An Interview with Rhiannon Hope

Making an adoptive home in Leeds, Rhiannon Hope has also made a musical transition: her debut EP charts a journey from jazz to folk abstract, in startling new ways. 

‘All Things, Rising and Returning’ was a nourishing welcome to the songwriter, singing to the listener before it’s even begun, with homemade, naturalistic artwork. The title track’s slowly burgeoning accordion and vocal partnership starts the EP, alongside two tracks of agile and emotionally-potent folk to represent each facet of Hope’s instinctive and versatile songwriting. 

Below, James Kilkenny and Rhiannon Hope discuss the EP, Leeds, and accordions. 

Was there anything specific that you had imagined would be part of your debut release, which you fulfilled on the EP? 

The one aspect I decided long ago was that the cover would be handmade. I didn’t decide it would be embroidered until a few months before. Apart from that it happened quite naturally: we decided the songs for the EP quickly – we just went for one of our first ideas because it felt right. 

What was the importance of making the EP, as you describe, “as tactile an experience as possible” – and how does this materialise outside of music? 

I think for our music it was important to translate the live sound onto record. I put a lot of myself into the music, especially in the lyrics – a lot of very personal stuff shrouded in words. So I want people to hear it and feel like they could just come up to me and have a chat. As for this materialising outside of music, it does in the cover because that is a real piece of embroidery with not that much editing. But also if I’m being sentimental it materialises in the way the EP came together; just us chatting and playing together and trail and error-ing and being very open with each other. 

The opening track is unique in its unconventional non-chorus structure, repetition, and rests, acting as a really effective way to immerse the listener. As a performer, what is the appeal of a less immediate song like this? 

‘All Things’ is one of my favourite songs to sing live. I get really into it and I often forget people are there. I usually have my eyes closed for the entire time and by the time I open them at the end of the song there are way more people who have come in. In the band we say it’s quite a nice way for us to warm up to being onstage because everyone has the chance to just sit there and get a feel for the space before playing. I also just enjoy messing around singing it – I sing it differently and experiment with the melody each time. 

How were you drawn to the accordion and banjo? 

I didn’t decide to include accordion for any specific reason, deeper than the fact I had it and wanted to play it. I’ve never thought about it, but I do enjoy the contrast with the songwriting. I don’t play accordion in the classic way, so this also reflects this. Really, I just haven’t learned to play it properly yet.

The EP has a balance of spontaneity, roughness, and precision. How far back do the tracks go, and how much room for improvisation was there? 

I wrote all of the songs on the EP one after the other. They’re a reflection of what I was feeling at the time, although they all have very different sounds. When it came to recording the songs, we were already used to them because we’d played them live a million times, so we didn’t improvise much. However, all the songs on the record (and the rest of the repertoire) sound different every time we play them, so the recordings are more like a snapshot of how they sounded at that time. 

How did you assemble your band, and what does each member contribute? 

The band formed after I put a post on Instagram up asking if anyone wanted to play with me, and then it was just friends of friends. On our first practice we got through about three whole songs in two hours, which is really good going. 

I usually write the songs and lyrics on guitar at home, then I bring them to a practice and everyone writes their own parts to accompany. I think that’s why we sound good together, because everyone writes and plays what they want to play. 

Was there anything else about Leeds which was crucial in forming your current artistic self? 

The fact I moved here and restarted my life – trying to be a person in an entirely new place has definitely shaped my subject matter. I’d also say being influenced by my band and their tastes; I’ve written in styles I previously wouldn’t have, because I know people who play instruments that I can’t, and the writing process is shared. 

Can you give an example of a formative artist from each genre you’ve previously drawn influence from – folk and jazz? 

For jazz I always say Lianne La Havas; I love her guitar playing style and I also think she has one of the most beautiful voices ever. I was listening to her a lot when I was first trying to make my own sound in songwriting, when I was about 16, so she’s stuck with me ever since. 

A folk artist who influenced a lot of the EP is Clarissa Connelly. She has a song called ‘Wee Rosebud’ where she sings acapella, and it sounds like a siren song. Her instrumentation is crazy, and she has a beautiful voice – very different from Lianne but still so beautiful. Clarissa also writes in more modes, which comes out slightly in Indulge and is something I definitely want to experiment more with in the future.

Interview by James Kilkenny (@jameskilk1499)

First Picture: Rhiannon Hope by Natasha Dobson (@n_j_dphotography)

Second Picture: Rhiannon Hope’s epic embroidered EP cover from their Instagram (@rhiannonhope).