Before moving to Atlanta, Hannah Zale didn’t really know how to describe the music of the city. «Maybe hip-hop or rap. I didn’t think much about it.» But since settling here, Hannah has helped evolve and push that definition. Her bands, ZALE and The Pussywillows bring a powerful voice to Atlanta’s alternative scene, channeling explosive sounds through her traditional opera background and an powerhouse band behind her. According to Hannah, ATL Collective played a big part in getting where she is today.

“I was drawn to the supergroups on stage» says Hannah. «I thought I might not be good enough at first. But I told myself I’ll know I’ve made it in the Atlanta music scene when I’m asked to play an ATL Collective show”

After receiving the call from Prisca to perform in the Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill show, she called her parents to tell them just that «I made it.» And we couldn’t be happier she did.

Since first sharing the stage with the Collective, Hannah has made her way through some iconic venues like Terminal West, Eddie’s Attic, and The Georgia Theater.

‘There’s a community in the Collective that doesn’t exist anywhere else. It’s introduced me to a network of people to play with and provided opportunities hard to find without a booking agent.‘

Hannah has also built a new fanbase; she’s noticed new faces at her shows who discovered her through reliving an album together with ATL Collective. The connections have grown my network and provided new opportunities. she says. We’re getting better offers for bigger rooms every month.

If you ask Hannah how she would describe the Atlanta music scene now, her answer has changed a bit. «We’re underrated, but not underwhelming. There is a scene here. And yes, we’re the underdogs. But one day we’ll look back and laugh and say ‘we built this’.»