Hana Pestle

FULTON, Mo. – Alternative rock and acoustic solo artist, Hana Pestle, will perform a free concert at William Woods University on Friday (Nov. 4). The performance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Dulany Auditorium.

With a raw live show that engages and impresses, Hana most often takes the stage with a microphone and her acoustic guitar as her only tools. Pestle’s sound carries a unique blend of influences as diverse as Radiohead, Sarah McLachlan and the Cranberries.

Pestle has been singing since she could remember, performing live for the first time when she was just 14 years old.

Hailing from Billings, Mont., Pestle aims to “reach out to new people and inspire them to create their own art.” Pestle tours the United States and wins over crowds with her music nightly with seasoned, bold vocals and outstanding guitar skills.

Pestle is featured in Celine Dion’s 2007 album “Taking Chances,” as a back-up vocalist. She has landed slots as the opening act for Collective Soul, Live and Blues Traveler, and has toured with national acts Joshua Radin, Sister Hazel, Graham Colton, Ari Hest, Jon McLaughlin, Pat McGee and Ingram Hill.

Her full debut album, “This Way,” was released in 2009 with FNR Records produced by Ben Moody. Moody, best known for his work with Evanescence, has also worked with artists such as Avril Lavigne, Chris Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson and Celine Dion.

The concert is part of Pestle’s college campus tour and is sponsored by the Campus Activities Board.

For more information on Hana Pestle and her music, visit www.hanapestle.com. - News Tribune

Hana Pestle captivated the Underground with her booming voice and acoustic guitar and fiery red hair as the Acoustic Night performer on Tuesday, Feb. 19.

“Her sounds are inspiring…not everyone can sing and play like that at the same time,” said sophomore Madeline Moravitz, a psychology major in the education program. Tuesday’s performance was Moravitz’s second time seeing Pestle at the University of Mary Washington. It proved just as impressive as the first.

“I saw her last year. I love her. I listen to her songs on Facebook,” said Moravitz.

With a mix of her own work and covers, Pestle reached out to her listeners by giving a back-story to each of her songs. Pestle told stories, such as how the song “Make You Hurt” is about a boy who broke up with her in high school at a Wendy’s, and how one of her newest creations, “For the Sky,” talks about the struggles of being on the road.

One song, “What Makes Things Break Up as They Do,” is about the acclaimed novel “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding. Pestle had originally written the song for a high school English project, which she got an A on. She believes it to be one of her favorites of her own work.

Only 22 years old, Pestle has lived in Los Angeles, Calif. since graduating high school in her hometown of Brillings, Mont. Pestle talked about how different it was going from Montana to the big city L.A.

“I had to get used to …the sea of people,” said Pestle.

With one album already released, Pestle is working on her college tour and experimenting with new sounds.

“I really liked her variation and intimacy,” freshman Michael Middleton, undeclared, said.

Pestle said that the thing she loves most about music is how it can connect with people and build that intimate connection.
“It’s the greatest connecter,” she said.

Others, such as senior Logan Martinez, really appreciated what she chose to write about. According to Martinez, Pestle’s songs about being on the road and moving around a lot felt very relatable.

Though she usually writes songs about her life experiences, Pestle also draws inspiration from everything she listens to. Artists such as Radiohead, Florence and the Machine and Adele are some of her main idols. - The Bullet

Students were serenaded while eating lunch in the Student Center on Thursday.

Hana Pestle was there performing an all-acoustic show as part of her national tour of college campuses. She performed a mix of both original songs and covers, including “Creep” by Radiohead and “Drive” by Incubus, to a small but captive audience.

Hana Pestle performing in the Student Center

After playing “Eyes Wide Open” by Gotye and a few of her own songs, she told the audience about a song she wrote in high school as a last-minute response to the novel, “Lord of the Flies.”

“It was a Sunday night and I hadn’t done anything, so I just decided ‘hey,’ I’ll write a song,” she said. “And I got an A.”

She then played a medley of “Replay” by Sean Kingston, “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga, “Numb” by Linkin Park, “Hey Soul Sister” by Train and “Forget You” by Cee Lo Green. She also performed a song she wrote about being on the road, in which she says she “wouldn’t trade it for the sky.”

One of her original songs, “Red Death Ball,” was a little different from the others.

“I wrote this song based on an Edgar Allen Poe story, so it turned out a little bit dark,” she said.

