Hannah Jadagu’s ‘Describe’ is pop that rewires itself on repeat listens : World Cafe : NPR

When she started working on her sophomore album, Hannah Jadagu found herself thinking a lot about the nuances of being in a relationship. So often, pop music can be boiled down to the simplest elements — the sweet high of a crush or the heartbreaking low of a breakup.

On Describe, Jadagu wanted to explore all of the parts in between.

“It’s about a lot of the journeys that you go through together and navigating those things and working every day to choose that person,” she says. “I think that’s what this record is really about.”

Jadagu, who was signed to Sub Pop shortly after high school and recorded her first EP on her iPhone, dazzled us on her first visit to World Cafe, showcasing her impressive guitar playing. On Describe, she’s painting on a bigger canvas, experimenting with synth sounds to create something that feels like its own universe.

Today, Jadagu talks about expanding her sound while focusing on her songwriting. She uses repetition to great effect on Describe. Plus, as a recent grad of New York University, she discusses what she’s learned navigating the music industry.

This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Miguel Perez. Our senior producer is Kimberly Junod and our engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.