On The Rise: h. pruz

A widely revered voice in the NYC indie-folk scene, h. pruz’s rare talents include the patience and allergy to artifice and overstatement in their songwriting.

The centerpiece of No Glory—Queens singer-songwriter Hannah Pruzinsky’s heart-rending debut LP as h. pruz—is “I Keep Changing,” an urgent, visceral rock song. Pruzinsky evokes the urge to purge and remake one’s self in reaction to natural shifts: “I let it all wear out/I keep changing.” In the context of a body-horror-reminiscent metaphor, the 28-year-old singer-songwriter—who also performs and co-writes in rising NYC rock band Sister., and collaborates with Mutual Benefit and Told Slant—articulates the way we become aware of and process the challenging experiences that shape us. Here, they portray the disappointments and shaky pivots of their recent past in physical terms: as accumulating bruises.

Elsewhere on this affecting record, the experiences are recast as abstracted feelings and dim memories, played back and reconsidered in their elegant, conciliatory voice over circular chord progressions. Recorded scrappily in a cabin, the songs are given depth and definition by their unvarnished sonics and impressionistic arrangements, conjuring the image of a lost gem of a private-press folk record.

We're excited to announce h. pruz as part of Rough Trade On The Rise, our dedicated curation putting a spotlight on the emerging music we are the most excited for you to hear, to follow and become a fan of. Read on to discover more about the artist in their own words and check out No Glory out June 28th via Mtn Laurel Recording Co.

h. pruz on h. pruz

A self-penned bio.

5 by 5

5 Q's 5 A's

Describe h.pruz in 5 words

• Honest
• Yearning
• Unvarnished
• Patient
• Incidental

5 records you listened to prior to making your album?

• Diane Cluck Oh Vanille/ Ova Nil
• Califone All My Friends Are Funeral Singers
• Ted Lucas Ted Lucas
• The Microphones It Was Hot, We Stayed In The Water
• Kath Bloom x Loren Connors Sing the Children Over & Sand In My Shoe

Top 5 career moments?

• Getting to play my EP release show with Colin Miller, who made the EP with me.
• Going on my first tour with Dead Gowns this past winter. 
• Recording this record with Felix, I’d say that the whole 2 week period was a really special time. Especially playing songs together live.
• Having my friend send me a Stereogum article about my song “Hurting”, written unbeknownst to me.
• Getting to release my album on vinyl. 

You host a pre-release listening party for the album. Who are your 5 VIP guests (dead or alive)?

• Neil Young 
• Felix
• Ceci
• Joanna Newsom
• Connie Converse

Top 5 essential tour snacks

• Nerd’s rope clusters
• Unsalted raw cashews
• Plain seltzer water
• Clementines 
• Not really a snack but equally as essential: rose water spray for a quick refresh.