Pestle’s shining moment of the afternoon was when she performed “Hallelujah,” originally by Leonard Cohen, which she said is one of her “all-time favorite songs.” Pestle belted out the last part of the song and received her loudest cheers before finishing and taking pictures with students.

Despite the noisy crowd of chattering students in the background, Pestle remained courteous and showed her talent, both in singing and on guitar. While it was a simple performance, Pestle showed that she is certainly not a simple artist. - The Fountain

On May 5, the Coffee House at Hurley's held a special performance by Hana Pestle. It was a phenomenal show, which I greatly appreciated. Hurley's is frankly a great place for small shows like this one. I found myself comfortable with the acoustics of the room. Yes, it was loud, but the small space made the sound that more intimate. The atmosphere was very comfortable. It is a place where friends can meet and watch a good show while sipping coffee.

Hana Pestle's performance was wonderful to listen to. Her lively attitude on stage was refreshing from other performances I have seen in the past. She has a passionate presence while performing, and it truly shows that she loves her music and loves what she does. I particularly enjoyed her mash up of popular songs like Sean Kingston's "Replay", The Cranberries' "Zombie", Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" and many other songs that everyone would enjoy. The somber, yet, comfortable silence as Hana Pestle performed a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Halleluiah" as her finale was something wonderful to listen to.

Pestle's parents were a great help getting her into music. They would listen to "good music" while she would sing along. She took lessons when she was twelve-years-old and progressed naturally to where she is now. Currently, Radiohead is a large influence on her. She also enjoys Incubus, Sarah McLachlan and Alanis Morissette, just to name a few.

Pestle said she enjoyed the atmosphere and small stage setting of Hurley's. There are large differences to a large stage and small one, besides the size. There is an intimacy with a small stage that she prefers: a closeness with the audience that feels good. A large stage, on the other hand, has an energetic feeling to it that a small stage cannot get close to.

Pestle would like to be able to write and perform her music for a career. She would like to be able to support herself with the music. She would, given the chance, like to inspire people to go on their own, like she did, and reach for their dreams.
- http://www.theracquette.com

Standing alone in combat boots in the Student Center Courtyard on March 30 was the guitar-wielding beauty Hana Pestle, entrancing her old and new fans with haunting vocals and thoughtful lyrics.
Despite a disrespectful, albeit short lived interruption, Pestle showered her fans with vocals reminiscent of Sarah McLachlan back in the 90s. Her guitar riffs in the song "Make Me Hurt" sounded much like another of her influences, Ani DiFranco. Her thoughtful lyrics brought forth pain, love and creativity all while maintaining her persona of girl rock to the core.

The 20-year-old Pestle had a fascinating personality that matched her voice. She hugged the fans that stayed after the show to talk to her and was a breath of fresh air compared to the ever-growing number of self-proclaimed divas that can't seem to stay on key in public.

Pestle, on the contrary, hit every note with an intensity that has long been missed in the music industry.

Freshman Haley Laffoon came out after SAB Comedy Chair and senior Jason Groves told her about the concert. The music was right up her alley, and just before buying Pestle's new album, she said, "I really like her music. This is the type of music I listen to. I think it sounds really good."

Laffoon added, "I like spontaneous things like these. You can just walk by in the courtyard and listen to it."

Pestle started singing for the public in ninth grade, where she would play in local farmers' markets twice a week. In 2005, a DVD of one of her live performances made its way into the hands of musician and songwriter, Little Rock native Ben Moody, now her boyfriend, best known as guitarist and band leader for Evanescence. This started the young Pestle on a journey from which she has yet to look back.

"They [Moody and co-writer Michael "Fish" Herring] watched it and liked it. So I moved out to LA and started writing and recording with them. From there is has just been crazy," Pestle said.

Back at UCA, people walking by her performance would stop in, listen to her soulful chords, and move on. This continued through x-period. Everyone from two barefoot students with bandanas and pizza to khaki-wearing student government representatives showed up for the show.

SAB Music Chair and junior Eli Nichols was impressed with the choice he and other SAB members made at a National Association of Collegiate Activities (NACA) conference in Arlington when choosing Pestle.

"She was a lot more unique than a lot of people we were hearing there, so we thought it would be cool to book her," he said.

Pestle, a Billings, Mont. native, had a few fans come from Russellville to see the show. Jonathan Caldwell, a senior from Arkansas Tech University, found her through following her boyfriend and fellow musician, Moody, on Twitter.

"I have her on Twitter and keep up with her. I decided to come out since it was nearby? I thought it was really good," he said.

