Hannah Stokes: “Right Where I Belong”

One of my favorite parts of growing up is the slow discovery of your personal passions and skills. My passion for videography traces all the way back to my parents getting their first camcorder as a Christmas gift when I was not even three years old. As soon as I was old enough to know what each button did, I was off on my own videotaping quite literally everything. That passion has stuck with me throughout my life and now, as a college student, I get to start figuring out if I can continue to implement that passion into my everyday life.

Sometimes, our passions can seem far away or unapplicable to the tedious nine-to-five, rat race of today’s society. I see this a lot in the fine arts and musical worlds. I know so many people who have set their artistic and musical loves aside to pursue an education towards a “real job.” So many people with more talent in one pinky toe than I have in my whole body choose not to pursue their gifts into their college careers for fear of falling into obscurity, losing their passion, or just not “making it” in the industry, washing off their paint brushes before even putting anything on a canvas.

However, some choose to be fearless and hold fast to what they love to do. Enter Hannah Stokes — a 26-year-old singer-songwriter and jazz vocalist based in Orlando, Florida.

It’s not often a student writer gets the chance to interview a real producing musician. So when I got the chance to hop on a Zoom call with the talented artist, I just had to take it.

Stokes has just come off of a ten day “mini tour” across Florida, Georgia and Alabama in celebration of her first studio album “Right Where I Belong,” which released on October 24, 2025.

“That was my first time, and it was kind of on accident. I just happened to book these shows. …” Stokes said. “It was not 100% on purpose, but I did make it work once I realized, oh, there’s a pattern here. What if we made this a thing … and that’s what being a DIY musician is: [taking] advantage of what’s in front of you.”

Stokes’ musical style is derived from indie rock, indie folk and, more recently, jazz, soul and Motown. She recalls growing up on indie rock in particular. She began her music journey at 12 years old when she picked up her dad’s guitar and began teaching herself to play via YouTube tutorials. That’s when she realized she could write songs.

“I started writing poetry and songs and then posting on YouTube,” said Stokes. “That was my stamp of legitimacy to my friends and family. I sang all the time, but people didn’t take it seriously until I started posting covers. Then it was, “Oh, you’re actually kind of good.”’

Stokes went on to open mic nights, recording with friends and choosing to go to school for music and business engineering.

“After about a year, I switched to performance and started studying jazz vocals for three years, then classical and musical theater voice,” Stokes recounted. “I graduated a few years ago and released my last EP — and now finally my debut album after all these years.”

“Right Where I Belong” is the perfect embodiment of everything Hannah Stokes had to say to me about her personal style and drive. It’s jazzy, it’s inspired, it’s chill, it’s souful. If you love Olivia Dean, Laufey, Bossa Pop or Mowtown like me, this album is right up your alley. Banger after banger of creative original pieces and inspired covers.

What impressed me most was the lyricism. Nowadays, meaningful lyric writing is becoming a scarcity. I asked Stokes about her writing process and what inspired her lyrics.

“My songs are story-based,” said Stokes, “I’ll have an experience — sad, exciting or perspective-changing — and the song comes from that. I try to convey the story in a simple, effective, emotionally-charged way.”

She described her “brain dump” writing process to me. Stokes likes to start by just jotting down phrases or thoughts that sound like they could be good hooks. She writes out feelings and stories and then condenses those down into verses and choruses.

“But sometimes it comes from jamming,” Stokes said. “I’ll play a chord progression or melody, get into a flow state, and start singing. Unexpected things come up. My brain says, “Sing this,” and I’m like, “Wow, I didn’t know I was feeling that.”’

Stokes released her first EP in 2015 and her second in 2022. She attributes the large gap between them to her time in school. Though she was studying music, her education still had to come first.

“I was already recording, writing and performing before school, but once I started school, I had to put a lot of that on hold. I was working part-time and going to school full-time,” said Stokes. “I was still performing and active in the scene, but I didn’t have the mental capacity to finish recorded projects.”

I thought about the countless music and arts majors I know who have changed educational focuses for fear of losing joy of their craft. I understand that this can happen when artists are being made to produce works for grades and not for the love of the art. I asked Stokes if that was ever the case for her.

“Songwriting is personal for me; for a long time I did it just for myself to understand my life,” Stokes said. “I never lost sight of that. The music I studied (in school) was so different from the music I wrote. They felt like two separate things.”

I also asked her what she might say to encourage a young artist on the fence about how they should pursue their passions with their education.

“I think it’s good to at least try something,” Stokes said. “I learned so much I didn’t know I didn’t know.
If you’re passionate, it doesn’t have to be your major. Try a class or two without making it your whole career. It’s freeing.”

Stokes is currently planning to continue promotion for her new album. She also plans to continue touring after how much fun she had on her Florida/Georgia/Alabama run.

“I’m doing a short Florida run in January with Lucy Clearwater from LA,” Stokes said. “I’ve never connected with West Coast artists much, so I’m excited.”

Stokes is the model of a true self-made artist. She’s a prime example of what can happen if you put purpose and drive behind your passions and stay open to new opportunities. I thoroughly enjoyed connecting with her this week. I highly recommend streaming “Right Where I Belong” for its lyrical richness and well-crafted composure. You can also find Stokes online at “Hannah Stokes Music” on most social media platforms.