MY STORY

This is my story in a nutshell....
but to really know me you'll have to come to a show, listen to  
or buy my music. I look forward to meeting you.

Independent artist Karen Hanna brings a life well lived and an abundance of musical influences to her songs. Raised on Burt Bacharach, Rogers and Hart, Leonard Bernstein, and the singer songwriters of the 70’s, her musical journey has followed the tried and true path from musicals to pop to blues and to jazz… and on to expressions of her own life experiences and observations through songwriting.

During her late teens and early twenties, she had an emerging music career in the Sydney scene playing pubs and restaurants in bands and duo’s. With the birth of her first child, Karen’s musical career took a back seat to family concerns. Three children and a sea change later, Karen yearned for more music in her life. 

One day she overheard a song on the radio and recalls the DJ announcing that the singer had recorded the song at the age of 60 and had not had any musical success until she was in her forties. It was a light-bulb moment for Karen. She knew it was 'never too late’ and that she could still have a musical career. At 42, she picked up where she left off and started writing songs.

In 2007, she was a finalist in the Australian Song Writers Association awards with the song “Everyday is Mother’s Day’’. In the same year she was in the top five of the Sydney ABC Radio Acoustica Songwriting Competition.  In 2010 she released her debut album – “Carry Me Away”. Written and produced on the far north coast of NSW, the album marries beautiful music to lyrics encompassing both passion and reason. “Carry Me Away’’ will, like an old trusted friend, who knows your every secret, sing you a song for every season of the heart.'

Embracing her love of music, the joy of song writing and making up for lost time…Karen spends any spare minute, writing, singing and playing music.