With influences ranging from Alanis Morissette to Incubus, the up-and-coming artist gave the audience what they were looking for. Whether it was an avant-garde rendition of the Cranberries' "Zombies" mixed with Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi," or her own, "Red Death Ball," based on an Edgar Allan Poe short story, she aims to please, and did just that. - ucaecho.net

Singer-songwriter Hana Pestle packed Yellowstone Valley Brewing Company's garage pub with family and friends on and off the stage at her show Wednesday night.

Performing with Ben Moody on keyboard and drums, her sister Skyler on harmonies and drums and friend Kate Haughey on cello, Pestle remarked that she wasn't used to playing with so many people on stage.

The fuller sound added a nice dimension to the performance of her original songs.

She performed most of her cover songs, including her well-known version of "Hallelujah," solo, showcasing her powerful voice and original takes on well-known songs like Radiohead's "Creep" and The Cranberries' "Zombie."

Having performed on some of the bigger stages in the country opening for bands like Blues Traveler and Collective Soul, Pestle released her debut album, "This Way," earlier this year.

She seemed completely at ease on the Garage Pub's small stage, having played there so many times before, and once again surrounded by a loving crowd of family and friends. - Billings Gazette

Hana Pestle's voice is hauntingly beautiful, and is reminiscent of already renowned artists such as Mandy Moore and Amy Lee of Evanescence. It is no wonder then that the 19 year-old Billings, Montana, native was contacted by Ben Moody, guitarist and co-founder of Evanescence, and Michael "Fish" Herring, writer and producer (Christina Aguilera, Tupac, Prince), after a tape of her August 2005 performance in Billings was showed to them through "a friend of a friend."
Pestle was only 14 at the time of the performance, yet Moody commented, "It only took Hana singing one song and I was sold. I have never in my life been more in awe of such a breathtaking natural talent." She and her family traveled to Los Angeles to meet with the producers in 2005 and started recording her album in April of 2006.
While balancing high school, creating her debut album, and traveling from Los Angeles to Billings, Pestle managed to record backup vocals for Celine Dion's 2007 album "Taking Chances." Fittingly, Pestle's vocals also appear on Moody's solo EP entitled "The Mutiny Bootleg EP." In May 2008 Pestle's self-titled EP was released, and shortly after she began to tour as the opening slot with Collective Soul, Live, and Blues Traveler.
Pestle usually takes the stage with only her guitar and a microphone and relies on her natural talent to win over audiences. One of her favorite songs to perform is "The Red Death Ball" from her new album "This Way," which released September 22. The song was influenced by the short story "The Masque of Red Death," by Edgar Allen Poe, which is about a hostess who massacres all of her guests at the ball. Pestle states, "I love to explain the song beforehand and watch people's expressions when they listen to the lyrics." This song is an example of the range and depth of the proclaimed "indie/acoustic/rock" artist.
Pestle's popularity can most likely be attested to the singer/songwriter's profound enthusiasm for the popular Twilight series. In December of 2008 she launched an internet campaign to get her ballad "Need" into the New Moon soundtrack. Ultimately, her song was not chosen to be featured on the new soundtrack, but her campaign prompted over 19,000 fans to support her cause and "Need" gathered over one million plays in the span of a mere few months.
Pestle's energy and sheer talent make her an amazing act to see live. She states, "I really just want to reach out to new people and inspire them to create their own art. Truly, just getting to a point where my music could really support my lifestyle would be amazing. I want to continue to release music for as long as I make it"
- theraquet.net

Hana Pestle can make finding a dead girl in a lake sound delightful.

Her original songs—themed around dark, imaginative worlds where lake swimmers entangle their fingers in the hair of the deceased or guests at the “Red Death Ball” perish—are disturbing on paper, but enchanting in song.

Even Pestle’s renditions of other’s music, including Frou Frou’s “Let Go,” Radiohead’s “Creep” and ”Zombie” by the Cranberries, take on their own life, her vocal passion bringing conviction to each song.

During a sold-out performance at Billings Venture Theatre, Pestle expressed her gratitude for the hometown support. The quiet theater suited Pestle’s style: rich acoustic guitar and dramatic vocals honed in coffee houses and on the road.

During the hour and a half performance, she played several songs from her upcoming album, including “Need,” which is in the running to be included on the soundtrack for the next Twilight movie, and called her younger sister, Skyler, to the stage for a handful of duets.


