Leeds-based newcomer Rhiannon Hope has been carving out her own space in the indie-sphere with her gentle offerings that ruminate on new identities and age-old myths.
With the recent release of 'Magpie', we chat with Hope about in-utero concerts, Leeds record stores, and top-secret London shows as part of the Seven Questions with Music Is To Blame Series.
Introduce yourself and where you’re from.
I’m Rhiannon, a musician from Liverpool, now living in Leeds, and I play songs with my amazing band around Leeds and country and I love it!!
What do our readers need to know about you?
That I hope they feel they know something about me after listening to our music. I’m not the type to put on a show, as much as I’d like to, I just want to play the music. I’d just like the music to mean something to people, if it doesn’t, that’s also fine, but that’s one of the most important things to me about performing.
What have you got coming up that you’re most excited for?
We are headlining The Brudenell (!!!) at the end of April which I’m equally so excited and nervous for!! It’s going to be our first gig in a little while as we’ve all had various life things to do over the past couple of months, so it’ll be a nice way to celebrate our first band gig back. Aside from that we are playing a few little festivals over summer, as well as an unannounced super-secret London show that I am very very thrilled for...
What’s the best run-in you’ve had with a fan?
At a show in London, someone came up to me after we’d finished our set. She was pregnant and she explained that around a certain number of months the baby begins to develop its hearing, and she told me that our set might’ve been the first thing the baby ever heard. I have never got over that.
What’s been your biggest ‘I’ve made it’ moment so far?
Probably seeing our vinyl EP for sale in Jumbo and Crash records in Leeds city centre. For a while we our record was also displayed in the window in Crash for a special Private Records display (with another vinyl from Kiosk who are talented friends), which was also pretty cool and very surreal.
What are your three “desert island” albums?
'Designer' by Aldous Harding, 'World of Work' by Clarissa Connelly, and probably 'Topical Dancer' by Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupil.
Sum up your sound in three words.
Thinking, flowing, safe.
Lana Williams
@lanatakesphotos / @_lanaajade
Image: Sam Dallamore-Hynd