Hannah Connolly Releases Her Sophomore Album ‘Shadowboxing’

With a greatly-anticipated sophomore LP, Shadowboxing,  out now, rising LA Americana artist Hannah Connolly is quickly making a name for herself with a varied canon of thoughtful ruminations that range from wistful romantic ballads to high-energy folk rock. Healing, finding strength and moving forward informs Shadowboxing from what’s seen and unseen within the universal human condition of wrestling with how profound loss and its ensuing grief irrevocably change who we are and who we will become.

A prolific writer, Connolly regularly journals, writes poetry, and, of course, writes songs, ever honing her already crystalline view of the world around her. Beginning work on the new album in late 2020, she wrote many of the songs with Jordan Ruiz, who produced her introspective yet poignant debut, From Where You Are, which drew heavily from the tragic loss of her younger brother Cullen, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2015.

”I had a lot of lyrics piling up. In order to have some more time to write, I took off work for three days,” says. “I literally pretended like I was going into the studio, but it was actually the extra bedroom where my fiancé and I had recording equipment set up. We wrote almost three songs a day for a few days, which was really fun. All of a sudden it was like, ‘Whoa, there’s so much coming out here.’”She and Ruiz finished those sessions with nine additional songs, many of which appear on Shadowboxing. After a few more sessions in the ensuing months, Connolly had over 30 tracks to choose from, a testament to her prolificacy.

Shadowboxing opens with the lush one-two punch of “Reno,” a romantic ode to “the magnetic pull that you feel toward someone when you know it’s right,” and “Stuck in Place,” which offers a gander at the polar opposite, be it in a relationship or a situation. “Reno,” which pairs a driving instrumental with an intimate, almost ethereal vocal, chronicles relationship uncertainty, pinpointing the moments of tension and miscommunication that so often occur early in a romantic relationship.

From there, the “Party Is Over,” a sweet, simple love song, revelling in the unspoken intimacy found between two people who truly love one another. “The lights have gone out, the party is over / They’re waiting on us to go home,” Connolly sings before musing, “Who knew it could be this easy, feeling at home in your arms?” Other highlights include the title track, whose lyrics came to Connolly almost fully formed, though she wasn’t initially sure what they meant. “Every time I sing it, it’s alive and could show me more,” she says. “Golden” pairs acoustic guitar with pedal steel for a twangier feel, with lyrics that encourage listeners to look within for the answers they are seeking.

In February, she has six showcases at Folk Alliance International in Kansas City before a 4-show run with Sam Outlaw that includes a duelling album release show at Zebulon in LA (March 8th, International Women’s Day) and then she heads to Northern California on a mid-March trek with fellow LA songwriter Abby Litman, host of the well-regarded monthly series Good Folk LA.

Hannah Connolly ‘Shadowboxing’ album artwork

Hannah Connolly Tour Dates:

2/26 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent (support for Young the Giant)
3/06 – Women of Americana Instagram Takeover
3/07 – Phoenix, AZ – The Rebel Lounge (support for Sam Outlaw)
3/08 – Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon (support for Sam Outlaw) [Album Release]
3/09 – Costa Mesa, CA – The Wayfarer (support for Sam Outlaw)
3/10 – San Diego, CA – The Holding Company (support for Sam Outlaw)
3/15 – San Diego, CA – Folk Arts Rare Records (w/ Abby Litman)
3/16 – Tehachapi, CA – Casa Con Tiki House Concert (w/ Abby Litman)
3/17 – San Francisco, CA – Brick & Mortar (w/ Abby Litman, Matthew Fowler)
3/20 – Half Moon Bay, CA – House Concert (w/ Abby Litman, Ella Harp)
3/21 – Olympia, WA – House Concert (w/ Abby Litman, Sprig of That)
3/22 – Portland, OR – Artichoke (w/ Abby Litman, Sprig of That)
3/24 – Seattle, WA – House Concert (w/ Abby Litman)
3/28 – Willits, CA – Shanachie Pub (w/ Abby Litman, Matthew Fowler)
3/29 – Atascadero, CA – Raconteur Room (w/ Abby Litman)
3/30 – Boulder Creek, CA – lille æske arthouse (w/ Abby Litman)
4/25 – Nashville, TN – The 5 Spot (American Roots Hoedown IX)
5/08 – Knoxville, TN – Blue Plate Special (WDVX) [12pm]
5/9-12 – Black Mountain, NC – SERFA Conf (SE Region Folk Alliance)