From class to the big stage: Hanari Talks SXSW Performance

UH Student Hannah Haas, or her stage name Hanari, recently performed at Austin’s annual SXSW as a part of the Vaperror set. Hanari is a local independent artist known for combining electronic music, R&B and lofi beats into fresh new music, all from her dorm.

Recently, Hass performed alongside longtime electronic musician Vaperror, and performed a stunning set alongside Sage Hardware, Bill Baird, Laveda, Julien Chang, Carrying and Tiger! Shit! Tiger! Tiger!. Coog Radio was able to sit down and chat with Sage Hardware, Vaperror and Hanari and discuss their music career and experiences at SXSW.

Isha: It’s your first time here…at SXSW, how has your experience been?

Vaperror: [SXSW is] a great opportunity, we had a lot of fun. We had a great experience coming out. I can go home feeling inspired by everyone’s showmanship and I can write some more music.

Hannah: I feel like I was definitely in a slump creatively before this, but now I am so inspired to put stuff out. I am really excited to put stuff out. Living here, I got to see evidence of SXSW. It was so cool to be a part of this uniquely Austin experience. Not only to attend for the first time, but to perform is such a cool experience. That was really special to me. Special thank you to Jeff for letting me on his set.

Vaperror: SXSW is a showcase not a show, I [love to see] a breadth of musicality and show what I love the most. So it’s more the merrier. Having more people on the stage, it’s just more fun to watch. Being a producer for 10 years, it’s rewarding to take the next step and help other people.

Hannah: You just get to make a lot of connections at these shows. It’s just crazy. I love to see evidence of people liking my stuff… there is nothing like that feeling. 

Sage Hardware: SXSW has always been a bucket list type of thing. I’ve been a musician for 15 years, and it’s one of those things where if you do it, you’ve made it. You meet tons of people [in different fields].

Isha: So, this is a question for Hannah and Jeff, how did you guys meet?

Vapperror: So we met on Twitter through mutual friends from a producer called Stux.Io, and I wanted to use different genres… So I reached out to him, and he said we could collaborate on one condition, that we could reach out to Hanari and collaborate…and that how our single “Moonside” was made.

Hannah: I did not know it was a condition…I literally found out two days ago…

Vaperror: Yeah, and he had the verse A demo out that night…[we worked] on it daily…just pushing ourselves on the sound. And I think it came out great.

Hannah: I think it’s interesting to look at the differences in influence between “Moonside” and “Strawberry July”…it’s really interesting to hear how the sounds…[are] similar…but the roots are different because they come from different places and people. And I met Sage [at SXSW]!

Isha: So I have a question for [Hannah]: you are still a university student, and you are able to perform at SXSW. How do you feel about that?

Hannah: Honestly, it’s really hard to describe. It’s such an honor, and it’s so unreal…I definitely have to find time to record as a student…I couldn’t have gotten here without the connections I made…I went to New York to perform with [Jeff] for electronicon three, and he literally financed the entire trip.

…I have my little set up in my dorm. It’s a little janky I’m not gonna lie…I can usually crank something out in 1-2 sessions.

Vaperror: She recorded her vocals for our latest single “Let Me B” on her iPhone… I don’t think you need fancy equipment all the time.

Isha: So, [Sage Hardware], you released an album last year, how do you feel about it?

Sage Hardware: I honestly forgot about that. It was a collab album. It’s a little different from what I do normally…It’s [with an] artist from Germany and we just sent stuff back and forth and it came out really awesome.

It’s experimental club music [with] Jersey influence, and I would say jungle influence.

Isha: So, [Vaperror], you have been making music for 10 years now. How do you feel like the process of music has changed over time?

Vaperror: The way that I write, create, and distribute music has changed drastically in the past 10 years. [10 years ago] the philosophy was just upload it and don’t touch it… SoundCloud was very cool because it had a social media part of it. Spotify is different, there is more money involved…music is more algorithmically set and based. It harms your musicianship in some sense because you’re not creating for yourself, you’re creating for a computer. It’s very hard to strike that balance..being from your heart is what is [gonna work]. The strategy of writing music and turning this from turning this from a hobby into a career is very different now.

Hannah: This reminds me of the TikTok-ification of music… TikTok is so important… but it does not come naturally to me…[so] it’s hard to keep [advertising social media]  in mind…I do think it is interesting how many songs you can tell only came out for TikTok… It’s so clear that they… smashed something together and [then released it].

Vaperror: Making a reel for everything you make is exhausting.

Hannah: I feel like you shouldn’t feel pressured to have to appeal to that just because it’s the thing that’s trending right now…

Isha: So [Sage Hardware], can you tell me about the Crest worship meme on your Instagram?

Sage: So I’m into super obscure memes and jokes…I like bringing that into conjunction with what I do. Someone took a photo of me at a show, and there was a commercial of Crest playing behind me, so I just rolled with it and I called it Crest worship.

Isha: What is in store for the future of y’alls music?

Vaperror: I always try to keep myself busy with projects… try to make house style with Hannah… jazz style music… have those as two separate eps. With [Sage Hardware] I want to integrate intense metal music…digital hardcore…inspired by machine girl and those kinds of artists… dichotomous worlds I want to operate in… it gives me what I want from both sides. I’m never satisfied with making just one thing.

Hannah: I wanted to pull a baby metal and go with baby vocals in the back… that would be so sick. My brand is electronic music. I want to keep it that way… [but] explore more genres… [like] go into metal…[and] keep it. I like doing city pop and house music. I just want to do stuff that makes me feel good.

Vaperror: We have a sidequest of trying to get into coffeeshop playlists.

Sage: I guess for me I want to keep writing music with Jeff because its awesome… shout out Seamus [he is a member who is currently sick]… as far as Sage Hardware stuff goes… I am working on a new record that I want out over the summer… working on going on tour… continue to work on stuff… I haven’t put out a Sage Hardware record in 3 years, so people are wanting it.

Check out Hanari, Sage Hardware and Vaperror’s music on their Spotify, and follow their Instagrams to check out upcoming events their doing.