Hana Pestle performs a duet with her sister, Sklyer, at Venture Theatre Aug. 14.
The Billings singer/songwriter relocated to Los Angeles to launch her music career a few years ago and has created a national following by relentlessly touring the country and opening concerts for Blues Traveler, Live, and Collective Soul, among others.

Lately, Pestle has been booking concerts in support for her debut full-length album “This Way,” to be released Sept. 22 on producer Ben Moody’s label, FNR Records.

Pestle heads to Bozeman tonight to perform at the Leaf and Bean and performs in Great Falls Aug. 21 at Bert and Ernies. She’s hitting the road this fall with Moody’s new band We Are The Fallen, and has also booked a series of concert dates at college campuses in the Midwest. - penandpaige.com

I recently posted an article about a handful of the artists campaigning for a spot on the coveted soundtrack to the sequel to last year’s mega-blockbuster Twilight, New Moon. I was completely taken aback when, within 24 hours, the comment pool was flooded with chants, screams, and other pep-rally-like mayhem in support of 20-year-old Hana Pestle and her single “Need”.

Apparently, there was something much more to this singer-songwriter, who grew up in Billings, MT, so I did some research. Not only did she perform backing vocals on Celine Dion’s 2007 album Taking Chances, but she is also the first artist signed to Evanescence-founder Ben Moody’s label FNR Records. She recorded tracks for Moody’s recently-released solo debut All For This, and she will be the opening act this fall for Moody’s (and American Idol alumnus Carly Smithson’s) new band, We Are the Fallen.

Her single, “Need”, has received rousing support from the Twilight fan community. On her MySpace page, the track has clocked over 1.8 million plays and she has secured over 21,000 supporters on her “Need for New Moon” MySpace campaign page. Obviously, Pestle has struck a chord with a vast population. Her fans are truly devoted and are excited about this song. And this is where she begins our conversation…

HP: Yeah, they’re amazing. They are just incredible. They are so adamant about this song. They are so supportive. Pretty much, starting this campaign was one of the smartest things I’ve ever done. I thought it fit with the theme of the movie, but these people are so into it, it’s amazing. I’ve gained a lot of fans through it, so it’s really been a cool thing.

MM: You’ve got nearly two million hits on MySpace for that song alone. Most bands only wish they received half that amount of hits on a song on MySpace.

HP: Yeah, it’s crazy. I’d sign in when it began to shoot up; I’d get a little log every day of how many times it had been played. And seeing it do that right before my eyes, I was like, “what…the…hell??? 30,000 plays today?” It was incredible.

MM: Looking back, how did this all come about? Were you a fan of the books; were you a fan of the first film?

HP: Well, it was one of the first songs I’d ever written. I wrote it five years ago, and then last year, my sister fell into Twilight. She kept telling me over and over, “you have to read these books!” And later that year, I was home for Thanksgiving, and I read all four of them that weekend, and I became a little bit obsessed. We went on a hike, my sister and I, and we were talking about how cool it would have been to be on the soundtrack for the first movie, and it pretty much hit us at the same time that “Need” is perfect for what happens in New Moon.

So, I went home, launched the campaign, and put the song up on MySpace, and everything started happening really fast. We just started adding Twilight fans and Twilight web pages, and people really attached to it pretty quick. All of the sudden we were getting 400 requests a day. It was cool; people really liked the song. I was getting emails over a paragraph long about [situations in the books the song reminded them of]. So, yeah, I started it because I thought the song fit really well, and it just blew up because, well, I guess it really does fit.

MM: So, just to clarify, the song wasn’t influenced or inspired by the movie at all?

HP: No, not at all. It was a song about an impossible love. I was in love with a boy of whom my parents didn’t approve. I wrote it when I was 14 in that kind of desperate, teenage angst state. I think that’s what a lot of Twilight is about – a lot of impossible love, “what am I going to do” kinda stuff. And I think that’s where people are making the connection with the song.

MM: Well now that you have experienced the books and the first movie, is there a particular scene you feel the song best fits?

HP: Yeah, I think it would fit pretty much perfectly in this forest scene where Edward leaves her. I saw a little clip of it in the trailer, and I was like, “that’s where it’s supposed to be playing!” I can just see it when I close my eyes and envision it; it’s perfect!

MM: Now, I don’t know if you’ve been able to gauge it at all, but are all of your recent fans coming from the Twilight world, or are you siphoning some of Ben Moody’s fans, too?

