Hello magical friends, especially my wonderful patrons who make these interview episodes possible! I’m your hostwitch Bess and today we’re talking to the lovely Eyes Like Mine. I know you’re looking forward to hearing our conversation, but it just isn’t WZRD without the music, so here’s Newt Skabander with “My Name is Newt.”
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That was Newt Skabander and “My Name is Newt” [lyrics], “Hex Me Draco, One More Time” from Philospherock [lyrics], and “Open Letter to the Entire Wizarding Community” by the Whomping Willows.
“Open Letter” was a special request from my dear patron Celia.
And now we can get into my chat with Hanna of Eyes Like Mine!
Welcome to the show, Hanna of Eyes Like Mine. I’m so excited to talk with you today. How are you doing?
Hanna: I’m doing great. I’m so excited to talk to you too. I’ve been looking forward to this.
Now this is a fun one, magical friends, uh, because Eyes Like Mine doesn’t even have a page on Your Wizard Rock Resource yet, just a link to the BandCamp. So today we’re gonna expand the lore a little.
Hanna: Oh wow. That’s cool.
And as magical friends know, I always start with your history with wizard rock. How did you get into it?
Hanna: I mean, I got into it the same way I think a lot of people did. I listened to Harry and the Potters, the Whomping Willows… Those were my entry points into it. But after that, I didn’t really expand too much. I think I just found my little community and stuck with that. But my intro was just like a lot of people’s, I feel like.
You said you found your community. Did that mean you were like playing local shows or strictly online?
Hanna: No, it was strictly online. You just start seeing all these other groups and these bands and you just start reaching out to people. And I mean, I’m sure you know this, but this community is really like welcoming. They, uh, take everybody into open arms, so it’s really easy just to see someone speak to them and get things going. I met a couple people from websites and then other band members as well. It’s, it was really fun to reach out to other people and find people that way.
So Eyes Like Mine never did a live show?
Hanna: No, never did a live show. I don’t think I ever got out of my little closet.
The perfect metaphor.
Hanna: Definitely.
Or did you literally record in a closet as most of us do?
Hanna: No, I literally recorded in a closet full of clothes, uh, palm -muted and everything. Trying to make as little noise as possible. I don’t know, I kind of feel like just hidden away, being quiet as possible.
Yeah, we always say that the closet is the perfect recording room. I moved a year ago and I still miss my recording closet.
Hanna: It’s nice. It’s a tight little space, the echoes work sometimes. It’s good.
Yeah, echoes in the real world are wild and unmanageable. So were you an early adopter? Do you remember roughly when you got into it?
Hanna: I think it was around 2010. I do a lot of, I looked back and I see most of the stuff I released was around 2011, but I was definitely doing it before then, so I’m gonna say around 2010 is when everything started. I started reading and recording and writing.
And what inspired you to go from fan to musician?
Hanna: I mean, I was already playing music. I had already been on my guitar for a little while. I don’t know, it’s just sometimes when you really know some material and it’s really easy to just come out with the content. I guess that’s what made wrock so accessible to me. It was just easy for me to put out what was, I don’t know. It’s, it’s really adapting for me. It was just a lot of adapting.
That makes sense. And that is a thing I love about wizard rock. There is virtually no barrier to entry. As the, uh, the famous, uh, Swedish quote goes, “all you need is a cookie jar.”
Hanna: Literally, the first song I recorded was on a digital camera. Audio only just press play. You only get one shot if you mess up. You start the whole two minutes over.
Which song was that?
Hanna: Oh, I definitely cannot remember. But it was definitely one of the early ones off of the Year Nne album ’cause that’s where it started.
All right. We’ve got 11 choices. “We’ve All Been Saved,” “I’m Not the Same, I Can’t Help it,” Uh, “Deaux Tickets Now?” Anything?
Hanna: <laugh>? I know it wasn’t “Deux Tickets Now,” but, uh, I, I, I’ll just go with number one. I’ll just go with number one is where I started.
