A Swedish singer/songwriter with a colourful Manx heritage is visiting the island later this month to record an EP.
Hannah Lindqvist Kinrade may live a long way from the Isle of Man but her Manx roots are never far from her mind. She believes she is related to celebrated local author Hall Caine while her grandfather allegedly fled the island after being accused of killing someone.
Hannah, a disabled 35-year-old mother of two not only writes songs but is also a podcaster. She will visit the island between May 11-16 to record an EP called “Murders and Melancholy” after receiving a grant from the Isle of Man Arts Council.
‘I am the first person from my family to return to the Isle of Man since the 1980s and I will be recording at Ballagroove studios,’ Hannah explained. ‘I have Scottish and Manx roots.
‘I studied singing and popular music at Perth College UHI in Scotland and have been writing songs and performing since childhood. I used to play violin and guitar, but pain in my hands unfortunately stopped me, so now I play the piano.
‘Because of my health I haven't been able to perform in a long time and even took a break from music, but in the last couple of years I've found my way back.’
Hannah had applied for arts council funding two years ago and had planned to come over last year but she suffered a setback.
‘I applied for a grant from the Arts Council in 2022,’ she said, ‘planning to travel to the Isle of Man and record there in 2023. Unfortunately my health took a turn for the worse. I have a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome so I haven't been well enough to travel until now.
‘The project is called "Murders and Melancholy" and is a musical genealogy of sorts. My grandfather, Harold Kinrade, grew up in the Isle of Man but ran away in his early twenties because he allegedly killed someone although we don't know what really happened.
‘He ended up in a small town outside of Edinburgh where he met my grandmother. They were both musicians, and started a family. My father (his son) moved to Sweden in the 60s and then I came along. We have a long history of mental health issues as well, that’s where the ‘Melancholy’ comes from.’
Hannah will be focusing on recording the EP but she also hopes to explore the island which plays such an important part in her family history.
‘I will mostly be hanging out at Ballagroove Studios working,’ she said ‘but I hope to be able to do some sightseeing too. I would especially love to go up to Greeba - one of the songs is actually named just that.
‘My aunt's middle name was Greeba and apparently we are related to Hall Caine who owned Greeba Castle for a while.’