Last year at this time, Hannah Kerr was trying to adjust to college life as she began her freshman year at Belmont. This year, she’s gearing up to go on tour with one of the biggest bands in the Christian music scene: Casting Crowns. It’s fitting that the tour is The Very Next Thing Tour, because Hannah is, without a doubt, the very next big thing in the Christian music scene. A few weeks before she packed her bags to hit the road, we sat down with the New York native to get the inside scoop on her music, her upcoming tour, and her favorite Netflix binge.
So, just to get us started, tell us a little bit about your childhood and how it fostered your love for music.
I grew up in Buffalo, New York and I lived there from the time I was born until I was 14. My parents were worship leaders at our church in Buffalo and so, literally, where we would play growing up was in the aisles of the church. It’s so stereotypical, but that’s how it was. My dad wrote songs and my mom sang and they were both music majors in college. I’ve been singing since I was little…my family sings before we eat and in the grocery store. We’re not good at sports [laughs] so music is what we do.
How did that passion for music in general translate into songwriting?
I’ve been writing songs as long as I can remember, just with family. We actually thought we’d have a family band at some point, but that hasn’t worked out. We’re all involved in writing now…my brother Josh actually wrote Kelsea Ballerini’s first two number one songs! I actually started real songs for myself three years ago, which doesn’t seem that long, but it’s been really cool learning what styles I like and who I like to write with. Writing for me is not just an outlet; it’s the way that I spend time with the Lord. It’s been a devotional thing for me, where I read something and then write about what I read.
Has the dream always been to be a singer/songwriter?
I never said, “I want to be a singer,” it just happened that way. I’ve been leading worship at my church [Brentwood Baptist Church] for 5 years and that’s how I met my producer, how I got connected with a studio, all of that stuff. This producer named Mark approached me and was like, “Hi, I produce Casting Crowns and I’d love to produce you.” I was like “What do you mean?! I don’t know, I’ve never thought about that before!” He told me to take some time and think about it and I thought about it and was like, “Why not? If the opportunity is there, why not just walk through the door and try it?” I didn’t move to Nashville for music. I moved for my dad’s job. It’s just so funny how things work out in ways you never thought they would. I thought I’d be a teacher, major in Elementary Education. I’m majoring in Religion and Christian Leadership with a Worship emphasis, which is really cool, but it isn’t what I thought I would do.
How are you feeling about the tour you’re about to kick off with Casting Crowns?
I knew that this was going to happen for a really long time, but it was kind of on the backburner. Mark [Hall, lead singer of Casting Crowns] would always say in an offhand way, “I’m going to take you on tour with me someday” and I was like, “yeah whatever, it’s not going to happen”. But then, I was on tour with Matt Maher last year and I got a call from Mark saying, “Okay, this is it. Do you want to go on tour with us next fall?” I was like, “yes of course” [laughs]. It’s crazy. It wasn’t until about 6 months ago that I realized how huge this tour is going to be. Like playing Bridgestone?! I don’t know if I’ll get through that show…I’ll probably cry like 20 times. Just thinking about going on tour with Crowns and playing arenas…it isn’t something I thought I would do. Ever. When I first started this, the most people I’d ever played in front of was 200, 400 maybe.
That’s a huge change!
It’s a big change, a culture shock for sure. Moving from Buffalo to Nashville was a change, but then all of these things that have happened in Nashville….it’s a total life change but in the best way.
What was the process of recording your first EP like?
It was slower than most people. I did an artist development thing first. I’m signed with Provident Label Group, which is a division of Sony. I’m on a smaller branch of Provident called Black River Christian. I was just writing and recording whatever I wrote just to see what worked best for me and what my sound was. I started recording when I was a junior in highschool and I released the EP a year ago, so it was a long process. I think I recorded 13 songs but the EP only had 5.
What’s next for your music?
I just finished my full-length project which I just re-wrote completely after my EP. Now it has 11 songs, it’s going to be released in September. It’s exciting, it feels like it’s been a long time coming. But it’s good because the stuff I would have put out a year ago sounds completely different than what I’m releasing now. I feel like I found what I want to say, and who I am in music. I found my thing, which is worship music that’s bordering on pop.
