We loved your release “Ooh La La”, It felt so deliciously classy and dance at the same time! We had to ask, what was the creative process like for this song? How did you first visualize it?
During the last week of recording, my producer, Jayson Kramer, came to the studio with this big horn instrumental track that captured a sound we had been working to find - elegant, classic, spicy. I instantly started seeing red lipstick, sparkles, fancy drinks at a lounge, and a vintage bathtub. I took the instrumental home and had one day to write lyrics based on our recording schedule. So I went for a walk downtown, in Chicago, and found myself in alleyways with old fire escapes and beautiful murals and then came home, took a candle-lit bubble bath, with Aretha Franklin playing, and started to write. The words “gentlemen” and “Ooh La La” came to me, and the whole story flowed very quickly from there.
Growing up, what inspired you to first start making music, and what inspires you to keep making it now?
I’ve always had an overwhelming desire to connect with people. I grew up in a small mountain town, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and while others around me found their joy in the outdoors, I embraced every opportunity to perform or was tucked away writing music. As the youngest of four, my siblings introduced me to artists via mix CDs, and my parents had a strong vinyl collection. Music was always playing in our home from all corners of the house. I think the influence of so many various genres inspired me to explore what I would be capable of creating myself. There wasn’t a specific moment I remember sitting down to write for the first time. It always happened organically.
You mentioned you’ve always felt a little torn between your hometown of Steamboat Springs and your birth city of Chicago. As two remarkably different places, how have they influenced your growth as an artist?
The differences between these two places have vastly contributed to the versatility in my music. The combination of inspiration from nature and the city has resulted in a unique sound and writing style that I always surprise myself with and am grateful for.
When I’m combatting inner fearful thoughts and working to quiet my very busy mind, I have found great clarity through nature. My EP Radiant and song River showcase that experience. When I moved to Chicago, I gained a deeper understanding of a different part of myself - I loved being a little extra, a little over-the-top, and a little more confident than I had been before. Ooh La La, and every track from my upcoming album Ruby, represents the empowered version of me. What goals do you want to achieve through your music, and if your listeners could take one thing away from your music what would you want it to be? As I write, I try to open myself to whatever seems to flow through me. It really feels like I am working to connect to a listener, and oftentimes I ask myself the question, “What do they need to hear?” I try to live in a meditative, open-heart, and open-mind state of listening, observing, and gathering inspiration so that when I sit down to write, the messages flow through me and onto paper. I hope my music creates a feeling of ease, connection, shared experience, and, most importantly, a reminder that we’re not alone. What’s next for Carly Hanley? Your new album, 'Ruby' is dropping this fall. Do you have any songs from 'Ruby' that you’re especially looking forward to sharing with your fans? My album Ruby will be released on October 6th! I’m excited for the listeners to hear how different each track is from one another, knowing that there is a common thread of empowerment throughout. This album shares major parts of my life from the last five years - each song is about a unique experience or different important person that has come into my life. Because of this, I’m extremely excited to see which tracks are the most relatable for listeners.
Read our full review of "Ooh La La" here.