A member of Australian folk, alt. country band All Our Exes Live In Texas, Hannah Crofts has toured the world the last decade dressed in vintage gowns and rhinestone boots.
Some of the group's highlights include winning an ARIA Award (in 2017), singing back-up vocals on Kesha's Grammy-nominated 'Praying' single as well as travelling across the USA supporting Midnight Oil.With the group unable to continue their constant touring schedule when the pandemic arrived, Crofts decided to turn her creative focus inward with the seeds sewn for her debut solo album.
Released under the moniker Baby Velvet, 'Please Don't Be In Love With Someone Else' was created with the assistance of LA legend Kevin Ratterman and Melbourne indie royalty James Gilligan.
Across ten cuts, Baby Velvet explores a range of reflective subjects; from heartbreak and making the same mistakes to self-doubt, as well as the darker realities of tour life.
Congrats on your debut solo album release; you must be stoked to be so close to sharing the record with others; how are you feeling?
It feels like the closest I've come to having a baby/ having a wedding haha. It took me a year to write this album, a year to record it and now a year to put it out, so the last three years of my life.
I've thought about it every day. I've worked towards releasing it every day, so I am incredibly excited and proud but also very nervous!
What sparked the idea to set out to record and release your debut solo album?
Next year, All Our Exes will turn ten years old (can you bloody believe it!) – we toured solidly for about seven of those ten years all around the world.
When the pandemic hit, after we had non-stop toured, it felt like the right time to write and create an album for myself. I had been working on some songs, mulling over album sounds and finally had the down time to dedicate myself to this project.
From a creative standpoint, did you have firm grasp of the type of record you wanted to make?
In some ways yes – I knew sonically what I wanted it to sound like. I had written the songs that I wanted to work with James and Kevin; but also, I have never made a solo album before.
Exes is a democracy, so it's very collaborative and even though this was a collab with the producers at the end of the day everything was my decision which is a whole different ball game.
The album explores themes of love, life, adulthood – is there an overarching topic that binds these songs together?
I think overall the songs explore self-doubt, financial insecurities, getting older but not being in the same place as those around you (in my 30s my friends are having babies/ jobs/ partners and I am touring!) heartbreak, family dynamics, loss – all heavy topics but hopefully all through a lens of humour and wit (if I do say so myself!).
You worked with Kevin Ratterman and James Gilligan who produced the album; what did they each bring to the project especially considering you recorded during periods of lockdown and were confined to Zoom interactions (mostly)?
James has a very beautiful studio down the road from me in Brunswick. James has been one of my best friends since I was about 14 years old, and honestly the most incredible and creative musician I've ever met.
For the six songs he co-produced he helped me develop the sounds and ideas of each track. James also plays in my live band and is hugely responsible for so many of the sounds.
Kevin created some of my favourite albums, specifically Jenny O's album 'New Truth', so it has always been a dream to work with him. I love his dreamy LA sound, the way he handles vocal sounds and soaring guitars. He is also an incredible drummer (he played drums on the record) and I really wanted this record to rock.
It was a very weird process to work with Kevin over Zoom/ WhatsApp/ Dropbox and never actually meet him, but in some ways making it remotely made it the record it is, helped shaped the sound, because we were both pushing each other to do something new/we had never done before.
Were there any roadblocks or moments during the making of the record that made you hesitant, question whether you were making the right decision (and if so, how'd you overcome those doubts)?
I mean, you can tell from the lyrics on the album that I am full of self doubt 90 per cent of the time.
However, I really tried my best to be present with this record and calm any of those thoughts (as RuPaul would say my inner saboteur). It's a beautiful thing (and privileged thing) to get to make an album, so tried my best to just enjoy the process.
I’m also a huge believer that you made the best decision you could in that moment, so don't regret the choices you made.
The experience you've accrued from your involvement with All Our Exes; how much did play a part as the record started taking shape?
When we made the Exes first record, the band were all a fair bit more experienced than me at the recording process and while it was a group collaboration I think I was very green when making it. I learnt a lot from the girls and their processes.
With this album being my first, I definitely felt like a 'virgin' of sorts going into it a bit wide eyed on how to achieve what I wanted. Exes really taught me a lot about harmony singing and as you can tell, there are harmonies all over this record (100 per cent ukulele free though).
You'll be doing a tour to support the album's release; is there a nervous energy to present these songs to a live audience with you front and centre of everyone's attention?
Yay tour! Honestly I am a tour dog. I bloody love touring/ doing shows and dream of doing it daily.
While I feel nervous about the shows, I'm mostly just super excited. My band are the most beautiful humans and musicians and we have been gigging around a lot at the moment, so I think these shows are going to be extra special.
You recently played Dashville (with your band) while also supporting Midnight Oils (All Our Exes); are you starting to feel like we've moved into the next phase of this pandemic, that things are settling in and people are returning to their old habits?
So far, the vibe is a mixture of people being over the moon to be at a show paired with a new anxiety to be around so many people.
I think the excitement overrules the anxiety but it's been strange for everyone to step back out into the world. I do love that people generally seem more open and honest about feeling socially anxious and I also love just how excited everyone is to see and play shows and support live music.
The feels associated with performing live; do you still get a rush/ buzz from the energy you get?
Always. It's the best feeling in the whole world. I love performing so much and I feel like I do all of this, the work and the releasing and the planning, so that I can try tour and perform till I am a million years old.
Thanks for your time; anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you for having me.
Baby Velvet 2022 Tour Dates
Thu 21 July - The Vanguard (Sydney)Sat 23 Jul - Franks Wild Years (Wollongong)
Thu 4 Aug - Northcote Social Club (Melbourne)
Sat 6 Aug - The Bridge (Castelamine)
Fri 12 Aug - Lighthouse Arts Collective (Point Lonsdale)
