We meet Boy George’s queer pop protégé, set to become this summer’s breakout performer
Pop crossover artist Jamie Hannah has steadily been making waves in the music industry, bringing technique and training to the world of pop. Serving Schubert dipped in sherbet, he’s the classically trained operatic countertenor and multi-instrumentalist setting out to change how people think of commercial pop music
After training at one of Britain’s most respected institutions, Hannah decided to move into pop music, making the jump from Maria Callas to Mariah Carey.
He launched his pop career earlier this year with “Sound of My Youth”, produced by longtime Kylie Minogue collaborator Benny D, showcasing his dizzying four-octave vocal range in the moving, falsetto-heavy ballad that reverberates with a naive yearning.
It wasn’t long before he caught the eye of pop legend Boy George who, after hearing his first single, couldn’t wait to take him under his wing to create new music, signing him up to his namesake label.
Ahead of the two releasing their collaborative single “House of Truth” later this month, Ifan Llewelyn caught up with Hannah over an iced latte on a humid Soho afternoon to talk influences, Pride and getting into the industry.
You launched ‘House of Truth’ at an event in Mayfair last week, how’s the rush in interest been for you?
It’s very exciting. My first single ‘Sound of My Youth’ went out a few months ago, but this latest one is my first collaboration. It’s very surreal. I say that word quite a lot, but yeah. Now taking baby steps, but the launch was a really special evening having so many people turn up to hear the new stuff. It was a pivotal moment in my career. A lot of people have worked to getting this single to get this track out there, and getting George down to the launch was incredible.
So you trained as an opera singer at the Royal College of Music. Was that what made you go down the operatic route?
It was just what I started training in. I learned to sing from nursery rhymes, then I moved on to Italian arias and doing German lieder, then started doing French art songs, so that was the direction I was going in from day one. I remember having the conversation with my mum because I’d always be writing songs in my bedroom, and she’d have to convince me “You know Cheryl Cole was classically trained?”, so I was conned from an early age to think this was the route I was to go down. It’s enabled me to have different ideas when it comes to utilising aspects of unique classical works. Like Handel’s augmentation or Monteverdi’s harmony, aspects from incredible composers from the past.
I incorporate that into my pop-synth sounds, which hopefully is not something many people have done before.
Has music always been THE thing for you then?
I was actually planning on doing a geography degree at Edinburgh.
Oh WOW.
Yeah, so thank goodness I stopped in my tracks there. Most definitely happy that I’m now a musician and getting on with writing music. It’s nice not being held back and being able to make your own rules. If I stayed in geography, where would I be now? Studying rocks? I don’t know.
Ugh, rocks. But now you’re a pop singer! Were there any specific artists that influenced you early on to get poppy?
My influences are incredibly eclectic, coming from a bunch of different genres. Of course, I had all the big divas like Ariana Grande and all of those. They are monumental to a gay boy’s growing up, and loving this pop commercial stuff. When you go to your first few clubs, those are the things that are blasted into your years from day dot. There are so many, Tracey Chapman, Elton John of course. I love musical theatre but don’t want to admit to that.
So what was it at the end of those two years of studying opera that made you jump to pop?
I don’t want to badmouth the institution because it really is incredible, but you know when you’re in a place you don’t quite fit, being the odd one out. You’re constantly competing with people who aren’t wanting to spur you on and invest in you as a musician. There isn’t much room for creativity and growth in classical music. It had been ticking along those two years, and at the end of it I’m not going back to learn about Handel, I’m going to the Mail Online to read about pop star gossip, writing original songs, and doing covers. Having made the move it felt like it’s what I should have been doing since day dot.
Was there an “A-ha” moment that inspired the move?
It’s kind of a sad one. There was a moment when my mum got quite ill and I felt like I really re-evaluated my decisions when that happened. I was spending this time with my family, ensuring the family unit was strong and supporting one another, and then I found that I wasn’t really supporting myself. I took a chance and thankfully it’s beginning to pay off now.
Yes, landing the collaboration with Boy George! How did that all come about?
Just bumped into him in a public bathroom. *Wink* NO. That came through relatively slowly. My first single was sent across to him and he really loved it, and he asked if I’d sing on “All That Glitters Ain’t Gold” which was a complete juxtaposition to my go-to music taste. He was in America at the time doing a comeback tour and at the end of it we had a couple of tracks, and we chose to go with “House of Truth”. It’s only been a few months since we went into the studio together for the first time.
And how was that?
It was nuts. Sitting on the same sofa brainstorming melodies and lyrics. He was incredibly generous and supportive with what I was coming up with. Nothing was a bad suggestion. It was very… surreal. That’s my catchphrase. George was definitely on my radar from an early age, his image and sound are so distinctive.
He really was a trailblazer as far as being an overtly queer pop artist. You’re also quite open, why do you feel its important?
I was very lucky growing up in a very liberal environment, being very accepted from the start. I know not everyone is as lucky as that so I felt that it’s important to embody your character and when you’re having conversations when you’re doing music, you don’t have to accommodate what people want to hear. It’s all about solidarity.
In the run-up to Pride in London, what would you say ‘pride’ means to you?
Goodness, what a question. Wearing lots of colours, standing in solidarity with everyone else. Living in London, being a gay guy, it gets strangely competitive and everyone is striving for this unobtainable perfection. The perfect Instagram. The perfect body. The perfect boyfriend. It’s important to put that aside and realise that we’re all standing in this together. We’ve all had the same struggle. It doesn’t need to be so malicious.
“House of Truth” will be out across all platforms on the 28th of June. Keep up with Jamie Hannah on Instagram @justjamiehannah.