That makes sense to me. Where did your band name come from? You didn’t follow the original naming trajectory of ‘Character and the Last Names.’
Hanna: No. Well, Eyes Like Mine. It’s a lot of the story refers back to how everyone talks about how Harry’s eyes remind them of his mother’s and repeat that over and over again. I was just, a lot of my music was written from Harry’s perspective or I feel like it was. Um, so it just was a, people talking about ‘eyes like mine. I’m Harry, eyes like mine.’
Did you consider any other band names? Maybe Hair Like My Father’s?
Hanna: <laugh>.
No One’s Got a Scar Like Me?
Hanna: No! Those are really funny. Especially since you just came off the top of your head with those. But, uh, no. <laugh>, no. Um, I don’t remember dwelling on a name too much. I think I was really just, it was easy for me. I just fixated on one thing. There was no other options, I guess.
So your music was pretty focused early on?
Hanna: It was. I guess the way that I started writing those original two albums were… Well, I got into wrock because I needed structure and the way I tackled it was just, I made a structure for myself. Those first two albums were written chapter by chapter. I would read a chapter of the book, I would, whatever would catch me in that chapter, I would just start trying to make a song off of that. And, and to me, I was just chronicling the chapters through my album. That’s how I guess I approached it.
That is really cool. So you said you were going chapter by chapter?
Hanna: I would read, or maybe, maybe if something didn’t happen enough in a chapter that grabbed me, I would do two chapters at a time. But I would read through the book and do chapter by chapter and make a song out of that chapter or an event that happened in that chapter.
Did that follow through all three albums?
Hanna: No. Well, the, the first two, yeah. Year One and Sophomore. So that was definitely the format. But the third album was the split album. So that’s where I started that, and the compilations was where I started taking more of an event and adapting it as opposed to maybe a chapter.
You had built your foundation and were ready to start branching out.
Hanna: Right, yeah.
Do you have any, you know, fun stories or anecdotes from your time wizard rocking? Any silly, awesome people you met?
Hanna: I mean, I do like the people I met. Uh, the main people for me was Slytherin Soundtrack, and then the editor behind Wrockaway. Those two were the two main people that I had contact with during my time. Slytherin Soundtrack would constantly be trying to do things for the community. And he would email me, “yeah, yeah, sure, let’s do this, let’s do that.” It was, he was, he was really fun, really nice to be connected to for that.
I think Slytherin Soundtrack is one of the most prolific wizard rockers as well.
Hanna: Yeah. Uh, I mean, I don’t know if he kept going, but he was definitely busy. Busy.
And you said Wrockway? I’m not sure I’m familiar with that one.
Hanna: It was more like a, a journal. They would chronicle things, they would do interviews. Jade ran that. It was, I guess it was just a early website that I found.
Ah, a kindred spirit. So sounds like Southern Soundtrack was a dear friend.
Hanna: Yeah.
Were there bands and musicians that you really liked?
Hanna: There were a couple, but nothing that I can really remember. ’cause a lot of them are just, I hear on compilations and you never know who’s, who’s behind them. But leading up to coming here with you, I was listening to all your backs and I heard, I heard a couple of ’em that I liked in recent history. I, I didn’t write any of them down, but, oh man. <laugh>
Your favorite anything is a hard question to answer as soon as someone poses it, at least for me, uh, I’ve never heard a song in my life. Favorite movie? I’m sorry. I’ve never heard of these ‘movies.’
Hanna: Oh, I have favorites. I could definitely tell you some favorites. Well, the thing is, wizard rock is very vast. It might be a genre, but this genre is not nailed down to one. It is everything.
Do you remember any of the, the songs that caught you snippets? We’ll see if listeners can name the, the title in band.
Hanna: “Wanna be a Weasley” is one I remember that I really liked.
You have excellent taste.
Hanna: <laugh>. Thanks. I’m sure there are many more, but there’s nothing I can remember off the top of my head.
You mentioned earlier that you were already playing music and you brought that into wizard rock.
Hanna: Mhm <affirmative>.
What was the creation process like for you?
