Rock Goddess Hannah Wicklund Releases New Singles off of “Live at the Troubadour”
Single(s) review via Kenzie Gay - @kenzwrites
Live albums have notoriously never been my thing. I can’t explain it, mostly because it doesn’t make any sense considering that live music and concert settings are the only public spaces that don’t overstimulate me into oblivion, but I’ve never really heard any live recording that hit me.
Well, up until now, that is.
Hannah Wicklund. The absolute epitome of the types of artists that I founded this very magazine to highlight: she’s an independent singer/songwriter, she’s a woman, she’s a rockstar, and she isn’t afraid to speak up about the maltreatment of women both on stage and back stage in this industry.
Even if this makes me sound like some cheesy fangirl (which I suppose I am!), I can say with confidence that she is one of my dream artists to work with if I’m ever able to get out of Michigan and down to Nashville (fingers crossed!). She is an absolute powerhouse on the guitar with a Hendrix-Young edge combined with her own innovation and vocally, she is unlike anything I’ve ever had the honor of hearing (and that is both my professional and personal opinion). When I saw her live this Spring, it was like her vocal chords were birthed from the fires of rock n roll itself and the same goes for her recorded numbers, too.
Hannah Wicklund via Jody Wilk (left) and Emily Reneehahn (right)
After her second album, The Prize, which debuted in January of this year, Wicklund toured the world in what she called the Hell in the Hallway World Tour, named after one of the tracks from the album. One of these stops included a show at the legendary Troubadour in West Hollywood, California, which brings us Wicklund’s upcoming live album, her very first.
Live at the Troubadour is due to release in full in January of 2025 a near-year after The Prize and on September 27th, she dropped two singles off of the impending live record - two singles that have somehow managed to capture the exact energy Miss Wicklund brings to the stage. It includes a rendition of her 2018 song Bomb Through the Breeze, her most popular track to date, and a piece she refers to as Jam in E Minor, an aspect of her performances that is hands down my most favorite part.
Bomb Through the Breeze / Jam in E Minor (Live at the Troubadour) - A Review.
Starting off strong is Jam in E Minor (Live at the Troubadour) and boy oh boy was I glad to see this on the roster. Back in April, as I mentioned earlier, I had the privilege of seeing Wicklund live in Ferndale, Michigan (the three and a half hour drive was SO worth it!). She showcased Jam in E Minor at this show, too, but unfortunately for me, I wasn’t able to capture it on video. Thus, I was left with it in my brain all this time, viewing it as an ear worm of sorts since I never knew the name. In specific, I recall the psychedelic nature of the keys clashing with Wicklund’s guitar and I was so bummed that I may not ever hear it again but my wishes have been granted, it seems. Jam in E Minor (Live at the Troubadour) is everything you want out of a rock performance and it really captures that essence even if you’re just listening on your daily commute to work or on a routine stroll through the grocery store.
Jamming out, in my opinion, has become a lost art that only a few acts have kept up within rock music. I’m not sure if it’s because the masses get “bored” (why?!) or if the artists themselves don’t see it as a cool aspect of their shows but whatever the case may be, I am glad that artists like Wicklund are keeping it alive through notions such as this. I am a sucker for guitar solos, bass solos, drum solos, keyboard solos, ANY type of solo that really demonstrates a musician’s style and the power an instrument can possess so I’ve always found these to be my favorite part of any rock show that chooses to highlight a mid-concert jam. Jam in E Minor (Live at the Troubadour) is a fantastic instrumental number that Wicklund provides in her performances, giving fans a look at how fluid and dynamic music can be.
Her personal tact on the guitar is a blast from the past that’s fueled by potent femininity and ingenuity while bassist Gunner Ebeling holds a groovy manner that’s commanding in itself. Keyboardist Chase Johnson’s approach is nothing short of transcendent as well, holding an undeniable funk that elicits goosebumps amongst listeners and to wrap things all together, drummer Dylan Hansen’s grit is a notable trait as well.
Jam in E Minor (Live at the Troubadour) brings us straight into Bomb Through the Breeze (Live at the Troubadour), which is just as (if not more so) electrically moving as its studio recording. It packs a punch that reeks of justice in the most poetic form possible and again, the contributions of Wicklund, Ebeling, Johnson, and Hansen elevates the piece to a level of musicianship that really makes you wonder if they’ve time travelled from the 1970s or perhaps they are reincarnations of some of the greats (Hendrix, Burton, Manzarek, Bonham…the possibilities are endless).
Jam in E Minor (Live at the Troubadour) and Bomb Through the Breeze (Live at the Troubadour) follow the first single from Live at the Troubadour, Strawberry Moon (Live at the Troubadour) and it has truly sent a surge of excitement throughout Wicklund’s fandom and even those outside it that discovered her through acts she’s opened for such as Deep Purple, Greta Van Fleet, and Devon Gilfillian. These are just a taste of what’s to come and based on the part of her journey as a woman in music that she’s shared to the public alongside her irrefutable future as a rock trailblazer, her growing audience is elated to hear Live at the Troubadour.
After this release of Bomb Through the Breeze/Jam in E Minor (Live at the Troubadour), Hannah’s full live album is set to debut in January 2025 on a to-be-announced day. Furthermore, Wicklund has just recently finished off a run of shows opening for Deep Purple and fans are hoping for more shows to be announced next year (Hannah or Hannah’s agent, if you are reading this please come to Grand Rapids, Michigan. I will personally market to locals for the show) but nothing concrete has been announced as of publishing.
For now, Wicklund is taking some much needed time to relax and re-energize at home in Nashville but listeners old and new can pre-save Live at the Troubadour below, which I urge you to do.
