a spectacular debut from the duo and a clear indication this is the beginning of a long, fruitful journey for King Hannah.
King Hannah make music that lives somewhere between Smog, Cowboy Junkies, Yo La Tengo and the beautiful drama of Sharon Van Etten, the latter of whom them a cosign for their 2020 EP. The foundation of I’m Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me lives in Merrick’s Raymond Carver-esque, realism-inspired lyrics. Formed in 2017, the duo met waiting tables in Liverpool.Having seen Merrick perform years before and being serendipitously assigned to show Whittle the ropes at the new job, Whittle immediately pestered her to play music with him. A writing routine was formed leading to their debut EP Tell Me Your Mind And I’ll Tell You Mine, which garnered attention.
Originally inspired by noisy, lo-fi ’90s bands, the single All Being Fine pulls the listener in immediately with its upbeat on the outside, sinister on the inside atmospherics, coming across like the aural equivalent of the opening of David Lynch’s classic film Blue Velvet — the bloody ear lying in the lush green grass. The video’s sun-drenched visual, directed by Whittle, is a perfect pairing, showcasing the band at their best: enigmatic, mysterious, but blackly humorous with it.”
