Unapologetic Affection with Hannah Leigh
Media today would have us believe there is only one queer narrative to tell, often missing the communal part of the queer experience. Friendship – the delicious, validating euphoria of finding your people and lifting them up through shared experience and joy. This too-little-told story of the transformative nature of platonic love is at the center of queerness and, I would argue, an essential piece of what it means to be human.
I sat down with Hannah Leigh, the embodiment of queer artistic joy, to discuss her journey through music, the magic of her community, and the healing power of unapologetically kissing your friends.
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Hannah enters the bustling coffee shop wearing a cowboy patterned button-down and a genuine ‘it girl’ leather jacket as if strolling out of the sun itself. She warmly extends her arms for a hug, and we get comfortable at a bright patio table as if we were old friends.
I begin with perhaps the most dreaded interview opener of all time: “So, tell me a little bit about yourself.” Hannah, an absolute pro, takes a deep breath and, with a wide grin, takes us away with, “Hi! I’m Hannah!”
After growing up on sets as a child actor, Hannah predictably felt called to study film in college. But, her time in university brought something more; she could break out of the mold and find a new love— music.
Starting out in a duo band, she toured around the south, spending time in Nashville learning to write and perform. This evolved into writing more of her own stuff and performing solo shows in LA. “I was getting my feet wet,” she says, “now I’m about to release a new EP with a band that I adore. I love where I’ve arrived through all the identity crises of artistry.”
Hannah is a powerhouse of creative talents. She still acts professionally, and has found a way to integrate her love of filmmaking with her love of music. She says, “I love shooting music videos; its my favorite happy medium.”
I cannot wait any longer to ask about my favorite Hannah Leigh music video for her 2022 hit, Benefit. This magical shoot was entirely self-produced by Hannah and her inner circle. She says, “I created the song Benefit with my friend Kyle… we made this weird pop baby that I would never have made without him. I love him for that. It really encapsulated that summer with my friends.” She describes an era of fun with her girlfriends, crashing in a pool house attached to a Santa Monica mansion. “It was out of a fairytale dream, and the song felt like it could not exist without those girls. It was birthed out of friendship and existed in a time so specific to what it felt to be in girlhood. I knew when I made the music video that it had to feel like that experience.”
While searching for the talent to produce a whole video, Hannah found she could draw from her community. “My very talented DP friend Monica had a Super 8 camera she was dying to use. Shooting on film felt right because it feels so close to home.” Hannah goes on to say, “I knew we needed a dance number. A lot of my friends and I grew up dancing together, so anytime I can utilize our dance background, I absolutely will. We had weekly rehearsals in my living room, my friend Paige choreographed, it was just another element of this story we were telling of our summer of bonding and fun. There was nothing but joy and love in creating that video, and it radiates from the screen.” She brags about her friends who also showed up on set to help – Allison on Crafty, Jenna and Michi as ADs. Even their dogs came to visit!” Hannah beams, “That is how I’d like to continue to make art forever.”
She notes that this artistic community also made a seamless transition for her coming out. “It is really cool to be held by a community I didn’t even realize was safe for that reason until I came out. It made me realize, Oh, I’ve always been safe, and here is why! I feel unbelievably lucky to have these people already rooted in the core of who I am. Having a community like that creates and engages in the safety to fully realize identity. If I hadn’t had those people in my life, would I have experienced my coming out the way I did, would it have been as soon, and would I have felt safe at all?”
There is no script for queer friendship. We aren’t mirroring the experiences we see on television. It can be vulnerable but also electric because it comes from such a human place. Hannah says, “Before I even knew what queer was, I had these friendships – this love of people. And now I’m here!” We laugh about being “on the other side and better for it.”
With all the topics covered over our short coffee date – platonic love, music, performing – how could I not make a Boygenius comparison? Hannah and I spend the next ten minutes trading tales of our love for the band. My opening question is how I want every conversation to start for the rest of time: “Are you a Dacus, a Bridgers, or a Baker?” We chuckle over our newfound icebreaker. “I’m a Lucy Dacus. My friend Audrey is Phoebe Bridgers, and Allison is Julien Baker. We have cast the roles and feel connected to them – but I love them all! How could I choose!” This trio of Hannah, Audrey, and Allison went as Boygenius for Halloween last year, and yes, we are all jealous of the photos.
Boygenius is iconic for a lot of things. But what interests us is how they have created this new space for platonic love that is public, unapologetic, and free. This brazen affection feels both personal and incredibly influential for this time in space as people, queer or otherwise. “I’ve always been someone that kisses my friends,” Hannah says. “I’ve been teased about it my whole life. Boygenius has given us an example of friends loving each other so unapologetically and, on top of that, queer women kissing each other, loving each other platonically in a way that can be sexy without it feeling weird or wrong or dirty. There is that trope of gay affection as dangerous or dirty or weird. To watch these humans on stage being just friends and in love, it disarms societal standards even amongst queer people.”
We talk about how rare this relationship feels on such a public platform. “We don’t get to see it in any media, any movies. The queer community I’ve experienced is about people coming together to embody love – genderless, romantic, platonic, healthy, safe love. We don’t see this enough, and Boygenius has brought it to life in a way that feels effortless.”
I sat in briefly on the Boygenius-themed photoshoot with Hannah, Audrey, and Allison. I walked into the downtown loft space to music blasting, a camera flashing, and three friends having the time of their lives holding each other, kissing, giggling, and posing. I could write an entire second piece on how these women speak about and care for each other, but I will have to leave it at a quote from each pal.
Hannah: “I never felt like there was any lack of momentum as friends. Allison and Audrey are so fundamentally important to my core being. I love them and do not know what I would do without them; I mean, my band is half Allison’s friends, and Audrey made my merch for the Troubadour show! We support each other through everything.
Audrey: “Hannah and I danced together at a local ballet studio when I was sixteen years old. She was so outgoing, and I was such an introverted kid. She was like the greatest exposure therapy for me. Hannah brings together so many people. She is the core of all human existence. She introduced me to Allison, and our group dynamic was so fun. We all allow each other to become utterly ourselves.”
Allison: “My first impression of Hannah was in an airport. She was doing yoga on the airport floor, and I thought I would never put my hands on the airport floor… I thought that girl was kooky and that stands to this day. I met Audrey through Hannah, and our friendship as a trio is really about finding our authentic selves. I’m very grateful for them.”
But what is next for Hannah Leigh’s music career? A five-song EP is coming our way this summer/fall. “This will be my first solo EP,” Hannah says, taking a big breath. “I truly don’t think I have had the ground to stand on to be able to produce and put out an EP of this magnitude without this band and this support I’ve found in my friends. This EP is about chosen family, and what it means to be held in those safe spaces. I’m passionate about forgiveness in making mistakes and learning from them.”
Hannah left us with this sentiment: “Affection is not a light word. It is a dense word and should mean more than we give it credit for. The way that I get to love my friends feels so important to our development as women, how we navigate romantic relationships, and how we respect our own boundaries. If I can feel safe to love on my people the way I know I deserve to be loved, I can then take that into every situation for the rest of my life. I own that to my friends.”