Talking Debut Album Switchbacks, Alex G, Phone-Free Concerts and More with Hannah Cole
Kapoorhouse journalist, Magali Rivera, had the opportunity to interview Hannah Cole when shopping at Criminal Records in Atlanta earlier this month whilst on tour of Switchbacks, her debut album released on September 4th. Below you'll find Magali's interview with Hannah Cole as well as photographs by KH editor, Sam Kapoor, of the Nashville artist's set in Atlanta, the very last show of her Switchbacks tour.
Magali: You're originally from Louisiana, right? When did you make the decision to move to Nashville?
Hannah Cole: Yeah, I grew up in Covington; small town right outside of New Orleans. I think I moved to Nashville in 2019, and I went to college there.
Magali: And you're 25 now, right?
Hannah Cole: I just turned 26!
Magali: Oh my god, happy late birthday!
Hannah Cole: Thank You!
Magali: I did want to talk about your record a little bit more- about your influences. I know you put out a little snippet on the albums that inspired you, I saw some Alex G on there, saw some Madonna. Can you speak to one of those records and is there any specific song that kind of had the most influence on you?
Hannah Cole:
"I feel like, who's not inspired by Alex G these days."
I really did try to look back even further into some amazing older records like Only Everything, Juliana Hatfield; Heaven or Las Vegas, Cocteau Twins.
Magali: One of my favorites!
Hannah Cole: One of my favorites as well.
Hannah Cole: I think what's cool about Alex G right now is his ability to make albums that have such variety but still have that cohesive thread throughout the whole thing. I remember listening to House of Sugar like way long ago and being really inspired by the timelessness of it. I think when you hear a record that is just really unique in that, it's almost like borderline like futuristic, it can be hard to think like "oh is this going to you know withstand the test of time."
"I would say, 'Gretel' off that record (House of Sugar) is my favorite."
Magali: My favorite song. great pick, great pick. I can definitely hear the influence from songs like that in your record.
Hannah Cole: Thank you, that's so sweet. I think it's just really cool when, yeah, an artist can have that variety and still maintain that thread between all the songs.
Magali: He's just the best at that. And getting to open for Phoebe (Bridgers) on this tour is just crazy, I'm seeing them in a couple weeks. I'm thrilled.
Hannah Cole: That's so exciting!
Magali: The no-phone policy is scaring me a little bit, but I think it'll make the show even better.
Hannah Cole: I think so too, I had a friend that just saw the show in New York, and she said that not only just like seeing the show without a phone, not being distracted by a phone but seeing everyone without a phone was like one of the most beautiful experiences.
Magali: Yeah. Being forced to experience something so like raw like that, it's awesome.
Hannah Cole: Very cool.
Magali: On the record (Switchbacks), the top track that's getting a lot of plays is "Give". Did that surprise you? Is there one you thought would be more received than another?
Hannah Cole: I'm honestly not super shocked. Whenever we made that one I was like okay, I think this one probably has the most commercial appeal. Not only is it on the happier side musically, I think it's one of those songs you can listen to anywhere.
"Funny enough I was listening to Bruce Springsteen when I wrote ('Give')."
It's funny because I don't think you'd listen to "Give" and think that's an anthem of sorts. I think I was trying to figure out what about those anthemic songs reaches people, I was just trying to kind of think about that and I think it made sense that, that one people gravitated towards.
Magali: I would say my favorite songs off your record are "100 Bucks" and "Mosquito Hawk" It's so like a lot more timid maybe than the other tracks but the songwriting speaks to like how strong it is.
Hannah Cole: Thank you. That's so sweet.
Magali: Can you tell us a little bit about who produced the album, have you worked with them before?
Hannah Cole: Actually, my partner Joseph and I co-produced the record together in our home studio. This was my first time really having like a bigger hand in the production process, he engineered the record and Sonny Diperri mixed the record. In terms of how the record sounds, I really wanted it to sound like my brain and the only way to do that is to kind of call the shots in terms of what the arrangements would be, what certain sounds across the record would be. That really allowed the record to sound like me or be unique to me as a person or as an artist, I think.
"When I've played (Switchbacks) for friends, they've said like "this sounds like you, it feels just like talking to you."
Magali: That is so beautiful. Maybe making it in the comfort of your own home had like a huge hand in that as well.
Hannah Cole: Totally. I think something as big as a debut record it's such a beast of a thing, I think that having that time and that comfort to make something when I felt a lot of pressure was the best thing for me at the time.
Magali: "MMA" was the first single that dropped and that music video is like so erratic and kind of scary at times, but you see the pockets of light and beauty, do you think that kind of speaks to the rest of the album in that way?
Hannah Cole: Yeah! Totally, I think what's so beautiful about that music video and my friend Will Shaw, actually directed and shot that video and edited it and everything, is when I look back at the video I knew at the time that I wanted a video that kind of blurred the lines between what was real and what wasn't and I think it's interesting that he decided to film the screen, to kind of represent that barrier.
"Theres already a barrier when you're watching through a screen, now you're watching something through a screen through another screen."
Magali: How has it been to play those songs live, because you've been on the road for how long, maybe two weeks?
Hannah Cole: Yeah. This is our last show so.
Magali: In Atlanta!
Hannah Cole: Yes, Atlanta! It's been so nice. I mean, I knew when I was making these songs, I was like I want to make songs that are very fun to play live and feel good to play live---It helps being from Nashville and being surrounded by so many incredible artists and musicians, when we play live its weird I feel like I've always been so nervous in the past and now that I really love these songs and are confident in them, they're more fun to play. With these last couple of shows, Ive heard these songs for so long that I forget the album only came out like a month ago.
"Seeing people singing songs off the record that just came out, I was like 'how do you even know the words to that!' That's been really cool and really gratifying and fulfilling."
Magali: I love it. Well, I think that's all of our questions. Thank you so much Hannah for talking to us!
Hannah Cole: Yes.
Hannah Cole's debut album, 'Switchbacks', was released September 4th, 2026, via Tight Knit.
