Hannah Aldridge flexes her musical muscles
It took a while, but Hannah Aldridge has heeded the call.
Hannah Aldridge flexes her musical muscles It took a while, but Hannah Aldridge has heeded the call. Check out this story on cincinnati.com: https://cin.ci/26uNM4N
Bill Thompson, Enquirer contributor Published 2:24 p.m. ET April 27, 2016
Hannah Aldridge.(Photo: Provided)
The Nashville singer-songwriter grew up in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where father Walt wrote No. 1 country hits for Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell and Travis Tritt among others. She wasn't a prodigy; although classically trained on the piano, she didn't pick up a guitar until she was 21, didn't write a song until 22. Since then, however, Aldridge has been all in. She released her debut album, "Razor Wire," in 2014.
"Part of me is frustrated that I haven't been able to get further (in my career)," says Aldridge, who plays Southgate House Revival Friday before heading to Europe for a month. "Then I have to remind myself that I am just now getting enough under my belt to say that I've released a record, I'm doing a second one and I've done thousands of shows.
"I have so much more understanding of how (the music business) really works. There is a lot that has happened between 'Razor Wire' and now in terms of growing up. All of this has shaped my songwriting a lot."
Those songs reflect how much life Aldridge has lived in 28 years. Her ups (her 8-year-old son, Jackson) and downs (rehab, divorce, bad relationships) have provided more than enough fodder for "Razor Wire" and a new album she will record this summer.
"The only thing that I've really known how to write about is me," she says. "I'm trying to be better about writing about a broader range of topics, but I've never been the kind of writer who could write 'Yellow Submarine,' something very abstract.
"But I'm finding that it's OK to be good at what you're good at and not have to be stressed out that you're not good at the other stuff."
Aldridge is good enough at her stuff that Jason Isbell's band, the 400 Unit, played the music on "Razor Wire." For the new record, guitarist Sadler Vaden returns, but she wants to set the Americana label aside and rock.
"I don't want anybody to listen to this and say it's Americana," Aldridge says. "I have strong beliefs about that word … ('Razor Wire') got put into that category and it forced me to be put into something that I wasn't really welcomed into.
"So for this record, the very first thing I did was pick up an electric guitar and say, 'Well, I don't know how to play electric guitar really well, but let's do this, let's flounder around for a while and see how it goes.' But I have no doubt that by the end of the year I'll have a really cool electric guitar show."
Aldridge is confident, but also realistic. If passion, sacrifice and hard work automatically equaled success, she would be playing arenas instead of clubs. She has seen it happen for some of her friends, but understands that unseen forces determine results. And that's OK.
"Those are thoughts that you have to ignore," she says of frustration that can creep close to jealousy. "My day will come and people are going to feel exactly the same about me.
"They are going to say 'She didn't even pick up a guitar until she was 21.' They'll say 'Her dad did all of that for her.' But I have decided that I'm doing music for the wrong reasons if I'm doing it to be more successful … People dream of doin' what I'm doin' right now … I'm incredibly lucky to make any money and play for crowds that appreciate what I'm doin'."
Even if she didn't know it until seven years ago, she's doin' what she's supposed to be doin'.
Bill Thompson is co-host of "Blue Snakes & Banjos," 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays on WAIF-Fm (88.3)
What: Hannah Aldridge with Stereo Spekter
When: 9:30 p.m. Friday, Southgate House Revival, 111 E. Sixth St., Newport
Information: 859-431-2201; southgatehouse.com; Hannah-aldridge.com
Read or Share this story: https://cin.ci/26uNM4N
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