Hanna: Well, that’s the thing. I was, I’m so sporadic and I’m so everywhere. Um, before wizard rock, I, I really couldn’t tell you. It was more just tooling around and what sticks is what sticks. But I can’t remember if anything stuck. But I guess wizard rock really taught me a format. It really allowed me to get it out a lot easier. Um, when it comes to writing now, oh my good– I used to feel like lyrics and writing were super eerie, easy for me, but that now that things have come and gone, I guess it’s because I was pulling from a source material it was easy for me to think. But I guess now music is just, I just tool around on my guitar all the time. I don’t really come up with any, I’ll write, I’ll write a song a year and you can hear that <laugh>.
So are you more lyrics first or music first?
Hanna: Um, it’s, it’s music first at the moment. You gotta have something to say. I don’t know if I have anything to say right now.
You mentioned that your third album was a, you had a word for it, but it was like a, mixed cd?
Hanna: Yep. Yeah, it was a mixed cd. It was between, it was with me and Slytherin Soundtrack. We just went back and forth track for track. And then at the end of the album, there’s a combined track with me and him.
How did that happen? What did it look like when that was being made?
Hanna: Well, he came to me and said, “I have these lyrics,” sent them to me, said, said, “make a song”. Said, “okay, I’ll make a song.” I just, and there was no rhyme to the, to the words. He didn’t give me a set, I want this, this, and this. I just threw in some, uh, music, added his words to it, sent him back my copy. He said, “great.” He sung over it. He played his guitar and then slap it together. We have a song.
You make it sound so easy.
Hanna: His drive is what makes it easy. <laugh>
Did you know from the beginning that you were gonna alternate songs or, and build to a, a blended one? Or did that just happen as you went?
Hanna: No, I, I don’t know how the idea of the comp album came, but no, it was, it was that from the start. You do one, we do one, 8/9 tracks, four… Three, four songs. We’ll call it a day. And it was fun. I got to try something different and it was, it was a nice experience.
Was there an an overarching theme that you all wanted this project to have? Or was the idea just collaborate and have fun?
Hanna: No, it was just to collaborate and have fun. There was no theme to it. My songs are one way, his songs are another way. I don’t think they have two words in common between them, but it was fun. <laugh> and
That’s the best part of wizard rock, you know, working with other people in the community to have fun and create something fun.
Hanna: Definitely.
Let’s pause here for a music-and-hydration break. First up is Hope & the Howlers and “Pawprints in the Sand.”
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That was Hope & the Howlers covering Dream Quaffle’s “Pawprints in the Sand” [lyrics], songsfrompaul singing “Muggle Til I Die,” and Veil Into Black’s “Lycanthropy.”
Everyone have their water? Great! Let’s get back to that interview.
So your music was largely from Harry Potter’s perspective. What characters do you think there should be more wizard rock about?
Hanna: I am a very big fan of the vague, the the side characters, the people that you’re not gonna write about, but obviously live in this world. I like hearing from their perspective, like crazy people seeing crazy things happening and not being a part of it, but having to deal with it. I would like to see more of the side characters, not even side character. Those are just peripheral. I like that idea.
You’re making me think of the Candle Wix song, um, “Flying Car” about the muggle who escaped the memory erasures and saw the flying car.
Hanna: That is such a great idea. See, I like that. That sounds like a wonderful like, position to start from.
So is there anyone in particular that draws you or a hypothetical, original character you could create in the universe?
Hanna: <laugh> No. No. And anything I would say, say at the top of my head would not be up the par. No. But let’s just say the groundskeeper at the beginning of Goblet of Fire. How about the, the, the groundskeeper from the beginning of Goblet of Fire. That’s, I like that perspective.
That’s a, a dark place to start from.
Hanna: <laugh> ”crazy kids up in the up in the house. What are they doing?’
Or maybe that, um, the muggle girl Harry’s flirting with at the beginning of six, I think? In the movies.
Hanna: How does she feel when he just disappears and doesn’t show up? That’s a sad feeling to have.
Oh no, we went to a sad place again. What are we doing?