HP: Oh yeah, definitely. It’s kinda all over. Twilight fans have been all over it, because I marketed it that way. But also, other people have seen how many plays it has gotten and became curious, and a lot of other people have been latching on. But yeah, Ben’s fans also really like the song, and he helped me write it. So there you go.

MM: It’s also really interesting to see that your song is connecting in the manner that it is, because we live in a time where the music industry has shifted so far away from where it was ten years ago, where bands put their entire lives in the hands of publicists. On top of that, the past couple years has be - examiner.com

I recently posted an article about a handful of the artists campaigning for a spot on the coveted soundtrack to the sequel to last year’s mega-blockbuster Twilight, New Moon. I was completely taken aback when, within 24 hours, the comment pool was flooded with chants, screams, and other pep-rally-like mayhem in support of 20-year-old Hana Pestle and her single “Need”.

Apparently, there was something much more to this singer-songwriter, who grew up in Billings, MT, so I did some research. Not only did she perform backing vocals on Celine Dion’s 2007 album Taking Chances, but she is also the first artist signed to Evanescence-founder Ben Moody’s label FNR Records. She recorded tracks for Moody’s recently-released solo debut All For This, and she will be the opening act this fall for Moody’s (and American Idol alumnus Carly Smithson’s) new band, We Are the Fallen.

Her single, “Need”, has received rousing support from the Twilight fan community. On her MySpace page, the track has clocked over 1.8 million plays and she has secured over 21,000 supporters on her “Need for New Moon” MySpace campaign page. Obviously, Pestle has struck a chord with a vast population. Her fans are truly devoted and are excited about this song. And this is where she begins our conversation…

HP: Yeah, they’re amazing. They are just incredible. They are so adamant about this song. They are so supportive. Pretty much, starting this campaign was one of the smartest things I’ve ever done. I thought it fit with the theme of the movie, but these people are so into it, it’s amazing. I’ve gained a lot of fans through it, so it’s really been a cool thing.

MM: You’ve got nearly two million hits on MySpace for that song alone. Most bands only wish they received half that amount of hits on a song on MySpace.

HP: Yeah, it’s crazy. I’d sign in when it began to shoot up; I’d get a little log every day of how many times it had been played. And seeing it do that right before my eyes, I was like, “what…the…hell??? 30,000 plays today?” It was incredible.

MM: Looking back, how did this all come about? Were you a fan of the books; were you a fan of the first film?

HP: Well, it was one of the first songs I’d ever written. I wrote it five years ago, and then last year, my sister fell into Twilight. She kept telling me over and over, “you have to read these books!” And later that year, I was home for Thanksgiving, and I read all four of them that weekend, and I became a little bit obsessed. We went on a hike, my sister and I, and we were talking about how cool it would have been to be on the soundtrack for the first movie, and it pretty much hit us at the same time that “Need” is perfect for what happens in New Moon.

So, I went home, launched the campaign, and put the song up on MySpace, and everything started happening really fast. We just started adding Twilight fans and Twilight web pages, and people really attached to it pretty quick. All of the sudden we were getting 400 requests a day. It was cool; people really liked the song. I was getting emails over a paragraph long about [situations in the books the song reminded them of]. So, yeah, I started it because I thought the song fit really well, and it just blew up because, well, I guess it really does fit.

MM: So, just to clarify, the song wasn’t influenced or inspired by the movie at all?

HP: No, not at all. It was a song about an impossible love. I was in love with a boy of whom my parents didn’t approve. I wrote it when I was 14 in that kind of desperate, teenage angst state. I think that’s what a lot of Twilight is about – a lot of impossible love, “what am I going to do” kinda stuff. And I think that’s where people are making the connection with the song.

MM: Well now that you have experienced the books and the first movie, is there a particular scene you feel the song best fits?

HP: Yeah, I think it would fit pretty much perfectly in this forest scene where Edward leaves her. I saw a little clip of it in the trailer, and I was like, “that’s where it’s supposed to be playing!” I can just see it when I close my eyes and envision it; it’s perfect!

MM: Now, I don’t know if you’ve been able to gauge it at all, but are all of your recent fans coming from the Twilight world, or are you siphoning some of Ben Moody’s fans, too?

HP: Oh yeah, definitely. It’s kinda all over. Twilight fans have been all over it, because I marketed it that way. But also, other people have seen how many plays it has gotten and became curious, and a lot of other people have been latching on. But yeah, Ben’s fans also really like the song, and he helped me write it. So there you go.

