Hannah Schzde is an indie singer-songwriter and violinist who emigrated from Mexico to the United States at the age of twenty to pursue a career in music. Pronounced Sheez-dae, the Massachusetts-based artist’s chosen surname was derived from the name of a character near and dear to her heart: Scheherazade. Hannah’s fondness for the fictional Persian heroine is representative of her broader passion for telling the stories of women through song.
In 2018, she released “Ni Una Más” as the lead single off her self-titled solo project in an effort to call attention to and raise money for the fight against gender-based violence and discrimination. Hannah’s latest work centers around themes of self-love, empowerment, and healing. “Shine,” the eclectic multi-instrumentalist’s newest single, is no exception.
There’s a special kind of empowerment that takes place when we embrace ourselves in our most natural light. Everything we choose to add to our natural selves is just to highlight what is already there. We are all innately beautiful and we are all here to let that beauty shine.
Tell us about “Shine.”
My new single “Shine” sheds light on the similarities between the effortless beauty of nature and that which is innate to all of us, both inside and out. This single was first inspired by my love for nature. I enjoy going out on walks and embracing the beauty of every single natural thing that surrounds me, from the weeds and moss growing between the cracks of the sidewalk to the way the sun reflects off the clouds in the sky. One day I realized that every now and then, I also take a moment to notice the beauty of everyone around me. For example, I notice the deepness in someone’s eyes, the way their hair waves, or the contour of their profile. I also notice the sound of their voice, how they express themselves about their hopes and dreams, or the way they treat and care about others. This made me notice that there really isn’t any difference between the beauty of the natural environment and that of human beings: both are innately and effortlessly radiant, no matter the color, shape, or size. With this single, I want to highlight that fact and inspire everyone to truly believe that everyone is beautiful and that we are all here to shine.
What was the writing and recording process?
I first started writing this song during a songwriting class I took a while back. I wanted my next single to make people smile, so I decided to loop back to this song and develop it. Once the song was written, I began the recording process at my DIY home studio. This last year, I taught myself to play the ukulele, so I thought this would be a great song to record on the ukulele for the first time. (Fun fact: The ukulele part for “Shine” was inspired by the soundtrack of the video game “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”!) I also wrote the string arrangements and recorded them on the violin, which is my main instrument. I’m very lucky to live with two very talented people: my husband, Matt “Aric” Hughes, who is also a musician and producer, and his brother, Zach Hughes, who is an audio engineer. Together, we produced the song, adding our own respective touches to it. They both helped me mix it. Thanks to them, “Shine” came out exactly how I wanted, and I’m very grateful to them for that.
