Hannah Wicklund
Hannah Wicklund Bio
Hannah Wicklund has been traveling fast and far, playing big cities and small towns around the world since starting her band at 8 years old. With her new album, Produced by Sam Kiszka, she is now arriving somewhere completely unexpected. Ethereal texturing, smokey falsetto vocals, string section surprises and guitar solos that carry equal parts pain and joy are woven tastefully into what Wicklund says is , “A record that just sounds like me”. Much like Hannah’s paintings she has become known for, each song is intricately entrancing and honored with two things seemingly lost in today’s world….patience and time. With Sam Kiszka on bass/keys/organ and Danny Wagner on drums, both of Greta Van Fleet, the songs serve as a rock ’n’ roll roadmap to a crossroads that Wicklund has been unknowingly gravitating towards for well over a decade. X marks the spot where the weary girl speeding towards the woman she will become meet in a fiery head-on collision. On this album, we hear from the woman rising from that wreckage. The woman who’s scarred but smarter, holds compassion for the girl who carried her here, and with wide-open clear eyes, unflinchingly stares down the future.
Indeed, The Prize is a beautiful representation of what raw feminine power and determination look, feel and sound like. Carved with pain during the most wounded and fragile point in our young heroine’s life, this record is for anyone that has ever had to look inward to move onward. “This album was so radically healing for me, and I hope it can inspire and perhaps play a role in someone else’s story” says Wicklund. “I want us all to remember, it can be lonely and is never easy ‘doing the work’, but we are each worthy of our own love, time, and dedication.”
The High Divers Bio
The High Divers have seen some things. There are scars adorning each member that serve as constant reminders that the traveling rock n’ roll lifestyle is not for the faint of heart. After narrowly surviving a bloody scene with a semi on an Arizona Highway in 2017, and a stage silencing pandemic, the band has proved its resilience and dedication to crafting albums that they can continue to be proud of. With the release of their newest record, “Should I be Worried” due out April 2023, the band is breathing a sigh of relief in finally getting the Sadler Vaden produced album out into the hands of their fans. “The return to live shows with all of the excitement and energy behind these new songs is going to be really healing for everyone involved”, says guitarist and singer, Luke Mitchell, “We’ve held onto some of these songs for almost three years now, and it’s felt like an absolute eternity!”
Recorded in Nashville at BattleTapes and Marshall, NC at The High Divers’ own Out There Studios, this record serves as a patchwork of where the band has been and where they are going, with great care taken in curating nuanced and eclectic songs that weave into a colorful psychedelic sonic tapestry. “When you have this long to compile songs and really live with them, there are certain ones that just jump out and continue to have that sheen that keeps us all excited” says Mary Alice, whose song “Pieces” is a sparse and hauntingly beautiful look into the past “We were young, we were stupid, we were free, we were broken”.
Formed in 2014 in Charleston, South Carolina, The High Divers hit the ground running with raucous live shows and a strong debut album recorded with Wolfgang Zimmerman. The follow up album, “Chicora”, was released to much critical acclaim, earning the band an even wider and more dedicated fan base. Perhaps the bands most well known work was 2019’s “Ride With you” EP also produced by Jason Isbell & 400 unit guitarist, Sadler Vaden. A fixture of the South Carolina music scene, The High Divers are known for their charismatic on-stage swagger and ability to get the crowd unabashedly involved. The band is comprised of Luke Mitchell (Vocals/Guitar), Mary Alice Mitchell (Keyboards/Synth/Vocals) and Kevin Early (Bass/Vocals). The High Divers have been covered by Rolling Stone, Paste, Performer Magazine, KDHX, Popmatters, Americana UK, among many others.
The High Divers new album will be accompanied by a string of tour dates around the country. “Should I be Worried” will be released April 7th, 2023 and available for streaming everywhere.