13th Floor New Song Of The Day: Hannah In The Wars – Animal

Here’s one we are really excited about around here…the new song by Hannah In The Wars titled Animal.

Hannah is Hannah Curwood, who is currently on lockdown on Waiheke Island and working on a new album. The video clip for Animal features 16 year old Tane Elvis Cotton who happens to be the nephew of Shayne Carter. Here’s the record company blurb with more details:

It remains open to interpretation whether the lovelorn narrator of ‘Animal’ from Hannah in the Wars wants to be treated like a good or a bad dog, and to some degree it doesn’t really matter (though we would hope it’s a good dog, given that songwriter Hannah Curwood is a vet nurse). This melodic, gentle pop anthem is ripe and rich, bursting with melodic vocal and violin hooks that will crawl under your skin and resonate within the confines of your skull for many days.

The touching video stars emerging talent Tane Elvis Cotton. The 16 year-old Port Chalmers local brings both a fragility and quiet strength to the piece. Viewers who can’t quite put their finger on where they know his face from will be unsurprised to hear that he is nephew of New Zealand treasure Shayne Carter. Clearly, the performance sap runs strong through this branch of the whanau-tree.

Hannah in the Wars’ alternative post-punk is informed by the likes of P J Harvey and Nick Cave, overlaid with intricate orchestral arrangements and incisive poetry.

Hannah Curwood is a songwriter from New Zealand. She has previously released 2 solo records (Sky Above, Horse Below in 2007, The Blind Love EP in 2009) and an album with her band Hannah in the Wars (Hannah in the Wars in 2015). Hannah in the Wars released the single ‘Glory’ in November 2019 and will soon follow this with more new work in May 2020.

Hannah has collaborated with Roger O’ Donnell (The Cure), who produced the Hannah in the Wars album in 2015. Her unique voice has also appeared on records alongside greats such as Shayne Carter (Dimmer, Straitjacket Fits), Jen Cloher, Geoff Maddock (Goldenhorse, Bressa Creeting Cake) and Graeme Downes (The Verlaines) among many other artists. She is currently writing a new album from isolation on Waiheke Island whilst experiencing a year of Magical Thinking