Review Fix Exclusive: Hanna Barakat Talks Goals in Music And More

Review Fix chats with singer/songwriter Hanna Barakat, who discusses her career in music and creative influences, as well as her new track, Damage Done.

Review Fix: How did you get involved in music?

Hanna Barakat: I can honestly say I’ve been singing since before I could form sentences. I used to “write” songs and sing them at show and tell in kindergarten. For as long as I can remember, music has always soothed me. My parents were very encouraging and tried to get me involved in musicals and other music related productions when I was very young. I think I was about 3 years old when I was introduced to a recording studio for the first time. I was given the opportunity to sing the theme jingle for Radio Disney in Dallas with John Hooper, and I’ve been hooked ever since!

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?

Barakat: When I get into the studio to start workshopping a new song, typically I lay down midi tracks of a chord change, so that I can start testing out different song structures on the fly, manipulate the midi to try out different instrumentation, and then start building on to the bones I create. Sometimes, by the time I sit down at my workstation, I’ve already written the song on my guitar. Other times, I just start with an idea, a vocal riff, a lyrical line, or just a chord change that Intrigues me. 

Review Fix: What inspires you?

Barakat: That depends on the day! It could be anything really. One of my songwriting mentors called song inspiration triggers, “gems”. Sometimes these gems peak my ears in conversation, sometimes they end up flowing out in a long essay of lyric ideas, and most commonly I find inspiration in my day to day life. I am a very sensitive person, and as difficult circumstances, relationships, personal struggles, political situations and/or crises effect me, I feel compelled to process them the only way I know how – to write them into song. My songs are my catharsis. 

Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?

Barakat: My unique style and sound merges Arab-oriental influences, as well as hard rock, for powerful and genuine connections with my audience. Socially and politically charged, my passion-driven compositions and performances often add eastern ornamentation, as well as other musical influences to transcend language and borders to touch the heart. My aim is to connect with others both those displaced from their homelands, being influenced by multiple cultures around them, while simultaneously reaching mainstream audiences that appreciate writings of personal encounters, relationships, life issues, and, of course, love. 

Review Fix: How are your live shows different from your studio work?

Barakat: This album has been more than a labor of love, and it has been a decade in the making. With the help of my incredibly talented producer, John Moyer of Disturbed, my songs have finally transformed into their intended forms. My stories, my memories, and my melodies have a new voice. My aim for my stage performance is to represent the songs as they were recorded, giving them all the power and intensity my body possesses at every show!

Review Fix: What are your goals for the rest of 2019?

Barakat: With the album release set for mid August, my main focus is getting on the stage as much as possible. My band I are rehearsing and gigging as much as possible with the goal of a fall tour! 

Review Fix: What’s next?

Barakat: Well… who’s to say, really? The options are limitless. I know that no matter what comes out of this record release, I will continue to push my limits on stage and in the studio, seek bigger and better opportunities, and most definitely start working on the next record!

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Barakat: With this record release comes the release of responsibility, in a sense, towards these 10 songs chosen for this record. Each song has been given all of my love, and I release them to the world as strong as I could possibly prepare them. I will soon begin a new chapter and start on the next record! And I can’t wait!

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13819 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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