Hailing from my hometown of Mamaroneck, NY, Hannah Smith is quickly making a name for herself in the music scene. First exploring the potential of programming MIDI in 2006, Hannah started to write and record herself for fun and quickly realized she had a knack and passion for electronic music production. It wouldn’t be until 2010 that she would release her 11 track debut album, Everything, Nothing, now under the clever moniker Eitch (pronounced like the letter “H”). Growing up with Hannah, or shall I say Eitch, I always knew she would end up doing something beautiful with her talent; whether it be singing, dancing, or acting.
To be honest, I’ve been meaning to write an artist spotlight on Eitch for some time now, but was a little unsure whether or not her self-described genre ‘altronipop’ (alternative + electronic + pop) would appeal to our fan base at LiS. However, since her album’s release, Eitch has taken the stage with several LiS favorites including Technicolor Lenses and is now on the road to perform at this year’s Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival in Ozark, Arkansas. Whether you think altronipop is your thing or not, Eitch is definitely an artist worth listening to.
With musical influences like Bjork, Thom Yorke, Nine Inch Nails, Ghostland Observatory, and VNV Nation, Eitch’s music is far from conventional. Each song on Everything, Nothing has deep lyrical content that guides you on a captivating journey of curiosity. Her words not only entranced my ears, but also caught the attention of Bjork during the acclaimed artist’s worldwide lyric competition. Out of thousands of artist submissions, Bjork chose Eitch’s original lyrics and sang them live on February 18th at the New York Hall of Science in Queens, NY, to which Hannah excitedly attended. She wrote:
“and they say: back then our universe, was immensely hot,
and packed into a point the size of a dot, an atom, a quark,
a string that shook and became the world we know.”
Following that most wondrous accomplishment, Eitch was even more motivated to fulfill her other dream: play at Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival in Ozark, Arkansas. Attending as a patron in 2011 and falling in love with the festival’s eclectic mix of genres (alternative, jam, electronic), Hannah promised herself she would do everything she could to try and perform there the following year. Her hopeful journey started with a Reverbnation online submission and then reaching out to an informed camping neighbor she met at Wakarusa 2011 for guidance. After a ton of hard work and perseverance, or in her own words “ninja hustling”, Eitch finally got asked to take the stage for 2012. Her set time is Saturday 6/2 at 4:30pm on the Untz Grassroots Satellite Stage and I highly encourage everyone heading to Waka to catch her set! Not only is Hannah beautiful inside and out, but her music will be sure to put a smile on your face (her smile is contagious). If you miss Eitch’s set, she is also playing the official Wakarusa after party on Monday 6/4 at 8:30pm at George’s Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville, AR.
Be sure to look out for Eitch on local bills, as she often plays in NYC and the surrounding areas! Listen to all the songs on Eitch’s debut album, Everything, Nothing, here: www.eitchmusic.com.
Eitch’s Next NYC show: Friday 7/6 with LiS favorites: Wobblesauce, MUN, & The Manhattan Project