MM: It’s also really interesting to see that your song is connecting in the manner that it is, because we live in a time where the music industry has shifted so far away from where it was ten years ago, where bands put their entire lives in the hands of publicists. On top of that, the past couple years has be - examiner.com

Although she's from a small town, Hana Pestle's voice and talent are the exact opposite. Since graduating high school, eighteen-year-old Pestle has not stopped touring. But does she regret the whirlwind life of hopping from city to city? Absolutely not.

Eighteen-year-old Hana Pestle may come from the small town of Billings, Montana, but you could hardly say the same about her voice. Reminiscent of artists such as Sarah McLachlan and Tori Amos, Pestle's voice is meant for sweeping, emotional musical creations rather than a run-of-the-mill pop song. Her debut album has been recently completed and is set to hit stores on July 7, 2009.

About a year ago, Pestle uprooted from the Midwest and moved to Los Angeles to work on her album with Ben Moody, the co-founder of the band Evanescence. It's hard to believe that just two years ago, Pestle was still playing shows at local clubs back in her hometown, unaware of the future that lay just around the corner. Pestle's big break came from a surprising, albeit rather traditional source. Impressed by one of her shows, a friend of one of Pestle's friends knew a producer in Los Angeles and got a hold of one of her recordings. Before she knew it, Pestle was flying to California and recording a slew of demos. Although the transition from small town to the fast-paced, big city life was somewhat of a challenge, Pestle was equally excited to travel to one of her favorite states.

"I've always been in love with California," Pestle confessed.

Having been gone from Billings six months and counting, Pestle credits her friends with aiding in the transition period. Ever since getting on the plane and arriving in LA, Pestle has been busy making her mark with the industry and more importantly, the fans.

On May 27, 2008, her EP was released and Pestle kicked off a touring schedule that's just about to wind to a close. In addition to the Blues Traveler, Live, and Collective Soul Tour, she has opened for Joshua Radin, John McLaughlin, and Ingram Hill. Other recent performances include the acoustic Hotel Café Tour, which has blossomed into one of the nation's leading venues for singer/songwriters. Now in its fourth year, the tour has featured artists such as Jewel, Rilo Kiley, and Damien Rice.

Touring, which is "ultimately going really well," will most likely continue for the next two years, in hopes of raising even further awareness about Pestle.

"I've been singing forever, "Pestle said. "I come from a really musical family."

When was the first time she knew that she wanted to pursue singing?

"Seventh grade. I had a solo at a Christmas concert," recalled.

Pestle's music is not only refreshing due to her mature, rich vocal style, but also her creative efforts. Unlike other young, mainstream artists, Pestle writes a lot of her own material. On her debut album, about half of the songs are solely her own creation, while the other half are collaborations.

Her source of inspiration is diverse, as she counts things such as "the ocean, hiking, and relationships."

Pestle, who loves to write, has a diverse musical taste that is certainly reflected in her music. Her favorite bands and musicians range from REM, Alanis Morissette, and Sarah McLachlan to the Smashing Pumpkins and John Mayer. However, there's one band that's steadily captured her heart for the past six years.

"I'm a huge fan of Radiohead. To work with [them] would be beyond amazing," she gushed.

If there's one thing for certain, Pestle has the passion and insight of a seasoned music vet. Earning a college degree isn't something that she's entirely ruled out, but as of right now, music fills her past, present, and future. Call it luck or call it fate, but perhaps if that one, pivotal show had not happened, maybe Pestle would have become just another college freshman after all.

And if she entered college, would she have studied music? Surprisingly, this wasn't her initial response.

"I love to read. So I'd probably study literature," she said.

It's a good thing that this is all in a hypothetical sense, as the world may not need another lit major, but the industry certainly needs another talented, genuine, and unique artist. - 411Mania.com

Hana Pestle and Erin McCarley are two up and coming female vocalists to keep your eyes and ears on.

Before going to the Joshua Radin Concert at the Fillmore in San Fransisco, CA, I had planned to primarily write about his performance and simply mention the opening acts. But these ladies deserve some attention. My expectations for the evening of August 21st were to drive up to San Fransisco and watch a great musician, Joshua Radin, perform. I was ready to endure two opening acts patiently before seeing the headliner but was pleasantly surprised by these two women, their stage presence and their art.
Powerhouse Sing-a-Longs With Hana

The talented and soulful Hana Pestle was the first musician to grace the stage that night. She entered alone, save her guitar and filled the Fillmore auditorium with her powerful voice and guitar playing. Hana showed amazing versatility as she switched from a sweet, melodious voice to a bold and soulful one. Her voice is comparable to Alanis Morrisette's who is known for her ability to wail and then drop to a whisper.