Hanna: Oh no, maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s just me <laugh>
It’s the winter, it’s these dark nights. So you did these three albums?
Hanna: Yeah.
And then I think kind of vanished from the scene.
Hanna: Yeah, I kind of fell off after that. I was in the, in the process of another album, but it just kind of disappeared with time. Lyrics gone, music gone, demos gone, just gone.
But I’m now dragging you back by the guitar strings via this interview.
Hanna: Yeah, no, I’m actually pretty excited about it, especially listening back over these past couple weeks. It’s like taking me there. It’s so fun.
And we have a lot of new wizard rockers, people who are thinking about getting into it. What kind of advice would you have for them?
Hanna: Oh, I cannot give you the same answer everyone else gives you. I cannot do that. Hold on. So I can give you the fact that: save everything. Be your own record keeper. Don’t let things disappear. Write them down. Copy them in any way you want to. Remember your lyrics. Remember your tabs safely. Tuck them away for future generations. Who knows what you wanna feel them again. Just don’t forget your own past. Let keep them <laugh>
Wizard rock’s been through so many ebbs and flows and I know that people often in, in the depths of emotion, get rid of everything that reminds them of it. And then I’ve had so many people come back and say, “I wish I still had those things.” Excellent advice.
Hanna: Yeah, it’s, it wasn’t by choice, believe me. I had a whole notebook. I don’t know where that thing went. Oh my gosh, I missed it.
But you’ve done your homework, so you know what I’m gonna ask next.
Hanna: Ask me.
Any sort of concrete music or recording advice. Favorite chord? Best button?
Hanna: <laugh>. The best button is always record. If you don’t record it, it’s never gonna be there. You can always go back and adjust. You can always say, ‘no thank you,’ but keep that record button going. You never know when something will come out you that’s so magical. You can’t replicate it.
That’s perfect. Yeah, that just made me happy. That was excellent advice. All right, well what are you working on these days? What should people be checking out, getting excited for?
Hanna: I don’t know. I do have a YouTube channel. Like I said, I post my one song a year up there. I go to concerts. I post my experiences. I even have a vacation photo up there if you wanna check out that <laugh>. I’m just at YouTube. Hanna Stargazer, that’s me.
It’s time for a music break! How about…Striking Down Diggory and “Reparo Despair?”
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We just listened to “Reparo Despair” from Striking Down Diggory [lyrics], “Kill the Snake” by Seven Potters [lyrics], and the “Gringotts Banksters Polka” from Muggle Snuggle [lyrics].
Here’s the last bit of my chat with Hanna of Eyes Like Mine.
Thank you so much for talking with me today. Uh, where can WZRD listeners find you and your music online?
Hanna: Well, it’s on the YouTube and I don’t really have any other online presence they can come at, but you can find me on YouTube
BandCamp. [whispered]
Hanna: Oh yeah, I do have BandCamp. I forgot about that apparently. But hey, look for me there, <laugh>.
f you heard a song today and you thought “I could listen to that again” then go to the transcript at WZRDRadioPod.com, follow the link and buy a copy of your very own. It’s the best way to support your favorite musician, and without our wizard rockers, we wouldn’t be here.
If you want discounts on WZRD merch, the inside scoop on everything that’s coming up, and bonus gifts and episodes, then you want WZRD Radio’s Patreon at Patreon.com/WZRDRadioPod. It’s just two muggle dollars a month and also supports the Community Wrock Fund, where we’re raising funds to help wizard rockers achieve their musical dreams.
If you want to keep up with WZRD between episodes, you can find me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok at WZRDRadioPod. If you don’t believe in social media, you can also comment on the transcript or email me at WZRDRadioPod@gmail.com.
And now, magical friends, here’s Eyes Like Mine!
Hanna: This is my song “Everyday Doesn’t Matter.” It’s my favorite song I’ve ever written for wizard rock. And I hope you enjoy it.
Editing hostwitch’s note: I found the original Eyes Like Mine website!
WZRD Radio Podcast 