Dancing, Stargazing, and Genre-bending: An Interview with Hana Eid
Virginia-native and Nashville-transplant Hana Eid grew up with a passion and curiosity for songwriting—coming from a musical family, her creativity was nourished, celebrated, and encouraged from a young age. Now an incoming sophomore at Belmont University, Hana has seen the fruits of her labor multiply. Drawn to Hana’s relentless work and DIY ethic, indie-folk and alternative listeners flock in masses to attend Hana’s many live shows. In 2022 alone, her fanbase has jumped from 500 to nearly 30,000 monthly listeners—and Hana Eid is just getting started.
Ahead of Hana’s latest single, “Moonroof,” I had the lovely opportunity to inquire more about Hana’s artistic journey, namely her impressive dorm-turned-studio, hit song “Dancing To The Smiths,” which has nearly 200,000 streams to date, and her accomplishment of writing 50 songs in less than six months. “Moonroof” is out today, August 5th, on all streaming platforms!
Madison Case: Hi Hana! How have you been? How is summer 2022 treating you so far?
Hana Eid: “Hey Madison! I’m doing well. Summer has been pretty good. I’m staying at home with my parents in Virginia until late August, when I’ll move back to Nashville to start my second year at Belmont University. It’s been nice to have time to work (waitressing) and save up money before the semester starts. Also can’t complain about the home-cooked meals and of course, extra time to work on music.”
MC: Firstly, I’d like to say congratulations on your latest single “Moonroof,” which came out today! It’s an essential summer track for indie-folk enthusiasts and fans of artists such as Lizzy McAlpine, Julia Jacklin, and Phoebe Bridgers. What was your creative process like in producing this track? Are there any specific moments or experiences—that you’re comfortable sharing—that prompted you to write “Moonroof”?
HE: ““Moonroof” is definitely a special song to me. I wrote it about a year ago. The title is coined from a drive-in movie date I had gone on shortly after the ending of an important (although brief hahah) relationship. The person and I were lying down in the back of my car, watching the stars through my sunroof, when he told me his mom had always called it a “moonroof.” With that said – the entire time we were lying there, I was reminiscing on a similar moment I had with this previous person (despite the fact that the date had gone incredibly, and I really liked the guy). I wrote “Moonroof” only four days after that night. The title just seemed fitting.
Production-wise, I worked on this track with my friend and producer, Blaine Ruth. I grew close with him early into my freshman year at Belmont, and we’ve been collaborators ever since. We actually recorded this entire song in his dorm room. The most difficult part was trying to capture that stripped, acoustic feel while still creating a moving and dynamic production. That, and trying to track acoustic guitar. It was really tough to get a good acoustic sound in the space we were in, but I think it actually ended up supplementing the raw, authentic feel we were pursuing.”
MC: “Dancing to the Smiths,” your first single of 2022, amassed to nearly 200,000 streams in only a few months, yet it pulls from indie rock and shoegaze soundscapes—both of which are fairly different from the other songs in your discography. What inspired you to step away from your acoustic, folk sound to experiment with a different genre? Can we expect more experimentation from you in the future?
HE: “Artistic identity has been something I’ve definitely been devoting a lot of my creative efforts towards recently. I’m also trying to recognize my artistry as this ever-changing entity, largely inspired by the music and people around me. I definitely plan to experiment a bit more in the future, and it’s something I’m very, very excited about. I’m really looking forward to finding new ways to combine my classic rock/alternative and singer-songwriter influences to create an indie rock/indie folk sound that is uniquely my own.”
MC: You’ve been booked and busy this year with live shows! What’s your favorite thing about performing, and what’s your favorite track to perform live?
HE: “I really, really love performing. Early into my freshman year at Belmont, I was able to rally some friends together to be a part of my backing band. Although I’ve been putting on acoustic shows since early high school, having a band truly elevated the excitement and changed the whole idea of performing for me. One of my favorite things about performing is when the audience sings my lyrics back to me. This happened with “Dancing to The Smiths” weeks before the release, which was just insane to me. Performing is just really, really fun for me, and I think it allows me to connect with people in such a different and special way.
My favorite track to perform live is probably “Dancing to The Smiths,” since I’m so comfortable with it and people always sing along. The band and I also do a jazz-inspired cover of “Toxic” by Britney Spears that I think is really cool. I’m looking forward to incorporating some of my unreleased tunes into my live shows – then I may have some new favorites, hahah.”
MC: On your YouTube channel, you posted a behind the scenes video of your dorm-turned-studio. Is it difficult to be a recording artist and a college student simultaneously? How do you find a balance between working on passion projects and coursework?
