In June, they will visit Poland for the first time and immediately perform three concerts – on June 22 in Warsaw, June 23 in Krakow, and June 24 in Wrocław. King Hannah – a duo from Liverpool, whose hypnotic, atmospheric indie rock has been loved by Sharon Van Etten, and The Guardian compared to Lana Del Rey and Kurt Vile – are coming to promote their second album "Big Swimmer". Before the Polish premiere, we met with Hannah Merick and Craig Whittle to talk about the emotions they want to evoke on stage, beautiful everyday life, and dreams that began in a bar in Liverpool.
Wiktor Fejkiel: In June, you will play your first concerts in Poland. Is this also your first time in our country?
Hannah Merick and Craig Whittle (King Hannah): - Yes, this will be our first time! To be honest, we've wanted to come to Poland for a long time, so we're really excited that this opportunity has come up. We can't wait for these concerts!
What are your expectations of the Polish audience?
- We really don't know what to expect, but we've already met a few Poles at concerts in various cities – they have always been very nice and supportive. We are enormously grateful to everyone who comes to listen to us live. We hope that we can put on a concert that everyone will really enjoy.
Your music is often described as an "emotional journey." What emotions do you want to evoke among listeners during the concerts?
- We want people to lose themselves in our performance – that is our main goal. We try to be as honest as possible in our songs, and the concerts are very dynamic – with really intimate, quiet moments interspersed with loud and intense sounds. If someone who came to the concert feels some emotions related to this music, that’s exactly what we are aiming for.
"Big Swimmer" is your second studio album, which you’re going on tour with. What was the main inspiration for its creation?
I think the most palpable inspiration was our first headlining tour in North America. Many of the songs talk about specific events from that tour. The experience of being in the States, traveling from the east coast to the west coast – it was something incredible. But we also wanted to record a more intimate and honest album – that’s why many songs are inspired by our everyday life, calm moments where we find beauty and solace.
Your music is often compared to artists like Mazzy Star or PJ Harvey. How do you feel about such comparisons?
It is a huge compliment for us. There are elements in those artists that have accompanied us since the beginning of our creative journey – we both highly appreciate them. However, I think they had more influence on our earlier work than on "Big Swimmer." We constantly listen to new (and old) music, falling in love with new artists – this also reflects in what we create ourselves.
Sharon Van Etten guest featured on "Big Swimmer" and "This Wasn’t Intentional." How did this collaboration come about?
We still can’t believe that Sharon Van Etten is on our album! We’ve been loosely in touch since the release of our first single "Crème Brûlée," which Sharon liked and shared on her Instagram. It was an incredible moment for us – as a fresh band, to see that one of our musical heroes openly says she likes our music. When we started writing "Big Swimmer," we sent her a few demos – she was incredibly supportive and full of kind words. And that’s how it all began...
Reviews of "Big Swimmer" often highlight its hypnotic sound and poetic lyrics. What stories did you want to tell on this album?
Our intention is always to create sincere songs. We constantly strive to do it better. There’s a quote from William Faulkner that I really like: "The best fiction is far more true than any journalism" – and I think that applies to all art and writing. The best lyrics hit the nail on the head in a way that life often cannot.
During the work on "Big Swimmer," did you encounter any difficulties that influenced the final shape of the album?
I think the biggest challenge was writing the title track "Big Swimmer." It was the last song created for this album – and today we can’t imagine the album without it. It’s the song that gave the album its title, became the opening number, and carried the whole message. It’s weird to think that almost the entire album was made without it.
How do you compare "Big Swimmer" to your debut "I’m Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me"? Where do you see the biggest progress?
We hope that these songs are simply better – that they have been stripped of unnecessary layers and can stand on their own. I think the sound has also changed – we moved from a more layered production to something like "a band playing together in one room." That was our goal: to create an album that sounds like a group playing together, without hiding behind production.
You met while working in a bar, right? How has that shared history influenced your musical collaboration?
Yes, we met while working together in a bar in Liverpool. I think it’s a very important part of our shared journey. We grew up together and we are chasing this dream together – through everything that happens, it gains even greater meaning for us.
What are your musical plans after this tour? Do you plan any new releases in 2025?
In the coming months, we have many concerts ahead – in Europe and North America. And then, in winter, we plan to start writing the next album. We can’t wait – we love creating new music, and the mere prospect of working on something new is very exciting for us.
