Hanna Barbarian

Zach Jenkins, Tim Kohler, Nick Leng, and Kirsten Tyrrell have been playing together for years, but after multiple projects and recordings the Atlanta group has solidified their upbeat but very serious sound into Hanna Barbarian.

Catchy and deliberate, Hanna Barbarian is the sound of fun, spontaneous pop music that contains a focus and maturity level not heard in the members' separate and previous works. With three contributing song writers, Hanna Barbarian's influences span over forty years of music, and the band's self-released, self-titled debut is nothing less than diverse and varied. The live favorite "When Party Animals Attack!" starts solemn but erupts into beer-raising, sing-along glory; "Friends Are Just Enemies Without the Guts to Kill You" jumps between time signatures and tempos before settling into a groove somewhere between Modest Mouse and the Allman Brothers.

While never shying away from the catchy hooks that make pop music identifiable, Hanna Barbarian is hardly afraid of pushing the limits of the genre, often using three-part harmonies, vintage keyboard sounds, tempo changes, and unconventional song structures. The band's rousing, stimulating, and very energetic performances can be seen all over Atlanta, whether it be at Lenny's Bar, the Wonder Root Art Gallery, or even in the basement of an East Atlanta house.

Hanna Barbarian's plans for 2009 include new recordings and a plethora of live appearances--and they plan to take any who will listen along for the ride.