HE: “Being a recording artist and college student definitely poses its difficulties, and I’m still trying to find that balance. I’m only a rising sophomore, so a lot of my freshman year was devoted to finding my school/career-building/social life/etc. balance. With that said, I’m very lucky to be a part of a community that welcomes creative pursuits with open arms. One way I find a balance between my passion projects and coursework is by keeping an agenda. It sounds kind of silly, but it works. I’m a pretty organized person, so seeing my week in writing definitely helps me keep my head on straight. Another thing I try to remember is that I’m at school to accumulate and develop resources to help me pursue being a full-time artist. Whatever I feel is going to push me towards that goal — regardless of whether it’s homework, practicing, or something else entirely — will always take precedent.”
MC: What’s the Nashville indie-folk music scene like? Do you see yourself staying in Nashville after college, or do you have any plans on relocating?
HE: “I think Nashville has such a great creative community. I’ve found most people to be super welcoming and supportive. People are so passionate about local/independent artists, unlike any other city I’ve visited. When I came to Nashville, I definitely expected to find country/pop-country dominating the music scene, but surprisingly enough, there’s a really strong underground indie rock/indie folk scene. There are also some cool folk/americana acts. Nashville’s music scene is really diverse genre-wise, and I think there’s room for many styles of music to thrive. I can definitely see myself staying in Nashville after college, but it’s still pretty early in the journey for me, so who knows? Travel is also something I’m really passionate about; I can definitely see myself moving around a bit post-college as well.”
MC: In 2021, you accomplished your goal of writing 50 songs in one year. Did you find it more difficult to write with such a large goal looming over your head, or did it come easy to you? Will we see any of these songs recorded and released in the future?
HE: “I actually found it pretty easy to write the songs. I went through a phase where I’d write on average 5-6 full songs per week, sometimes more, sometimes multiple times a day, which was just crazy for me. I actually ended up completing all 50 songs by around May. I always felt really gratified and inspired whenever I completed a song; it was like an endorphin rush. I just wanted to keep going. You can definitely plan on seeing a few of these songs recorded in the future. I’m really looking forward to sharing them.”
MC: How did coming from a musical family impact you while growing up? Did you always know that you wanted to be a songwriter?
HE: “Coming from a musical family impacted me in the sense that my creative pursuits were always supported. They were never written off as “hobbies” or “a phase.” I grew up knowing I could be a musical artist for a living, and I guess nothing ever really deterred me from believing it. And, yes — I always knew I wanted to be a songwriter. My musical journey started for me when I began taking electric guitar lessons, which I’ve taken for nearly my entire life. I also knew from a very young age that I loved reading and writing. At around nine years old, I kind of combined these two passions, began experimenting with acoustic guitar, listened to a lot of Taylor Swift — and the rest is history.”
MC: Who would you say are your biggest musical influences? If you could collaborate with any artist—alive or dead—who would it be and why?
HE: “If I could collaborate with any artist, it might be Dave Matthews. This answer is always changing a bit for me, but he’s probably the most consistent. I just love Dave Matthews. He’s such a phenomenal writer, his lyricism is unmatched. His voice is so distinctive, and his band/instrumentation is just so great. I saw him live for the first time back in June and it was just mind-blowing to me. With that said, genre-bending has always been something so compelling to me. I’d love to just experiment and mess around with him, kind of see where things go. Not to mention — he’s a fellow Virginia native!”
MC: What’s in the cards for the remainder of 2022? Are there any upcoming projects, plans, or releases you can tease?
HE: “I am working on a lot of new stuff right now — more newness than I’ve ever had in the works at any given time. I would just say to keep your eyes peeled. I’m really excited to share more pieces of my art with everyone soon. It’s just so special, I feel like really good things are coming.”
MC: Where can our Periphery readers find and support you?
HE: “Official Website: https://www.hanaeid.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanaeeid/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hanaeeid?lang=en
LinkTree (streaming): https://linktr.ee/HanaEidMusic
Thanks for being here :-) <3”
Periphery Magazine thanks Hana Eid for her contribution, and wishes her luck with her future releases! You can find her on social media and streaming platforms here:
Listen to “Moonroof”: https://open.spotify.com/track/10Tb06P0QyHQASkdhfxMkE?si=e8f97c0b3a9a4524
Official Website: https://www.hanaeid.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanaeeid/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hanaeeid?lang=en
LinkTree (all streaming): https://linktr.ee/HanaEidMusic
If you are interested in being featured in Periphery Magazine’s interview series surrounding interesting people in creative roles, please contact Madison Case at: theperipheryzine@gmail.com.