Being a musician in the digital age is challenging. Unless you’re Hannah Geller, bold and determined.  

“The very first song I ever released was completely done by me, because I am such a big perfectionist,” she ushered.  

Geller has learned music by stepping on the nontraditional route. Drawing from music theory and music courses, she bases her music on achieving the best sound and how it can fuel her listeners. Before producing her music, she detailed that she listens to it carefully in her head. By writing and playing herself, she can bring that sound to life.

Singing was the first musical skill she acquired. From there, her musical prowess only grew. She began playing the drums at the age of twelve, producing her first song at fourteen. At eighteen, she learned to play the guitar. During COVID, she learned to play the bass. She credits her voice for her musical aspirations and for her music career, which began as a cover singer when she began posting cover videos on Instagram. These videos quickly went viral while she was fourteen and still in middle school.  

“It wasn’t just one video; it was every single video that I posted for two years. I was being stopped in public, and back then I thought I had my music career and this is how the rest of my life would be,” she said.  

Geller has compared this time as a musician with her present. She realized that to sustain a career as an artist, she would need to go beyond doing cover songs. From achieving success as a fourteen-year-old to now spending hours making music that resonates with people, this somewhat backwards succession has made her feel as if she is starting from ground zero again.  

When Geller did covers, she mainly sang pop songs. Now, she has transitioned to making and singing rock songs since psychedelic alternative rock is a genre that has caught her attention. However, she realized that most of this music had been created by male musicians; as a female, it fueled her passion even more. 

Her fans, who have followed her since her cover days, are still with her as a self-made artist. By embracing her own art, leaning on her music, and acknowledging what makes her an authentic artist, she has built a meaningful community that connects with her own music. 

“I developed the skills to get by with playing each instrument at first. The beautiful thing about recording is that you can do as many takes as you want. So you can piece things together that sound good.” She continued, “The more that I practiced and the more that I started to realize what my sound was, the better I became at playing those instruments in a way that reflected my music as an artist.” 

Her biggest inspiration is Kevin Parker, better known as Tame Impala. As he is one guy making music, he plays all the instruments himself and is a one-man band. This inspired her to go the same route. Other influences she’s picked up over the years include Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, and Tash Sultana.  

Geller knew that in today’s music industry, you need skills beyond music to survive. You have to be aware of how this industry works. You will encounter sacrifices. There will be countless nights spent writing. You will face challenges, and you will have to skip hangouts. Sometimes you will have to compromise and not lose sight of your work ethic. 

“I feel there are a lot of people that go into music, and they don’t have a strong understanding of what it truly takes to succeed. It does take compromising… I compromise not being able to have relaxing nights in after work.’’ She continued, “Having a dedication to drive and staying on the path that you want to go down despite what outside voices say, is something that I learned is very important, not just in music, but in life overall.”

She began graphic designing her posters two years ago, building her website three months ago, and recently, as of last month, started designing and printing her merch from her kitchen. She utilized these skills when a friend in the music industry asked if she had a website. Admitting she didn’t, she went home, researched how to build her own website, and spent a whole week doing it herself. 

Another friend asked her if she had an electronic press kit (EPK). She didn’t have one, but she built her own. Finally, she was asked by somebody online if she had merchandise. She realized she didn’t, so she began designing a logo and researching websites where she could sell it. And now she designs her merchandise at her home.  

“It’s very freeing being able to capture that myself, without having to rely on other people. It’s also cheaper because I don’t have to pay anybody when it comes to the creative side. It allows me to do a lot more because I think money is a big stressor for musicians and what holds a lot of people back from kind of hitting their full potential,” she said. 

As an artist, it is hard to market yourself in a way that you will stand out from other artists. Geller has found her image with the one-woman-band trait, and it has helped her music grow substantially. 

One of her biggest reasons to keep going, though, is the feedback from her fans. She has received comments from her listeners that listening to her music has made their day better after a stressful day at work, or washing the dishes was fun because they listened to her songs. 

“Having people incorporate my music into their day is probably my biggest inspiration to keep going because without the listeners, I couldn’t have a music career. And so people being able to connect with art that I’ve made myself is very inspirational to me,” she said.  

Looking ahead, Geller says that she would love to get signed. She elaborated that she envisions a team with artists born to do graphic design. Most importantly, she expressed that she wants people to share her vision. But that would be a time when money is not a barrier to her music career. In the meantime, she wants to evolve over time and continue being a one-woman show. 

Geller, being a DIY artist herself, understands the challenges. She knows the struggles it took to get her where she is. She has received praise alongside criticism, and she learned skills herself at her own pace. Honing and channeling her artsy side to become an all-around musician, a one-woman band. 

“Don’t feel like you have to take everything all at once. You can start small and grow bit by bit. When you know that your music is the best representation of yourself, then you can bridge it to see what that visual identity might be that your music elicits,” she said.

Images taken from Instagram/@hannah.geller & hannahgeller.com | Interviewed on December 8, 2025