WXTJ Writes! Interview with Farrah Hanna, Sharing New Single “TMILTM”
Portions of this story have been edited and condensed for clarity.
This interview has been brought to you by two recent graduates of UVA and alums of the station, Hannan Mumtaz and Farrah Hanna. Hannan, who used to host “listen w lazybones” on 100.1 FM, now works in music management at SunPop. Read on to learn more about Farrah Hanna’s journey as an artist, going from playing shows in college to now releasing original music from the big city.
Who are you? Where are you from?
My name is Farrah Hanna, I’m from Charlottesville, Virginia — actually, this is a hard question. To everyone in New York, I’m from Charlottesville. To everyone in Charlottesville, I’m from Northern Virginia. To everyone in Northern Virginia, I’m from Egypt. I identify with all of those places — they’re all home in some way.
When did you start making music?
I started making music in my freshman year of high school, when I started learning guitar. I discovered how to play and write through that learning process.
How did your UVA experience impact your music journey? WXTJ?
This is a really big question for me. I truly attribute my music journey so far to UVA — the music scene in Charlottesville is one of the most underrated music scenes in the country. I mean it.
Being in Charlottesville, surrounded by people who are constantly creating, as well as with clubs like WXTJ and Indieheads — giving students and artists in general the ability to connect and perform was insane. I don’t think I would be anywhere I am today without that experience. I am so grateful for it.
Farrah Hanna at WXTJ’s Chapel Show — December 5, 2022. The show highlighted live acoustic acts from both UVA and the greater Charlottesville area. See more here.
What are you most excited for this year?
To play more shows in New York City, and to be able to record more often. It’s been my dream since I was a kid to live here and pursue a career in music, so being here today feels surreal. It’s also been incredible to meet so many musicians that I’ve looked up to — some for years — and to be able to connect with them over the one thing we love the most.
Farrah Hanna’s newest single, “TMILTM,” is out on all platforms today. You can find it here.
What would be your advice to UVA musicians?
My advice is to not only lean into the UVA community, but the greater Charlottesville community. There are so many incredible resources around you — Front Porch, Live Arts… I think UVA musicians now are doing this more often, but I encourage everyone to play downtown at places like the Whiskey Jar and Rapture. Connect more with the city that we are part of and blessed to be taking space in. The city has bred a lot of incredible musicians, and we have an incredible scene to be tapping into.
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Farrah Hanna performing at the “Sound-On Semi-Formal” earlier this year, which was a fundraiser for the MRC in Charlottesville hosted by WXTJ, SHHO, VEMCO, University Records, and Indieheads at UVA.
“TMILTM” is out now. Check it out on any streaming platform.
To keep up with Farrah Hanna, follow her on Instagram.
Interview by Hannan Mumtaz, veteran DJ and former host of “listen w lazybones.”
Article was reviewed and published by the WXTJ Writes! team.
WXTJ Writes! is brought to you by a team of writers—our mission is to make our website come alive by diving even deeper into some of our favorite music and music culture. Read special stories told by radio-loving students, here on wxtj.fm/articles.
