HANNAH BETHEL

Hannah Bethel is that rare artist who blurs lines between Americana, country, and rock. Her musical artistry reflects who she is: a fierce, independent, wild, free, and untamed spirit. Her music captures the essence of her signature sound by blending elements of the many genres and styles that have influenced her writing and creative expression. Being fearless and unafraid to bare her deepest feelings in her songs reflects her lifestyle – from solo backpacking in the deserts of Arizona and the mystical Joshua Tree, to hiking snow-peaked mountains in Alaska – Bethel lives her life to the fullest. She has experienced deep love, great loss and the healing power of personal growth and redemption and translates those life experiences to listeners though her songs, music videos and live performances.

Bethel was born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin where as a child she studied dance and appeared in theater performances. She attended elementary school in nearby Oakfield, before moving to Houghton, Michigan where she went to middle and high school. She grew up listening to Country and Seventies Rock music. Drawing on influences from Tom Petty, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and Willie Nelson, among others, she spent her teenage years traveling the upper Midwest performing at fairs, bars, talent shows, coffee houses, shopping malls and Country Western shows. She self-released her first record at age 17, and the following year she moved to Nashville where she released three more albums over a five-year span.

Bethel’s career trajectory took a sharp upward turn following the release of her 2018 single and music video “Train.” A deeply personal song, “Train” was the beginning of a new chapter in her musical career, and one that saw her firmly taking the reins of her musical expression and how it is produced and presented. The visually stunning video, filmed in the mountains of west Texas, premiered at The Boot, and the single made its airwaves debut across multiple genre radio stations, including Lightning 100, Nashville’s long-running independent outlet known for playing groundbreaking indie rock and alt country music, and on Music City’s WSM Radio, arguably the definitive country music station in America. In quick succession, Bethel and “Train” were selected as a CMT Music “Artist Discovery” and both were featured across all CMT broadcast, online and social media platforms.

Bethel’s next single and music video, “Rhinestone Rodeo,” was released in May 2019. It was premiered online by Billboard, had its national television premier on CMT Music in June, and was featured on CMT’s “Next Women of Country” Spotify and Apple music playlists.

“The House Is on Fire,” Bethel’s single and “behind the scenes” in-studio music video was released in October 2019. The single was premiered simultaneously by Americana Highways and The Boot and was featured on the CMT “Next Women of Country” Spotify playlist. The official music video for the song was given its world premiere in March of 2019 on Ditty TV, a leading Americana music online and broadcast network. It was showcased on Gretsch Guitars‘ blog and debuted on CMT. The song also won 1st Place in the Americana category at the International Songwriting Competition.

Bethel’s latest single, “Memphis,” and its accompanying music video were released in September 2020. She is currently recording an EP of new material slated for release in late-2021.

Bethel has toured across America and has opened for many artists across multiple genres, including The Black Lillies, Canaan Smith, Nine Days, Smithfield, The Beach Boys, Trisha Yearwood, and many others. Her music has received acclaim from renowned publications including Billboard, The Washington Post, Americana Highways, The Alternate Root, The Boot, Maverick Magazine, and others. She is also a “Featured Artist” endorsee of Gretsch Guitars, Taylor Guitars and Furch Guitars.

In addition to her musical career, Bethel has expanded her life’s work into the healing arts, as a Reiki Master and licensed hypnotherapist.

Photo Credit: Gregg Roth