Where did the inspiration for “Undivided”, your first single off your new album, come from?
I kind of had been thinking about the idea of being undivided for a long time. Psalm 86:11 says, “Give me an undivided heart so that I may fear your name”. I was thinking about what undivided means, to be completely for something, but also asking the Lord what that means for me in my life. So I wrote this chorus and brought it to some guys and asked them to help me finish it. But I really wrote it for leading worship. It’s about how when you’re worshipping you should be completely focused on the Lord and that’s hard for me sometimes! I feel like I’m really busy and my focus is in a lot of different places, but to be in that moment, fully present, is really special. That’s been my mission statement this whole time, that song, and I’m so excited for it to finally be out there.
What’s it been like to see it climb the charts?
It’s like the “Little Engine That Could”! It started off and we were like “Well, that’s it,” but then, little by little, every week it’s one more station that adds it and now they’re playing it in Nashville and on XM!
Have you heard it on the radio yet?
YES! Oh my gosh, it was the weirdest. I was just in the car by myself listening to the radio and all of the sudden I was like “That sounds super familiar….WHAT?!” I rolled down my windows and was like “THIS IS ME!!!!” I was just FREAKING out, half laughing, half crying, Snapchatting and just being super unsafe. I’ve heard it 5 times now and it never gets old…ever.
Is there any other song off the project that you’re really excited to release to the world?
Yes! There’s this song called Radiate and I wrote it with my brother and Jordan Reynolds, who’s a country songwriter. They even produced it, which is the only song on the album not produced by my producer. It sounds really cool and fresh and young, which I really like. I’ve been playing it out and people seem to like it, and I’m super excited about it. This record is cool because some of the songs sound more like worship music and some sound more like pop music, so I’m curious to see what people like. We shall see.
What drew you to Belmont?
I have two older brothers and, for my middle brother, Belmont was his dream school. He got accepted but it was too far because we were living 12 hours away. We ended up moving to Nashville later, and my brother wasn’t happy about that since he’d started school in New York, but then I wanted to visit since that was his dream school! So I visited for random things here and there and every time I stepped on campus I was just like, “This is it. This is where I need to be.” Not because it’s beautiful but because the people are so welcoming, it just kept drawing me to the school. The first day applications were open, I applied. It’s the only place I applied. It’s such a great place. I’m like a walking Belmont advertisement.
Alright…are you ready for some rapid-fire questions?!
For sure.
Favorite coffee drink?
Vanilla latte. It’s classic!
Netflix binge of choice?
I just watched Stranger Things and it was SO intense. I didn’t want to be watching it but I was. And I’ve watched Gilmore Girls three times.
Favorite candy?
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Peanut butter and chocolate together? It’s like the Lord has given us a gift.
Favorite place to go on vacation?
Vancouver, British Columbia. The mountains and waterfalls and everything there are so beautiful. I’m more of a mountain girl than a beach girl.
Musical inspirations?
In Christian music, Kari Jobe and Casting Crowns…they were my first concert ever! Talk about a full circle. And even people in pop music, Ben Rector and, as much as I hate to admit this, Taylor Swift. It’s kind of a guilty pleasure but kind of isn’t. I love her honesty in her songs.
Dream collaboration?
Oh, wow, okay. This is so random, but I really wanna collab with a rapper. Like in the middle of a pop song you have a rap break!! C’mon. That’s so cool. So Lecrae would be really cool.
Top 3 items on your bucket list?
I really wanna skydive! My grandpa is 75 and he’s done it a ton of times and still does it. And I wanna go overseas…see London and Paris and see the places I’ve always read about. What else?! Um, I also really want to play a show in a stadium. There isn’t that type of thing in Christian music right now, but just to see all the lights and all the people…that would be so cool. But I guess it depends on if I like the arena shows, right?!
Keep up with Hannah on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and her website!