hannah lew – Austin Town Hall

Hannah Lew Announces Self-Titled LP

January 14, 2026 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

We’ve spent a fair amount of time writing about Grass Widow associated musical projects, so it feels only natural that we get a few words concerning Hannah Lew‘s debut LP. When you click play below, you’re going to be greeted by complete nostalgia, in so many ways; the video full of neon notes and tracers feels very much like an early MTV moment, and while that also works in terms of the music, I tend to push on 20 years into the early 00s. The music, of which I’m sure Hannah was aware, was thick with club beats and heavy grooves, sort of immersing us all in this dark brand of pop disco…Soviet comes to mind for me here. There’s this beautiful pullback around the 2.24 mark, letting angelic drifts filter out while a steady synthetic sound slides sneakily towards the stomping stop. The self-titled debut will be out on April 10th via Night School Records.

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Cold Beat Announce War Garden

July 8, 2021 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

Always been a big Hannah Lew fan, particularly when it comes to her work with Cold Beat. Yesterday, word hit the streets that the band would be releasing a new LP, War Garden, and why not throw our hat into the ring with this tune. I love how the musical element has progressed; the synth work still allows for there to be that sort of sterility, that “cold” beat if you will. But, on this, there’s some incredible melody moving beneath, like an undercurrent of nostalgia rippling through the band’s craft. Plus, as is usually the case with Lew, you get a really visually stunning video accompaniment, this one directed by Mimi Pfahler. War Garden is out on September 17th via Like Ltd.

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Did You Miss New Cold Beat

February 9, 2017 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

I miss Hannah Lew, though I suppose it hasn’t been too long since we last heard from her project, Cold Beat. Nonetheless, the band is back with a brand new album, and this new track is as delightfully dreamy as I’d want. Synths work against ringing guitar chords, and Lew’s vocal distantly serenades listeners. One of my favorite bits about her work is that there’s not too much brevity in her work, always giving us enough to watch the song unfold as its meant to be. Chaos by Invitation will see a release on April 7th via Crime on the Moon, so look for more tracks to sink your teeth into soon.

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The World Wants You to Listen to Cold Beat

August 17, 2015 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

I really like this new Cold Beat single; I’m hooked on the synth propulsion that opens up the song. But, like all things associated with Hannah Lew, there’s this beautiful harmony working beneath, even if there’s a touch of sterility in the song’s craft. I’ve always been a fan of Lew’s new project, but I think when Into the Air gets a release, it’s going to be the one that really breaks through to a larger audience…perhaps even encouraging them to go back the oft-overlooked Grass Widow. Look for the new LP on September 4th via Crime on the Moon.

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Fresh Tune from Cold Beat

July 9, 2015 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

Those of you who’ve missed out on the work of Hannah Lew, please go back in time and visit Grass Widow. Or, you could look at her most recent release Over Me with her current project, Cold Beat. She’s started her own label, and she’ll be releasing the group’s second album, Into the Air, which takes on a different thematic perspective this time around. Interestingly, it seems that Lew is writing of her struggles to survive in San Francisco, despite changes to the city’s cultura landscape; that’s something that seemingly rings true to with a lot of large cities of late. Give a listen, and look for the album on September 4th via Crime on the Moon.

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