Hana performed several of her original songs and also played two covers. During her first cover song she invited the audience to join in a heartfelt and intense rendition of Radiohead's Creep. She ended her set with all five verses of Hallelujah. Though both of these songs are frequently covered by musicians, Hana made each of them her own by applying her unique style and personal emotion.

Seeing these two ladies create such awesome music and wail like they mean it made me feel proud to be a woman and gave me hope for women in the music industry. They show that a female musician does not have to sell her sensuality to sell her music. These two vocal powerhouses are a wonderful addition to the music world with their creativity and boldness. - IndiePopRockMusic.com

The Saturday night Ingram Hill show is the sort that makes me wish I had been a little more familiar with the band’s music going in. Hill’s anthemia blend of 90’s alt-rock and 70’s southern rock is tailor-made to inspire simultaneous head-nodding and foot-stomping; and while I had no trouble doing either, I wish I could have sung along with the soaring choruses a little more.

Cain’s was sparsely populated for a Saturday night—at most there were about a hundred people in there, with no more than fifty standing around the stage at any given time—but the artists didn’t seem disappointed and didn’t hold back at all when they took the stage. The night kicked off with Montana native singer-songwriter Hana Pestle, who took the stage with just a microphone and a single acoustic guitar; once she started playing, it was obvious she didn’t need anything else. It was as though she was holding an entire orchestra in her hands—which was a plus, since it took a powerful instrument to back her strong, soulful voice.

The sparse crowd was supportive in its own way, with several fans yelling “Sweet!” and “Awesome!” which she yelled back, smiling and rolling her eyes. The songs she played betrayed influences that were all over the map, and in fact her covers ranged from Radiohead to Kris Kristofferson (both of which she pulled off effortlessly). She closed the show with an original called “The Red Death Ball,” based on Edgar Allen Poe’s short story “The Masque of the Red Death.”

It was a performance that had the crowd mesmerized, making it a tough act to follow—and, in fact, it was a little hard to shift gears from her nuanced, vulnerable performance to fist-pumping rock ‘n roll anthems. But when the Tennessee-based band took the stage, they threw themselves wholeheartedly into the performance, opening with their hit “Why Don’t You”—which easily put the crowd in the mood. As they continued playing throughout the evening, the standing crowd around the stage grew until almost nobody was sitting down in the back. - Tulsa Today

She sat with me by the bar and ate cupcakes after opening for two of the biggest bands in rock history at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. Barely out of high school—charming, charismatic, and only 19—she is Hana Pestle, a singer songwriter from Montana (not to be confused with Hannah Montana, as her name is pronounced like Hoh-na). After touring this summer with Live, Collective Soul, and Blues Traveler and just finishing the last leg of Joshua Radin’s tour, she is now opening for Graham Colton, an artist best known for his song “Best Days” featured on American Idol.

While others her age are leaving for their first semester of college, Pestle released her debut EP, which is produced by former Evanescence member Ben Moody, an artist who has written songs for Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkston. A prequel to her upcoming full-length album, the EP contains 4 songs—3 originals and an extended cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” that makes you forget that someone else ever sang it. The first track, “These Two Hands,” was co-written with Moody and is eerily reminiscent of Evanescence’s first big hit “Bring Me to Life.” The song is about overcoming the fear of the unknown, something that Pestle must feel as such a young, but by no means small, girl playing on a such a big platform. The remaining up-tempo ballad “Just a Phase” and the catchy melody “Together Forever” show maturity beyond her age in vocals as well as lyrically. Pestle also adds contributing backup vocals to a song on Celine Dion’s latest album “Taking Chances” to her impressive resume.

Hanging out with her at Hammerstein, where she played alone on stage with only her guitar—raw and with edge—she turned down a drink at the bar, which says she still retains a sense of normalcy and collectiveness that today’s pop stars often ruin for us as listeners. Her sense of ease and fluidity easily comes across in her music and gleaming personality, as she seemed genuinely pleased to hang out with her fans after performing.

