Every week, the Milwaukee Music Premiere sponsored by Density Studios connects the city’s artists with our listening audience. If you’re an artist with a track you’d like us to debut exclusively on Radio Milwaukee, head over to our Music Submission page to learn how.
“I have a hard time writing fun/upbeat tunes, so I'm very proud of this song coming so naturally.”
Milwaukee singer-songwriter Hanna Simone shared that little nugget with us as we prepared to premiere her new single, “One Shot.” But that was far from the only hill she had to climb in bringing this song to your ears. In fact, it was a relative molehill compared to the mountain she had been dealing with:
Writer’s block (cue dramatic “dun-dun-duuuuuuuun” music).
As someone who puts words to paper — or screen — I can tell you that writer’s block is no joke. Whether it’s an empty piece of lined parchment or a cursor blinking at you tauntingly in an open document, there are few more helpless feelings as a creative than when the words don’t come.
In May 2023, they weren’t coming for Simone. They hadn’t come for months. But, as with all things, the answer was in Racine.
“I was at a hotel,” Simone began, “and was humming some bluesy melodies while unpacking my bag. The line ‘my people always have too much to say’ was sticking in my head. I know for myself that if I didn't scratch the writing itch while it was there, it could be another couple months of being stuck in my writer's block.”
That was breakthrough No. 1. The second came as she began scribbling down ideas for “One Shot” based on the anger she was feeling toward a family member not providing the kind of support she needed during a rough patch. “But then I felt empowered,” she recalled. “I thought, ‘I don't want to spend my life feeling sorry for myself and wallowing in the sadness of the coulda/woulda/shoulda.’ Thus, ‘One Shot’ was born.”
The track gets on its feet fast, too. Without a trace of self-pity, Simone practically growls out the first few lines, choosing instead to inject her buttery vocals with a few sprinkles of defiance:
My state ain't got much ground to cover
My people always have too much to say
Since when did I ask if anything I’m doin’ is OK?
You better sit back down in your place
The arrangement by guitarist Elly Bird — executed with help from The Stephen Hull Experience — punctuates the feeling with bursts of instrumentation that alternate with a groovy, bluesy main line. Altogether, it’s a low key but satisfying “eff you” of a song you can hear by hitting that “Listen” button at the top of the page. It’ll also air on 88Nine throughout today starting at 9:30 a.m. and then at 12:30, 4:30, 8:30 and 11:30 p.m.
“One Shot” gets an official release next Friday, March 28, after which Simone and Bird will depart on a tour that kicks off May 2 at Var Gallery before meandering all the way down to Texas. The enterprising duo started a GoFundMe to aid their travels, and you can contribute by jumping over to the campaign page.
