“Whether we listen or not, the songbird sings,” goes the refrain on the title track of Hannah Juanita’s Tennessee Songbird. They’re words the singer understands: her sophomore album is a true love letter to music and performance and a recognition that they form the core of her identity. Her earnest words stand out even among the thousands of artists I’ve listened to for the show. When she chose to cover “Mother Country Music,” it was because of a sincere gratitude to the genre.
“It was very consoling and really changed my life and gave me a lot direction and peace that I hadn’t had before,” Juanita said.
Her song original song, “Peace of Mind,” celebrates that living a hard life on the road has given her a sense of wholeness that she wouldn’t trade for all the creature comforts of a stable home life.
“I don’t know what else I would do anyway,” Juanita said. “It comes with the struggles but so does everything. A lot of this record is me coming to terms with that this is what I’m doing and accepting the challenges.”
Her decision to stick to a traditional country sound and forgo attempts at making waves in Nashville is just part of that inner peace.
“I don’t feel like I’m trying to make it big,” Juanita said, emphasizing her commitment to the music. “I want to have a long career and I want to be financially viable and keep the show going.”
The financial and logistical struggles didn’t bear much mentioning to Juanita, but she does find social media uncomfortable and balance tough to find.
“You are supposed to be putting yourself out there constantly, daily,” she said. It’s not like it used to be where people did radio interviews and shows. It’s constant. “The type of person that’s an artist, you need to go inward and you need to close off to the world to recharge and get inspired and make your art and hone your craft.”
There might not be a solution there, but she found a truly beautiful one to avoiding the alcoholism and unbalanced lifestyle of the road.
“I bring my dog when I can,” Juanita said. “That forces us to plan ahead and get to the park or get to the lake and run around or go swimming. That’s build in outside time. It keeps me grounded.”
Not every song talks about passion for music, but every song shows it. “Blue Moon” and “Loose Caboose” feel like tributes to classic country, though very different varieties. But it’s the much more original “Granny’s Cutlass Supreme” that feels like a classic.
The song tells the story of an older woman with a nice car and a few bad habits. In an inexplicable stroke of genius, Juanita chose to duet with Riley Downing and his distinct, nearly impossibly low voice. Her and the Deslondes performer make a unique pair, but there’s no way this song was meant to be conventional. In a genre of tight jeans and dirt roads and trucks, a grandma in a bikini with a classic car is a fresh spin that gently pokes fun at cliches while somehow receiving the benefit of featuring those cultural touchstones.
“Granny is a wild woman,” Juanita said. “She has country livin’ wisdom that she wants to share with the world. People often get overlooked in their older age, but I think it’s cool that granny is still kicking it.”
Personally, I think this particular woman would be hard to overlook. Still, the standout song on the album is “Fortune.” Juanita portrays the concept of fortune as an ex who rightfully left her.
It’s about “looking back over your life and decisions and choices and feeling like at one point you had fortune on your side and maybe it doesn’t feel that way anymore,” Juanita explained.
The execution is gorgeous as are the female harmonies. Out of all the tracks on this album, it sounds the most like it’s performed by songbirds. Anyone who can write and sing like this, much like Granny, should not be overlooked.
Above is the full episode as aired on WUSB’s Country Pocket, including both my interview with Hannah Juanita and the songs we discussed, starting with Fortune, which is a like a breakup song, but with a concept. The interview begins with the second video in the playlist. You can hear the show live every Tuesday at 12pm on WUSB 90.1 FM or check the blog to watch it as a YouTube playlist. Visit http://www.WUSB.fm and https://hannahjuanita.com for more. Photo Credit Emily Danielle Jones.
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