Calling L.A. her home for now, or in whatever city she is playing for the night, Pestle feels she is home wherever her guitar is. Her EP can be purchased on iTunes, and if the EP is a preview, then I’m stoked for the upcoming full-length feature. Watch out—she’s the next big thing. - Katherine Epstein

The greatest gift for music fans is uncovering treasure. Discovering that brilliant new artist no one else seems to have heard of yet. Recently, while doing an interview with Carly Smithson of We Are The Fallen, I had just such a moment of discovery. As Smithson and I talked about the debut of her band's album, Tear The World Down, Smithson mentioned the name Hana Pestle on a few occasions, so my audiophile curiosity got the better of me, and afterward I set out to hear Pestle's work as well.
I was pleasantly thrilled to discover a gem in this Montana based and Georgia born singer/songwriter. Her first full length release, This Way, was released on FNR Records in 2009, and is quietly garnering a solid fan base and critical acclaim.
This Way was produced by songwriter/guitarist, Ben Moody (Evanescence, We Are The Fallen) and Michael Herring. From the opening chords of "Never Learned To Lie" to the final the strains of "What Makes Things", the listener is taken on a journey of emotions and personal memories.
Pestle's lyrics combine with her emotive and ethereal vocal style to evoke soul stirring memories. Her songs, sway from brooding and moody, to inspiring and uplifting. The latter, less in tempo than in introspective freedom.
At 20-years-old, Pestle has a wisdom deeper than some of her more mature contemporaries. She brings this insight to her music and lyrical themes.
The album's second track, "Red Death Ball" pulls you into an atmospheric web of melody, playing Pestle's piano work against a haunting backdrop of strings, arranged and conducted by David Campbell. Moody lends his guitar and Marty O'Brien (Static-X, We Are The Fallen, Disturbed) fills the holes with solid punches from his bass.
The album's third track and single, "Need" is perhaps a perfect soundtrack piece for the "Twilight" movie series. So it's not surprising fans attempted to get the series to use the song.
The tempo picks up with "Rain", a track which brings a sigh and a smile like a perfectly timed spring shower.
Track by track the aural odyssey continues, with Pestle's voice leading the way like a minstrel vagabond traversing one emotion after another before leaving you drained but still craving.
Invest the time in discovering this treasure. You're sure to find new nuances and flavors in Pestle's sound and style for your ear. - Allvoices

While most people on campus at the University of Houston were discussing marijuana in some way, shape or form - it was, after all, 4/20 - Aftermath, along with about 50 other people, were focused on the talented Hana Pestle. In our two years at UH, we've never seen so many people so intently paying attention to a visiting artist before.

The heat and humidity got to Pestle's body, but it didn't touch her attitude; by the end of her 40-minute performance, she was sweaty and sunburned but still smiling and laughing.

Playing at colleges has been, as Pestle puts it, "a learning experience... but that's the exciting part - winning over an audience and getting people to turn around and watch you."

She definitely won us over. We walked outside of the University Center Satellite with a cup of coffee in hand and the intent to go eat off-campus, heard Pestle's voice and immediately delayed our plans for lunch. We were hoping she would be a local artist, which is unfortunately not the case, but nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed the show.

?Pestle was born in Georgia, settled in Montana when she was in fifth grade - the same year she got her first guitar - and now lives in Los Angeles, where she works with Ben Moody, the former lead guitarist for Evanescence.

Moody and Pestle met during her junior year of high school. She was playing a show, and a friend told her that a friend of a friend from Los Angeles would be there. Like any down-to-earth unsigned artist, she thought to herself, "Yeah, right." But a recording of her performance that night eventually made its way into the hands of Moody and his friend/business partner, Michael Herring.They loved it.

"It was crazy," Pestle said, fondly remembering her senior year of high school, when everything started to take off. "I'd get my homework, fly to L.A. and then record."

Pestle has released two CDs; one is simply her vocals and guitar, while the other is a fully produced album. We bought one of her full-length LPs.
"Since I tour alone, we thought it would be a good idea to put out one CD where it's just me and my guitar," Pestle said. "Eventually, though, I'll take out a band with me on the road."

While her performance in Houston was simply her, her guitar and a looper (a jam man, which she uses to take full advantage of her wide vocal range and harmonize with herself), Pestle also plays the piano but emphasizes that she is self-taught: "I don't think I've really gotten to the point where I can say I'm a pianist, but I do it anyway."
She laughed, and we smiled.

Writing will be Pestle's primary concern for the near future. She has been playing her current set list for about five years, she said. We look forward to new content but, in the meantime, will enjoy her current album and be envious of her four-day stint in San Antonio. She'll be playing today, tomorrow and Saturday at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Enjoy the Riverwalk, we say, then come back to the H, where the real party is. - Houston Press