With her debut record, “The Abysmal EP,” indie artist Hannah Bahng showcases the kind of lyrical maturity that belies her youth. Her ethereal track, “Tonight’s the Night I Die to a Frank Ocean Song,” is a contemplative number that reflects on a real-life traumatic airplane incident. “I know it sounds kind of cringey,” the Australian singer-songwriter-keyboardist said.
“But that song was written to come to terms with my own existence.” This interview with Bahng, 20, was conducted over Zoom from her Sydney home and has been edited for clarity and length. Fans may follow her on Instagram ( https://www.
instagram.com/hannahhbahng/ ) and X ( https://x.com/hannahhbbahng ).
Q: Did you write “Tonight's the Night I Die to a Frank Ocean Song” on that same flight? A: No, I like writing with a piano. But this song was inspired by that flight from, I think, Amsterdam to Venice. The turbulence was so bad.
I was freaking out a little bit. Visually, it came to me so fast, so I had a concept in mind. I could see myself floating in a vast ocean.
And then I started to write it. Q: You were born and raised in Australia. Would you consider moving to another country? A: I don’t think so.
We recently moved to a new area and it’s really nice. Because I travel a lot, I have such a different appreciation for Sydney and I love coming back home. It’s just so chill and everyone's so nice, and the air is just so good.
It’s not too humid and it's not too dry. I don't know – I.