A matter of Taste
MENTION the phrase 'Christian rock' to some people and they'll run a mile.
Sheffield's Philippa Hanna is only one of those two words, but she makes a pledge: "I don't Bible bash people."
As she releases her second album, Taste, the ever-confident singer-songwriter recaps on two years that have seen her go full time with her music and change the attitude of plenty along the way. Not least people "dragged along" to one of her gigs.
"They've been really surprised and bought the CD and that's really positive," she confirms. "Belief is a personal thing so I am just letting them know; I'm putting my life on display. I don't stand on a soapbox but communicate with my music as basically that's what happened to me – I heard a Christian artist and here I am."
Philippa – cousin of Embrace brothers Danny and Richard McNamara and sister to former Jamiroquai bassist Stuart Zender – bounced on to the scene in 2007 with her debut album Watching Me, an acoustic soulful record largely a consequence of and inspired by her newfound confidence having found her faith and with it a musical direction. It led to 100 shows last year alone, including taking in Europe and the US, and to her writing a book called More, offering greater insight into her 'transformation'. A second book follows later this year.
With Taste she's tried to close the gap between her potential audiences, namely secular and Christian, offering a "slightly quirky, sassier insight into life as a Christian" as well as something more representative of the live shows.
"Everybody has a story or message and this is as much about that as the sound. That's why shows like X Factor are so popular because it is about the person as well as the song.
"A lot of life gets divided into sub cultures. It's not about Christians or non Christians; most people if they are not Christian their reaction is 'religion is not my cup of tea' but they listen. So I want to broaden the arena and relate to and entertain as many people as possible. It's important to have a positive effect on an audience."
Philippa has got closer to her aspirations, Watching Me having led to support slots for mainstream artists Amy MacDonald and Liberty X as well as contemporary Christian acts Delirious?, Jars Of Clay and Graham Kendrick.
But it wasn't always like that, even with her background of recording vocals for artists such as Spice Girl Emma Bunton, SClub and Graham Kendrick.
"The direction my life has taken... I've gone from such a frustrating pursuit in the music industry to being fulfilled and positive. Now I'm just so happy with what I'm doing. Before I became a Christian I was really struggling to find my niche. I was struggling with insecurity and found myself trying to fit into boxes already full.
"Now female artists can be themselves and their message can speak louder than their image. I respect Lily Allen and Kate Nash because their message is in their character and music. That's the same as I want to be.
"The last album was the start of a journey touring with my music and my story and sharing what I have with people. I made some really great friends and built on my little following in Sheffield.
"We sold plenty of records and have been able to make a new one."
There's still some way to go, of course, in terms of a majority of mainstream listeners accepting Christian contemporary music on its musical merits. And part of Philippa's mission seems to be break down the perceived stigma of the genre.
"If people have other 'skeletons', perhaps being gay, why should they keep themselves concealed? People in the mainstream are not afraid to tell us who they are. If I was to pretend to not love Jesus I would lack integrity.
"People like their songwriters to express themselves honestly and people enjoy my honesty about my faith. The before and after, having faith, has altered my life, whether others believe or not. It's like a makeover story, but it's a faith makeover. Perhaps people do ask themselves whether they believe, but I've got great musicians working with me and I believe in the songs."
Tomorrow Philippa, who hails from the same Andy Baker-produced musical stable as The Gentlemen, launches Taste with a show at The Megacentre, on Bernard Road.
"There were a number of reasons for us doing it there," she concludes, "not least with it being slightly different from doing regular music venues."
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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