Hannah Geller is the kind of artist the word “DIY” was meant for. Not as a buzzword or a branding choice, but as a lived-in reality shaped by bedrooms turned studios, kitchens turned merch warehouses, and long nights spent building something piece by piece because there was no other option. What started as necessity became autonomy. In this conversation, Hannah walks us through the freedom, exhaustion, vulnerability, and quiet victories that come with carrying every part of an artistic vision on your own. This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s the real work behind the music, told by someone who’s deep in it and fully committed to seeing it through.
SNQLX: You truly embody the DIY spirit — writing, performing, producing, managing. When did you realize that doing it yourself wasn’t just a phase, but the way you wanted to exist as an artist?
HANNAH: Truly, I have never known anything other than being a DIY artist. My first release in 2019 started as an experiment to see what I had the capacity to create on my own since I didn’t have the resources to record anywhere beyond my bedroom. I quickly realized how freeing it was to have the ability to make music whenever inspiration struck, and without the stress of paying for studio time. Sitting alone in my bedroom with my instruments and computer is where I enter my flow state and I can’t imagine making music any differently.
Over the past few years, that DIY mindset extended beyond songwriting and production. Once I understood how expensive it can be to build a visual world around your music, I felt compelled to learn the basics myself. I learned design tools like Photoshop and Procreate so I could design my own show posters and logo. From there, I wanted to turn my art into merch so I learned how to set-up my own merch business straight from my kitchen, printing and shipping each order myself. That led me to learn how to design my own website from scratch.
What began as financial barriers pushed me to take full ownership of my musical and visual identity as an artist, and I’m grateful for all of the skills I’ve learned in the process.
SNQLX: Your music feels both personal and expansive. When you sit down to write, what usually comes first — an emotion, a melody, a lyric, or a sound you’re chasing?
HANNAH: Every song is a little different. Overall, I’ve found myself to be a music-first artist and often complete entire instrumental tracks before even knowing what the song will be about. Sometimes inspiration will strike suddenly, like the day I was making coffee and randomly sang “I don’t wanna love youuuuu.” Those five words instantly led me to produce the entire instrumental track for “I don’t wanna love you” before writing a sixth lyric. Other times I’ll pick up guitar riffs that I’ve been sitting on for years. I wrote the main guitar riffs for “Wake Up” and “Dust” on the same day three years ago in my backyard and didn’t turn them into songs until over two years later. They’re now the two songs of mine that have connected with people the most.
It’s true, good things take time.
SQNLX: What part of the process do you feel most at homein: writing, recording, performing, or building the world around the music? Why that one?
HANNAH: I would have to say that writing and recording is where I feel most at home, both literally and creatively. Most of the time when I sit down to make music, I’m discovering the song as I go. My writing and recording processes are often very synchronous and involve a lot of trial and error, trying different riffs, drum fills, timbres, and effects until I can say, “yep, that’s what belongs there.” That building process is so fun for me and where I feel most in touch with myself as an artist. Nothing beats the moments when you genuinely surprise yourself with something you’ve just created.
I can’t deny my love for performing, though. The bedroom is where the magic is made, but the stage is where it fully comes to life. Nothing beats that real-time connection of performing your music to an audience.
SNQLX: DIY can be empowering, but it can also be exhausting. What’s something people don’t often see or understand about carrying an entire project on your own?
HANNAH: Being a DIY artist often feels like having a full-time job on top of a full-time job. I currently work a day job to pay the bills, and as soon as I come home, I can’t just switch into “relax and watch TV the rest of the night” mode. I immediately pick up my computer and dive into whatever needs to be done to further my music career for that day, whether it’s working on my latest song, printing merch orders, making promo content, or responding to emails. This is the reality for the majority of artists but it’s only possible because we want it so badly.
Burnout doesn’t exist to those who are hungry enough for what they’re after.
Hannah Geller
Every day I get a little closer to building a sustainable music career, and I can’t fathom losing the spark to get there, even if it means sacrificing nights out with friends or relaxing nights in.
SNQLX: Has your definition of “success” changed since you started releasing music? If so, how do you define it now?
HANNAH: For those who aren’t directly inside of the music universe, success often looks like touring the world, having number-one hits, or living in a mansion. When I was a little girl dreaming of being a rockstar, that was my vision of success too. But over time, I’ve learned that the most satisfying successes are smaller, more attainable, and more frequent ones. Having my first fan travel from another city to watch me perform was a success. Getting my very first merch order from someone outside of my family was a success. Celebrating these smaller wins is so much more sustainable than chasing the distant “success of stardom” and they keep me motivated while making the ride feel more meaningful every step of the way.
SNQLX: Is there a song in your catalog that feels like a turning point for you — creatively, emotionally, or personally?
HANNAH: I’d say “Dust” is where it clicked for me. The lyrics came after a breakup, and they felt more vulnerable than anything I’ve ever written. The song resonated with thousands of listeners, after a TikTok I posted about it gained attention. Since then, I’ve approached every song with more intentional lyrics, realizing the connection and comfort people found in “Dust.”
As a music-first artist, I used to treat lyrics as the last hurdle I needed to get over before finishing a song, but now I try to be as deliberate with my lyrics as I am with my sound. “Dust” also taught me that I love to wail, and I’ve found more moments to vocally let loose within each following song, which has gradually become a defining part of my sound.
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