Executive Overview
For singer-songwriter Hannah Cohen, creation is never a rigid adherence to blueprints. Whether she is in the rustic tranquility of her Upstate New York home in the Catskills—tending to a simmering pot with her dog, Jan, by her side—or navigating the intense, transient environment of an international tour, her approach to art mirrors the instinctive fluidity of the culinary arts. In both cooking and songwriting, Cohen treats inspiration as a living, breathing dynamic that requires intuition, emotional honesty, and a willingness to break the rules.
As she prepares for a much-anticipated string of UK and European live dates, including intimate performances at London’s Hoxton Hall and Manchester’s YES on August 18 and 19, Cohen is traversing a profound period of personal and professional metamorphosis. Following the release of her critically acclaimed record Earthstar Mountain and her recent single, "Golden Chain," the artist has spent the past year reconnecting with European audiences for the first time since 2019.
In this comprehensive interview, Cohen pulls back the curtain on her creative process. She discusses how the cadence of a kitchen informs the phrasing of a lyric, how heartbreak and hardship serve as essential seasoning, and why the global sonic tapestry—from dusty disco and Brazilian harmonies to Bulgarian vocal traditions—continues to fuel her ever-evolving sound.
Detailed Chronology: From the Catskills to the Global Stage
To understand Hannah Cohen’s current trajectory, one must examine the timeline of her recent creative output and the distinct phases of transition that have defined her career over the last several years.
The Aftermath of Earthstar Mountain and the Return to Europe
The release of Earthstar Mountain marked a significant chapter in Cohen’s discography, showcasing her capacity for atmospheric, emotionally resonant storytelling. However, the subsequent touring cycle was abruptly interrupted by global shifts in the live music industry, keeping her away from European stages for years.
When Cohen finally returned to Europe in the wake of the album’s success, it signaled more than just a return to the road; it represented a reclamation of her international presence. Yet, this touring cycle coincided with a period in her personal life that she describes candidly as "pretty devastating." Rather than retreating, Cohen channeled these profound life changes into her writing, stepping into new creative environments and collaborating with a fresh producer in Los Angeles.
The Catalyst of "Golden Chain"
At the heart of this transitional phase is her striking single, "Golden Chain." Lyrically sharp and draped in a Billie Holiday-esque melancholy, the track features a line designed to cut straight to the listener:
I wanna matter more to you / Than those internet girls you do.
"That gets people’s ears perked up," Cohen notes with a wry smile. While the single captured a distinct snapshot of emotional vulnerability and friction, Cohen reveals that it is not necessarily a strict blueprint for her upcoming full-length project. Instead, "Golden Chain" serves as a bridge—a sonic monument to a specific moment when her personal and creative lives were heavily intertwined, paving the way for the uncharted territories of her next record.
Supporting Context & Metrics: The Kitchen as a Creative Laboratory
For Cohen, the physical act of cooking is deeply intertwined with the architecture of her music. Living in the Catskills, she frequently hosts fellow musicians and friends, adopting an improvisational style that directly translates to her songwriting workflow.
The Philosophy of the "First Bite"
"You want to be in a flow state when you’re cooking," Cohen explains. "So having music that helps you keep that energy up is really fun."
Her kitchen philosophy is simple: start with a traditional framework, and then actively disrupt it. Whether she is tossing in extra fennel, anchovies, a splash of soy sauce, or more wine until a dish achieves balance, the methodology is identical to how she constructs a song.
“I’ll just kind of mull over this song or the lyrics and be like, that’s not flowing right. It needs a little salt. It needs a little vinegar. It needs a little anchovy.”
This commitment to impact extends to what she calls the "first bite" of a song. Just as a meal must immediately engage the palate, a composition must captivate the listener instantly. "When you’re writing a song, you want to pull in a listener," she says. "You can’t just say some wispy stuff. You gotta say something potent."
The Culinary-Musical Soundtrack
When asked about the specific auditory backdrop that fuels her culinary sessions, Cohen curates an eclectic mix of sounds designed to sustain momentum without demanding hyper-focused intellectual analysis. Depending on the complexity of the recipe, her listening habits shift:
- Familiar Standards for Complex Dishes: When executing a rigorous recipe with multiple steps, Cohen prefers old favorites—music she does not have to consciously decode—to prevent culinary disasters.
- Global Exploration for Standard Fare: When returning to reliable culinary staples, she opens her ears to fresh sonic terrain, ranging from modern trap music and cumbia to left-field discoveries.
