Go Away With … Hannah Bahng

By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune (.pdf) and other outlets
August 27, 2024

With her debut record, “The Abysmal EP,” indie artist Hannah Bahng showcases the kind of lyrical maturity that belies her youth. Her ethereal track, “Tonight’s the Night I Die to a Frank Ocean Song,” is a contemplative number that reflects on a real-life traumatic airplane incident. “I know it sounds kind of cringey,” the Australian singer-songwriter-keyboardist said. “But that song was written to come to terms with my own existence.”

This interview with Bahng, 20, was conducted over Zoom from her Sydney home and has been edited for clarity and length. Fans may follow her on Instagram and X.

Q: Did you write “Tonight’s the Night I Die to a Frank Ocean Song” on that same flight?
A: No, I like writing with a piano. But this song was inspired by that flight from, I think, Amsterdam to Venice. The turbulence was so bad. I was freaking out a little bit. Visually, it came to me so fast, so I had a concept in mind. I could see myself floating in a vast ocean. And then I started to write it.

Q: You were born and raised in Australia. Would you consider moving to another country?
A: I don’t think so. We recently moved to a new area and it’s really nice. Because I travel a lot, I have such a different appreciation for Sydney and I love coming back home. It’s just so chill and everyone’s so nice, and the air is just so good. It’s not too humid and it’s not too dry. I don’t know – I just love Sydney. I definitely see myself living here in the future when I’m old, too. I just want to be here.

Q: Traveling so much, how do you deal with jet lag?
A: I don’t get jet lag, really. I’m very adaptable. Once I arrive in that country, it’s like, “I’m here!” I think it’s because I sleep on the plane.

Q: How in the world do you do that?
A: I have a little stuffed alligator that I bring everywhere. It’s so comfortable [to use] on the plane when I sleep. I need it.

Q: What else do you bring on the plane?
A: I have noise-canceling headphones. And then just in case my noise-canceling headphones run out of battery, wireless earbuds. And then wired earphones just in case everything else runs out of battery. And then I’ll have a book, my laptop and iPad. I bring a lot of things on the plane, as if I’m going to use them, and then I just fall asleep. [Laughs] I like to have options.

Q: Where are some of the places that you’ve visited?
A: Let’s see, we hit London, Amsterdam, Venice, Paris. Then we went to Korea and Japan. Traveling is so important for life experience [and] I feel like I find out more about myself. I really liked Amsterdam. It was really cool. There were a lot of canals there as well. I really liked the people, vibe, atmosphere … and the galleries there were amazing, too. I also liked the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. When I saw Monet’s paintings in real life, it was amazing. I saw his paintings in London as well, along with Van Gogh’s. Just beautiful. We went to Ronda in Malaga (Spain), which was really cool. [Laughs] I like traveling a lot.

Q: What kind of trips did you take as a child?
A: My parents definitely believed that traveling was so important to be able to experience different cultures. I traveled to Korea where we have a lot of family. But we also visited New Zealand. I was little. But what I do remember is that the sights were amazing, because they have a lot of inactive and active volcanoes. We also did a 10-hour road trip in a camper van in Australia.

Q: Are you a high-maintenance traveler?
A: No! In high school, I did this thing called Duke of Ed [international program], where you carry a 10-kilo backpack, carry your tent, portable cooking supplies, food and then go backpacking. It’s about a 24-kilometer hike. It’s like a two-night, three-day type of survival thing. It was really fun and I enjoyed it a lot.

Q: What’s left on your travel bucket list?
A: I want to go to Chicago and look at that big Bean [Cloud Gate]. And I feel like this is so random, but I’ve always wanted to go to Antarctica and the Amazon rainforest. I feel like the experience would be enlightening.

© 2024 JAE-HA KIM
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