Hello friends,

It's Monday and I sent out my first newsletter today. Somehow it made me more nervous than releasing a song or posting a video, it just seems more personal that you could read these ramblings.

It was rainy and grey today, much like home can be, and I think it has such an impact on how I feel about my life. I got myself out of bed and went to two coffee shops nearby, Dozen bakery - that has the most amazing pastry, and Humphreys Cafe. At the bakery I tried the a pastry which I'd never had before and it tasted a bit like a shortbread biscuit had a drunken one night stand with a croissant and it made beautiful delicious babies. I digress.

I think it's hard being here without my friends and family to have to rely on myself, but I think it's something I'm getting much better at. My whole life I've had issues self regulating, but as I move closer and closer to the grand old age of 27 I think it's something I'm starting to address more. I am not always the most confident and fearless version of myself, and that's okay. Try again tomorrow.

Sometimes I forget that small progress is still progress. I am track of the week on Riverside Radio. This is big to me who didn't release music for a year and for a long period of 2022 wasn't able to write at all.

This week has been difficult. My lovely and kind hosts - who took me out for pancake day !!- have headed on their big trip so I am in charge of this house and the space in it. It takes some adjusting.

With Valentines day I am reminded about how hard long distance can be. Two months is a long time to miss someone, but I am grateful that I am with someone who lets me go and have my own adventures.

I took myself on a solo adventure to a LANY show. A band I've seen play countless times, usually with Sam, and it was a good evening. I could be present. They brought out pop country superstars Dan and Shay (2.1 million insta followers), who sang their smash hit 'Tequila', a song I know all the words to, so that was very fun.

Less fun was the 50 minutes I spent at the top of a multi story car park in standstill traffic as each and every other car on every level made their way out of the car park, as I paid £40 for 4 hours of parking.

On Saturday I went to an all girls walk, where I tried to make friends with very nice women who didn't understand my sense of humour. Then I went to a very nice restaurant with some lovely friends I have here, before we went to see another friend play at Acme on Broadway before my first excursion on Broadway! A country dream of course, particularly when members of the British army tried to befriend me. Lol.

Today is Monday again. I have written 4 songs this week and demoed 2, so here is one of them. It's called 'Snowing in Nashville' and it's about how it's always time to have a fresh start, and your immediate interpretation of something might not be how it really is.

SNOWING IN NASHVILLE DEMO

This week has been tough for a multitude of reasons, but I am here and I am trying !

Lots of love to all who read this far, if anything, being here has made me so grateful for the people and the life that I am lucky to have.

Lots of love,

Hannah x