Call Me by Hannah Mac & Seb Naylor
Official Release Date: Friday 25th October 2024
Local singer/songwriter Hannah Mac is becoming a familiar face around the Worcester venues and festival scene. Her new single “Call Me”, co written by Seb Naylor, is set for official release on 25th October, and we’ve been lucky enough to get this early preview. Billed as disco/pop that blends contemporary pop with soulful undertones, it creates an emotional yet uplifting vibe.
Having seen Hannah perform live, I can confirm that she is a beautiful artist, inside and out. Her performances are filled with passion and respect for the lyrics she sings, whether they are covers or her own words. It’s understandable that she pours that same passion into her single releases. This new single is particularly poignant for Hannah, as she and producer Seb Naylor worked together on an EP back in 2021, though it was all done “virtually”. Seb, based in London, would send tracks to Hannah, and she’d write lyrics for them. Call Me is the first collaboration they’ve worked on face-to-face. Voice notes were sent back and forth with ideas and edits before they finally met in May to lay down most of the vocals in one session. The track was finalised in July in a Birmingham recording studio, where they were able to add extra vocals and harmonies.
Speaking about the experience, Hannah says, “Working on the track in person has been such an exciting experience, just vibing in the studio and making the track together properly.” The track certainly delivers on its release description. A soulful intro rises into a playful laugh before Hannah’s vocals draw us into her world, where she’s hoping a certain someone will make that call, moving them beyond friendship. The joyful tune exudes a girlish giddiness of liking someone and hoping they’ll call. The track even includes a ringtone and the spoken question, “Is that him?” Pretty, shimmering melodies splash around the lyrics, and as the track pulls us onto the dance floor, we’re reminded of glitter balls, sequinned dresses, and cocktails. This is definitely a disco party track.
Hannah recently made her first appearance at Worcester Music Festival, which was a massive milestone for her as it’s her hometown. Her performance at Bottles certainly became one to remember, as her band fell through a week before, due to no fault of their own. However, Hannah managed to reach out to another local musician, Ollie Ridley. In just a few days, Ollie learnt her entire set, including both originals and covers. On the day of the performance, they were joined by Seb Baldwin on drums. Hannah said, “It was so special; it just felt like the night really aligned for us.” With her family and friends there to support her, and the rest of her weekend being magical, I can imagine Hannah’s positivity really shone through. She’s clearly a passionate artist who loves making music.
By: Kate Fitzer