Hannah Georgas teams up with Bareilles for new tour | The Triangle

Hannah Georgas teams up with Bareilles for new tour

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Hannah Georgas will be opening for Sara Bareilles at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts as part of Bareilles’ “Little Black Dress” Tour July 17.

The Newmarket, Ontario, native joined Bareilles July 10 in Chicago, Ill. From there, the pair will travel to various cities such as Cleveland, Ohio, Charlottesville, Va., Boston and Lewistown, N.Y., before arriving in Philadelphia.

Georgas will be performing tracks from her self-titled second album, which she describes as “singer/songwriter style with electronic elements.”

As opposed to her first album, which was a compilation of songs written over a long period of time with a large guitar and drum presence, Georgas said that this album was written in a concentrated period of time and has a greater emphasis on production.

She explained, “I started in the winter and finished everything in the summer. I kind of sparked it by going away for a bit and renting a cabin and just putting myself in solitude without [cell phone] reception or Internet, and that was really inspiring to me.”

Georgas wrote the album herself and experimented with some production while doing so. Georgas explained that even with the heavy production, during the tour she and her band are “trying pretty hard to replicate it and make our [live] performance correspond with what the record is and how the record sounds.”

While much of the sound is synthetic, her lyrics are organic. For Georgas, who prefers to write on the piano, songwriting is an emotional release.

“I find that it’s a way of me just kind of saying exactly how I feel, and when I write a song that I’m really excited about, it’s like I got something off my chest. Finding the honesty in the music is something that really inspires me in the first place,” she explained.

Lyrics on this record admit to hurt, vulnerability, frustration and, at times, helplessness — but without sounding destitute or hopeless. In songs like “Waiting Game,” “Elephant” and “Millions,” which was featured in the closing credits of season 3, episode 6 of “Girls,”Georgas sings about the things that no one wants to talk about, such as a fear of agelessness, ignorance, and her own fate, and using this fear as a crutch.

In terms of lyrics, her simple yet honest and to-the-point style is similar to Bareilles’, which is probably why the two got along so well when they first met.

According to Georgas, jumping on the Bareilles tour came unexpectedly. Georgas explained she was gearing up to start writing again when Bareilles sent her a tweet while passing through Vancouver, British Columbia. Bareilles said she liked Georgas’ music and asked if she was in town. The two met up for coffee one day and agreed to meet up again. During the next visit, Bareilles invited Georgas to her show and then later reached out and asked if Georgas wanted to open for her during the summer tour.

Georgas said she is excited to tap into Bareilles’ fan base.

“The best thing about performing is actually feeling like you’re making a connection and also feeling like you let go,” she said. “I’ll have shows where I felt like I could just let go a little more, and all those little weird thoughts that pop into your head when you’re about to go on — they’re all gone when you give a performance strictly focusing on the music and the crowd.”

She continued, “I think I just want to make that connection … play shows that I’m proud of, make a connection with her fan base, and just have a good time and enjoy it. Let it in and have fun.”

After their stop in Philadelphia, the two will travel to New York City, then as far south as Florida and as far west as California. The tour will end Aug. 14 in Berkeley, Calif.

In the past, Georgas has toured with fellow Canadian artist Kathleen Edwards and the band City and Colour. In 2011 she was named emerging artist of the year and solo artist of the year at The Verge Music Awards and the Independent Music Awards, respectively, both of which are sponsored by Sirius XM Radio. She has also been nominated for best new artist of the year, songwriter of the year and alternative album of the year at the Juno Awards.

For more information regarding Georgas’ tour or a download of her album, visit www.hannahgeorgas.com.