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North East shoegaze/grunge artist Hannah Robinson tells us about her top five grunge tracks on the back of the release of her latest single, Ruining The Moment
Photo by Storm Walker
Newcastle’s Hannah Robinson crafts dream‑gaze alt‑rock shaped by anxiety, curiosity and emotional uncertainty, blending ethereal vocals with distortion‑soaked guitars and hazy textures. Her songs explore people‑pleasing, self‑awareness and the slow work of figuring yourself out, with Ruining The Moment channelling that tension into a raw, restless grunge‑leaning release about losing your grip when you need it most.
Her latest track leans hard into grungier quiet‑loud dynamics, shifting from low‑key verses with soft vocals and ambient guitar twang into big, melodic choruses driven by heavy beats and a thick, fuzzed‑out wall of sound. After a relentless shift and a moody drop‑down, the guitars slam back in for one final, full‑throttle chorus.
Here, Hannah tells us about her top five grunge tracks…
1. Soundgarden – The Day I Tried to Live
Soundgarden have been one of my top five bands since I was a teenager. The haunting melodies, eerie guitar parts, and obscure chord choices have hugely shaped my songwriting. I’m drawn to progressions that feel unpredictable and slightly unsettling, and this track captures that perfectly.
2. Pearl Jam – Even Flow
A slightly obvious choice as it’s their most popular track, but for good reason. It’s a no-skip song no matter how many times I hear it. The chorus hits you right in the face, similar to how I wanted ‘Ruining The Moment’ to feel. Eddie Vedder’s vocals are unmatched; the emotion and range are incredible, it feels like he’s crying out for help while shouting at you with pure fury.
3. Alice In Chains – Again
This band has sooo many incredible songs, it’s almost impossible to choose. But ‘Again’ stands out for me. It shares that eerie, slightly unsettling quality I love in Soundgarden. The backing vocals are so distinctive, and AIC are brilliant at knowing how to strip things back. Their MTV Unplugged set is my favourite from the grunge scene, being able to reinterpret such a heavy catalogue in a way that feels emotional and almost elegant is something not many bands from the genre can do.
4. Nirvana – Serve the Servants
Another band with a near-impossible catalogue to narrow down, but this track really stands out. The rawness and grit feel like a blueprint for so many modern noise bands, which is the avenue I’m currently exploring. The production puts you right in the room, the distortion and feedback, the clean drum sound, and that controlled chaos. It sounds messy, but it’s completely intentional, and that approach really inspired my latest single.
5. Hole – Petals
The chords in this song are stunning, I’m a hugeee fan of major seventh/minor progressions. The acoustic guitar transcends you straight back to the ‘90s, like the soundtrack to an indie coming-of-age film. Courtney Love’s vocals are raspy and soulful, and the bridge feels almost like an argument with herself. Compared to Hole’s heavier tracks, this sits perfectly in the middle of their sound; it has a bit of everything, plus a seriously catchy hook.