Her curated playlist for this creative journey spans continents, eras, and emotional registers, highlighting an insatiable appetite for global musicology:
- Black Harmony – "Don’t Let It Go To Your Head": A joyous, cheeky slice of soulful buoyancy that balances honesty with a infectious groove.
- Sparklmami – "No te vayas": Celebrated for its striking visual aesthetic and 10-out-of-10 atmospheric world-building, ideal for dinner parties.
- Rachel Sweet – "It’s So Different Here": A track whose vocal cadences and arrangements drew comparisons to Cohen’s own artistic output.
- DJ EXE & Cacau Chuu – "Que Loucara": A spicy, high-energy cut that injects vibrant momentum into any kitchen session.
- Wau Wau Collectif – "Xale (Toubab Dialaw Kids Rhyme)": A joyous communal recording capturing the raw, beautiful energy of a room filled with singing children.
- John Carroll Kirby – "Mates": A collaborative nod reflecting Cohen’s recent artistic partnerships within the contemporary jazz and ambient spheres.
- Os Tincoas – "Cordeiro De Nama": An exploration of rich Brazilian harmonies and vocal phrasing that subtly anchors Cohen’s own approach to melodic construction.
- Trio Bulgarka – "Taz vecher ne mii veselo (I am not happy tonight)": A deeply spiritual, transcendent vocal performance that Cohen describes as "metabolizing" music on a soul-deep level.
Official Statements & Musician Collaborations
Navigating the demands of modern touring requires a tightly knit ecosystem of collaborators. Cohen is quick to praise the exceptional roster of musicians who share the stage with her, emphasizing that her touring band is fundamentally a collective of close friends who are all carving out significant paths as artists in their own right.
The Touring and Recording Ensemble
The live configuration for Cohen’s upcoming European dates features an elite lineup of multi-talented performers:
- Vishal Nayak (Drums): A dynamic percussionist who performed on Cohen’s record Welcome Home and frequently collaborates with Nick Hakim.
- Izzy Orin Brown (Guitar / Vocals): A gifted singer-songwriter contributing lush guitar work and vocal harmonies.
- Devon Yesberger (Keys): An accomplished keyboardist providing the rich harmonic beds central to Cohen’s live sound.
- Lane Backstrom (Drums): A Chicago-based rhythmic powerhouse rounding out the ensemble.
Cohen also acknowledges key collaborators from her broader creative circle who contribute to her studio recordings and extended network:
- Sean "Moon" Mullins: An extraordinary instrumentalist and artist who handled all the drum duties on Earthstar Mountain while maintaining concurrent touring duties with María of The Marías (under her project Not For Radio).
- Nuria Graham: A brilliant songwriter and dear friend whose work (such as the track "Gloria") holds a special place in Cohen’s creative universe.
- Kristin Slipp: A powerhouse vocalist known for her work with mmeadows and the Dirty Projectors.
- John Carroll Kirby: A fellow artist and recent studio collaborator whose innovative approach to modern composition has further expanded Cohen’s sonic palette.
"Everybody’s busting their ass, you know?" Cohen reflects on the relentless work ethic required by her peers to balance their individual projects with the rigorous demands of the indie touring circuit.
Future Outlook
As Hannah Cohen looks toward the horizon, her artistic philosophy remains anchored in perpetual evolution. The hardship and heavy emotional landscapes of recent years have not broken her creative spirit; instead, they have acted as the crucible for a new era of music-making.
Working alongside a new producer in Los Angeles, Cohen is actively experimenting with fresh chord structures, unconventional writing methods, and a broader emotional spectrum that transcends the moody introspection of her past work. She refuses to be cornered by stylistic expectations or trapped in a single methodology of creation.
Upcoming Live Dates
Fans eager to experience Cohen’s alchemy firsthand will have the opportunity to catch her live across the UK this August:
- August 18: Hoxton Hall, London
- August 19: YES, Manchester
Find tickets and event details here.
Ultimately, Cohen’s message is one of radical openness. Whether she is adjusting the seasoning in a Catskills kitchen, blending Brazilian harmonies with American folk traditions, or testing the boundaries of her vocal delivery on a new studio recording, the guiding principle remains unchanged: “You gotta always be open to learning new recipes, learning new life things, learning new ways to write, and not saying ‘this is the only way that I can do something.’”
