Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Spooner.
Hi Hannah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Tony and I met in August 2021 at Mozart’s Cafe and immediately found out we had a similar love of old-time and bluegrass music. We jumped right into playing music together and a month later, we returned to Mozart’s for their open mic, Late Night on the Lake. (We played the Crawdad Song, which is now one of our staples in any set we play!)
Not long after that, we started writing originals. I had some lyrics I’d been hanging onto for a year or so and when I showed them to Tony, he immediately came up with the music, which fit the words and vibe perfectly. That song became As Far As We Can, which we recently released as our latest single.
We have really spent the last eight months writing, singing and playing music. We go to as many open mics as we can, and also have played several gigs around town. We’re also enjoying the local bluegrass scene. We feel blessed to be in Austin, with such a thriving bluegrass community! We enjoy the local jams hosted by the Central Texas Bluegrass Association where people come together to play and talk music.
It’s also fun to find new ways to share our music. We started a little social media series on Instagram and TikTok that we call Front Porch Bluegrass. We play songs on our front porch and oftentimes get an audience of dogs and their owners who happen to be walking by. We also just had stickers made, make sure to grab one at one of our shows!
Our latest project is an EP called Home Cookin’ which will be out on all the streaming services, including Spotify and Apple Music, in June 2022! You can catch a few singles from that album now.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
As much as we love music, we both work full-time jobs and it’s not something we can really focus on until about 6 p.m. But we are both lucky to have the ability to dedicate evenings and weekends to playing the music we love. We aren’t putting unnecessary pressure on ourselves or trying to top the charts. At the end of the day, we want to do this because we love it. We want to play good music for good folks, connect with people who share the same passions and keep traditional styles and tunes alive.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
We’ve really enjoyed our experience with the Austin music scene. Tony has an eclectic music background, playing indie rock and alt-country on the east coast before moving to Austin a few years ago. I grew up in the Memphis area where you can hear the blues and classic Americana from pretty much any direction you turn.
The final note I’d like to share is: support your local musicians! Pop into our local breweries and music venues, and if you like what you hear, throw a few bucks into the tip jar and follow them on social and streaming services. You really can’t imagine the amount of work that goes into the live music you see every day in Austin, and most of it is free or very inexpensive. Tony and I spend several hours practicing and writing each week, carry our sound equipment to the venue, and typically play a 90-minute set. I know that many other Austin musicians are doing the same. The musicians that make Austin the “Live Music Capital of the World” are working hard to bring you the tunes you love.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/strawberryflats
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strawberryflats_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StrawberryFlatsMusic
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0OyeGoturnFTmYairpZfxF?si=vwyKExDYRpuNptEb3lD5nQ
Image Credits
Eric A. Booth (third photo with the stone background where I’m wearing a striped blue dress)
