Introducing: Hannah Berry

Hannah Berry is a songwriter, producer, and artist whose journey has taken her from Glasgow’s grassroots music scene to New York City’s vibrant creative hub. After relocating to work alongside Grammy-winning, Billboard-charting collaborators, she now splits her time between the two cities — pairing the no-frills honesty of her hometown with the restless energy of NYC.

Her music has been praised for its “gorgeous vocals and fast-paced beats that get right in your feels” (BBC Scotland’s Shereen Cutkelvin), cementing her as one of the most exciting emerging talents on the global stage.

With her latest release (April 2026, tbc), Berry marks a bold new chapter — one that showcases her growth as both a producer and performer. To celebrate, she’ll play a series of intimate acoustic sets and high-energy DJ shows across New York and Glasgow.

Your BBC Introducing support called this “a new chapter” in your career — what feels most different about your artistry in this moment compared to when you first started out in Glasgow?

I think I just feel more settled in the kind of music I’m making. I started out writing primarily on the guitar/piano, creating super acoustic singer/songwriter tracks, then I moved onto a more synth Indi pop sound with my old band. This was when I started teaching myself production which was such a key moment in my career. I then broke away and started doing my own thing which leads to the kind of music I create now! It just feels right the kind of sound I’m making, I get super inspired now within the production, being more experimental and just feeling more confident with it.

Splitting time between New York and Glasgow must bring two very different creative energies — how do those cities influence your writing and production in contrasting ways?

Both cities for sure have such a different vibe, and bring out different parts of my creativity. New York just has such a buzz about it, it truly is the city that never sleeps. There’s always something going on, so many ways to meet and connect with other artists which is honestly just the coolest thing! I defiantly depend on the drive and enthusiasm that you get by being in New York, I can be super laid back so the craziness and rush of New York pushes me to be super productive and also more confident with my projects. Glasgow on the other hand is obviously much smaller but defiantly has a super nice supportive vibe about it. Once you get your foot in the door people are always really keen on getting you back/ supporting your music. The music scene in Glasgow is so good, but I found it’s just full of bands or DJ’s, there’s not much in-between. I find though when I create/ write in Glasgow it’s defiantly a more bs free tone to it, people don’t want a facade/act over there, they just wanna see you, whereas I find in New York it’s easier to have more of an ‘act’ in your music… Glasgow will always be home for me though <3333 best place on earth.

You’ve worked alongside Grammy-winning, Billboard-charting songwriters and producers in New York — what’s the most valuable lesson or shift in perspective you’ve taken from those sessions?

I’ve had the honour to learn and work beside some incredible artists over the past year. I’ve learned so much within my craft, not to be lazy with my writing, how to make my production cleaner etc but I think the biggest thing I’ve taken away is how one thing can lead to another. You really don’t know who knows who you’ve just worked with. I’m such a big advocate for the idea that no one is too less of an artist to give them your time, you really can learn from everyone. Aside from that the biggest thing I now take with me is it's ok to completly re write your song. In fact sometimes I do it just for fun to see where it takes me. Never be so settled on an idea that you can’t entertain the idea of changing it. I think thats a super weird place to get musically but it’s so easy to get caught up in your own music that you think the initial idea must be the perfect choice, sometimes it it.. but not always.

Your music’s been praised for pairing gorgeous vocals with fast-paced, emotive beats — when you’re crafting a new track, what usually comes first: the emotional core, the rhythm, or something else entirely?

9/10 I’ll write to some kind of beat, or synth, vocal chop and create the mood/emotion that I feel drawn to in that moment. I’ll then improve a vocal line and generally lyrics will just start flowing and I’ll then be like, ok I know what this song is about. It's very rare that I’ll go into my own sessions with a clear idea to what I’m writing about. I always find if I force that too much it never really works. I’m very much a music first, lyrics second kind of artist. In the sense that I connect more to the tone and musically of my songs and then look at the lyrics to help support that. It’s not that I think the lyrics are less important, I’ve just always connected to sound over words initially. I’m also dyslexic lol so struggle with what I’m saying half of the time, but once I’ve created the mood and atmosphere with the sounds, it’s crazy how much easier it is to get out on paper what I’m feeling/trying to say.

With acoustic and DJ sets planned on both sides of the Atlantic, what can fans expect from these shows, and how are you approaching translating your recorded sound into those live settings?

I’ve always been a singer first and foremost, I have a degree in Musical Theatre so spent many years of my life training as a vocalist so I love doing acoustic shows to really allow myself to siiiiing. My tracks are so heavy produced that the lyrics to tend to get lost sometimes, so my acoustic sets really allow the words to be heard and I get to just sing my wee heart out without zero stress interms of my crazy hyper pop production. Dj’ing on the other hand is my new found love. I find it so much fun and is the best way for me to perform my music in a way really represents the true sound of my tracks. I sing on top of my DJ sets which adds an extra ‘live’ feel. Both shows are super different but I think showcase the different parts of me as an artist.