Hannah Dasher is Living Loud

Story by Katie Vandenhouten

Hannah Dasher’s star has been on the rise since she left Effingham County over a decade ago to pursue her music career. Since moving to Nashville, she has opened for legendary bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams Jr., and Reba McEntire. She got a record deal and started cranking out singles like “The Tree” and “Stoned Age.”

Rolling Stone has labeled the singer a “Georgia badass,” and has praised her uncanny songwriting talent and her knack for writing unforgettable hooks.

Switching Gears

She was gaining momentum in Nashville when the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a screeching halt, so Dasher devised a new way to reach her fans. Ever the performer and savvy businesswoman, she started making TikTok videos and growing her fan base.

Her “Stand by Your Pan” southern cooking videos quickly went viral, and now she has over a million TikTok followers. “It has given me a platform through which to share my music,” she says. “I think it’s important to know what your audience wants, so I try to read my fans’ comments on my platforms.”

And audiences can’t get enough of her. She has made two appearances on the Rachael Ray show, where she talked about her music while cooking her southern recipes. “She is such an advocate for songwriters,” Dasher says of Ray. “For her to share her platform with me and to ask me to come back really meant a lot.”

She most recently wrapped up her Tall Boy Tour, where she played to packed houses all over the country, including sold out shows in Indianapolis, Chicago, Athens, Atlanta, and Tulsa.

“The Tall Boy Tour has been fulfilling. It’s my first headlining tour,” says Dasher. “To go out and see people singing along to my music is rewarding and affirming. I’m right where God wants me to be.”

A Country Girl

In September, she was seated in the front row at NBC’s People’s Choice Country Awards at the Grand Ole Opry. Other attendees included Wynonna Judd, Randy Travis, and Little Big Town. Dasher is no stranger to The Opry herself. She has performed at the legendary Opry House eight times, and she plans for that number to keep growing.

She is a country girl through and through, but her musical influences are all-encompassing. “You can’t pigeonhole me into a big-haired Loretta Lynn,” she jokes. Her music is heavily influenced by 70s rock and roll and early 90s Country music.

Hannah’s live show is an unforgettable experience. She jokes and interacts with her audience, and she never fails to get the crowd laughing and singing along. Her 2023 show is peppered with crowd-pleasing tributes to the likes of ZZ Top, The Black Crowes and more.

“When you go to a Hannah Dasher show, you get a good eclectic mix of people,” she adds. “I believe my music is for everybody.”

Overcoming Obstacles

Despite her success, she has overcome some major setbacks. Losing her record deal was tough, but Dasher believes it was meant to be.

“The person who was responsible for me at the label did not even know who Tammy Wynette was,” Dasher recalls. “And they are the largest record label in the world… It makes me worry about the state of country music.”

Musically, she wants to stay fresh and ahead of the curve, but she believes that knowing and understanding the foundation of country music is essential to building upon it. Her song, “The Tree,” clearly explains her view on the subject: “If we forget where the roots are, we’re gonna kill the tree.”

Getting Music to Her Fans

Dasher’s roots are in country music, and she is determined to get her music to her fans. Unfortunately, radio play is no longer dependent upon fans’ song requests. “The radio is bought and paid for now,” Dasher explains. These days, it takes about 1.5 million dollars to push a song to the top five on FM terrestrial radio.

To raise additional funds, Dasher started the Honkytonk Helpline, which allows her fans to donate directly to the cause and help get her music out into the world. “The fans are a part of this journey too,” she says. “I’m a ‘go big or go home’ kind of artist, and to really do things the right way, it’s going to take a big boost.”

Dasher cleaned out her savings account to launch her new album, The Other Damn Half, as a follow up to her last album, The Half Record. Released on October 20, the new project contains fan-picked favorites like her bawdy bar tune, (I’m Gonna Whoop Your) “Redneck Ass.”

“I broke the rules on this record,” she admits.

In addition to bangers like “Country Do” and “That Thing You Like,” this album shows a more vulnerable side of the singer, with faith-based songs like “Ugly Houses” and “Good Ol’ Boy.”

Dasher says, “I am Saturday night. I am Sunday morning. I’m a little of both. And this record is a little of both.” It also contains her version of “Go to Bed Early,” which she co-wrote for Brad Paisley.

Living on Faith

“I launched this record on faith, knowing that God would provide,” she says. She doesn’t want to push her faith onto anyone–she accepts everyone–but she isn’t afraid to share her faith.

“It’s what we’re called to do. We’re called to be fishers of men,” she explains. But one doesn’t have to believe to love this record. “I just wanted to be honest with you about my journey, and I was an ugly house, and God has been doing some renovation in my life.”

Now, Elizabeth Cook is playing “Ugly Houses” on her XM radio show. Her upbeat breakup anthem, “Cryin’ All the Way to the Bank,” is also receiving some play on XM’s Outlaw Country channel. And she looks forward to more XM radio play in the future.

Finding Love and Getting Healthy

As far as her personal life goes, she is ready to find a partner, not a project. “It’s hard to come home to an empty house, but I’m also not going to settle for just anybody. I don’t care how good lookin’ you are. You gotta be good lookin’ on the inside,” she says.

Speaking of looks, Dasher is looking much slimmer these days. She has struggled with her weight her whole life, but she’s a lot healthier now that she has started tracking her macros (macronutrients) and has started a fitness routine with celebrity fitness trainer, Wilson Emebunor, at Grit N’ Hustle. She also credits Mandy Smith at Vitality Health & Wellness with her dramatic transformation.

Above all, Dasher is a born entertainer, and she has big goals for the future. She plans to sell out more shows in bigger venues and wants to become more of a representative of the country music genre. “A big goal of mine is to host Saturday Night Live,” she says. “I’d love to have more of a national presence on television.”

Her larger-than-life personality is generating more buzz with each public appearance, and more opportunities are coming her way in that regard. “I feel like that was God’s way of telling me, ‘If you can’t get in their ears, I’m going to put you in their faces.’”

It’s all coming together for Dasher; she says she’s in her lane and doing exactly what God has called her to do.

“I live loudly,” Dasher says. And her life certainly reflects that. From her bold musical style to her flamboyant personality, she is an entertainer through and through. Her fans can’t get enough. And though she can’t reveal too much, her fans need not worry. Dasher assures, “You’ll be seeing more of me.”