HANNAH NOEL

Undiscovered Nashville’s ‘Pre-Famous’

Tuesday August 15, 2023

@ The Clubhouse at Sonny’s in Nashville, TN

(Review By: Jeffrey Kurtis)

Within’ the quaint atmosphere of The Clubhouse at Sonny’s Patio Pub & Refuge, Tuesday nights in August have been ignited by Undiscovered Nashville’s ‘Pre-Famous,” a showcase which has consistently delivered the best of the best emerging songwriters, shining a bold spotlight on the independent music community and the deserving talent that you need to know.

A varied crowd friends, fellow songwriters, and locals looking to soak in the experience of a listening room aura have all made this space their Tuesday night home, which on this night featured a very solid opening round of music from Chelsey Stallings, Nick Deleo, and Hannah Noel.

Hannah, recently named to our own TCM Class of 2023, has really used this past year to lay the foundations for her next steps, focusing on fine tuning her crafty songwriting, finding the unique place within her drawl to add flare to her irresistibly country style, and precisely picking which rounds to sit in on as she road tested her latest creations.

Just a few days after the release of her most recent single “Don’t Sell Your Saddle,” Hannah intrigued the early arrivers with a glimpse of the right here right now while keeping her eyes focused on what’s next. 

“My mom was a farmer’s daughter, and my whole life I heard this story about this drought and how everybody in the town gathered inside the church during it. They all said, “we’re not leavin’ ‘til it rains”… and sure enough, it did!” Hannah excitedly said with a southern grin as she dripped her irresistible drawl into “Drought of 82,” bringing her childhood story to life through picture painting lyrics that had the crowd visualizing every turn of the page and anticipating what would happen next as the story unfolded.

“I went out on a date with this guy from Kentucky…not a second one, though,” she mused as she kicked up the tempo and had everyone bopping along and tapping their toes in rhythm with the ultra-catchy “Out of the Blue,” precisely capturing the good fist impression moment that he made while singing through the attributes that made her crush on him head over boots.

“I’m the only girl in my family that hunts, and I got to thinkin’ about all the things I think about in the deer stand,” Hannah shared as she softened the pace with “The Hunting Song,” opening her diary and inviting us into all her varied thoughts, from the deeper and more introspective to the simple, passing ones, completely silencing the room and holding the crowd on the edge of their seat as they soaked in every word while thinking through their own varied thoughts to examine their current path.

Closing with her brand new single "Don't Sell Your Saddle," Hannah metaphorically wrapped her arms around the crowd, embracing them with a “you're not alone in this feeling” as she drove through the truth of the heartbreaking struggles that arrive with chasing a big dream, encouragingly stamping a exclamation point through the chorus that reminded them to persevere through these down moments to get to the great ones on the other side, expertly leaving a lasting impression and a very strong message as the final notes were strummed.

FULL SET LIST
1) Drought of 82
2) Out of the Blue
3) The Hunting Song
4) Don't Sell Your Saddle

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