Hannah Harper Reflects on Whirlwind Year Since ‘American Idol’ and Looks Ahead to What’s Next [Exclusive]
“I feel like we blinked and now we’re here and it’s a whirlwind and I’m super thankful…”
Hannah Harper; Photo by Karissa Pulliam
For Hannah Harper, the past year has been nothing short of a whirlwind. Last November, the American Idol winner was preparing for Hollywood Week, with no idea just how much her life was about to change. Now, a year later, she sat down with Country Now backstage at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium as she prepared to make her debut as direct support for Lauren Alaina, a milestone she once joked with her brother might take five years to reach.
“Last year in November, I was at Belmont University doing Hollywood Week for American Idol, and it was the most nerve-wracking experience of my life. And around that time, I actually came to the Ryman for the Gatlin Brothers anniversary, “ she shared moments before stepping onto the historic stage.
At the time, she and her brother were making bets on when she would get the chance to make her Ryman debut.
“I said, ‘five years’ and my brother said, “five months.” And here we are. We’re at the Ryman tonight and it’s super exciting,” she admitted.
Harper, 26, says the past 12 months have gone by in a blur, but she couldn’t be more grateful for everything that has come her way.
“I feel like we blinked and now we’re here and it’s a whirlwind and I’m super thankful but there’s been so much that I haven’t had time to process that has happened.”
Since being crowned the winner of American Idol in May, Harper has made her Grand Ole Opry debut, toured with Brad Paisley and Lauren Alaina, and continued releasing original music. While the opportunities have been exciting, adjusting to her new schedule and the demands of her career has come with its own learning curve.
Finding Balance Between Music and Motherhood
For Harper, one of the biggest challenges has been figuring out how to leave work behind when she gets home. With much of her career still being managed by her and her husband, finding that separation hasn’t always been easy.
“The hardest thing is when I go home learning when to stop because I really thought once we got here, we would have a team, you know what I mean? Like manager, assistant, all the fun things. And it’s really me and my husband and a handful of people who are related to me that are keeping the wheels going,” she explained. “And so the hardest part is when we’re on the road, we’re working and turning it off once we get home, walking through the doors and laying it down. I think that’s where sometimes I envy people with a nine to five because when they go home, they get to just be at home and they’re not having to worry about work, whereas my work comes home with me. So that’s been the hardest adjustment is being able to just sit it down and say, ‘Okay, it’ll be there tomorrow’ and sitting with that.
Despite the whirlwind, Harper says her priorities haven’t changed. She never set out to become a superstar. Instead, her goal has always been to share her story and use her music as a way to connect with others through her faith.
“I was never in this to be a superstar or to be the most popular name.It was really just to tell my story, my testimony and what God’s doing in my life and to… It was a ministry from the beginning. So it’s one of those things I have to remind myself constantly, it’s not about being a superstar, it’s just about spreading the gospel and my mission is in my home, my ministry is in my home. So being able, when I go home, to just sit it down, walk away from it and carry on like normal life, that’s been the hardest part because I’m a very work driven person. So we’re still working on that.”
A Much-Needed Break After a Busy Year
With her Ryman debut now behind her, Harper is looking forward to a little time at home to catch her breath and take in everything that has happened over the past year. After a packed schedule, she’s especially excited about having some time to simply be with her family.
“I feel like the processing part has come in stages. I’m just randomly weeping at what is life, how blessed God has been so good all year. We have five more shows and then we’re done for the rest of the year and we get a whole month off to recoup and just be with our kids. I’m super excited about that. I’m excited to have a hint of normalcy again of just like, I can be at home and I don’t have to pack and then repack and come home and do all the laundry. So I’m going to rot on my couch for a hot minute and just be with my kids. I’m so thrilled. I can’t wait.”
Hannah Harper Is Ready to Share More of Her Story on the ‘Behind This Guitar’ Tour
Of course, Harper won’t be slowing down for long. She’s already looking ahead to 2027, with plans to headline her Behind This Guitar Tour. Kicking off February 4, the trek will take the singer-songwriter to cities across the East Coast and Midwest before wrapping up May 22.
The tour will give Harper an opportunity to show fans more of who she is beyond her American Idol title, including the musical roots and personal experiences that have shaped her along the way.
“Behind This Guitar is getting to know me…There’s so many people who saw me on American Idol and they saw what I was trying to represent, but I don’t think that they truly got to know who I am and how we got here…Growing up, I did bluegrass music, that’s where my roots are. So a lot of the music is going to be tied into that and just show realism to the world.That’s my whole goal is it’s not all glitz and glamor and that’s kind of what Behind This Guitar is about and what it represents. It’s not a song that I wrote, but it is my life story. And so we’re going to carry that into the next tour.”
Bringing Her Bluegrass Roots and Real-Life Stories to the Stage
For Harper, that means bringing fans into the stories behind the songs, including the original music she’s written with her brothers, friends and family. She also hopes to share more about her upbringing, which included spending much of her childhood traveling with her family and singing in churches.
“I have always been a storyteller and I think no matter what song I’m singing, everything has a backstory, but most of the stuff through the Behind This Guitar tour is original music that I have written with my brothers and with other friends and family that’s going to go into this. But the core of it is just getting to share my upbringing and realizing how rare it was. I grew up doing ministry with my family on a tour bus from nine till 16, singing at churches. And it’s a really full circle moment, but more than anything, I just wanted to share songs that are real and talk about real life struggles, the problems that everyday people have because I’m an everyday person and I have a lot of struggles and I don’t feel like enough people are talking about that. If it’s not heartbreak and drinking, then it’s kind of just like shoved to the back burner.”
In the meantime, Harper confirms she is working on a EP, with details to be announced soon.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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