Hannah Jadagu’s ‘Describe’ is pop that rewires itself on repeat listens

Breakup albums can bury the lede. Sure, something ended — but what about everything that came before it? Hannah Jadagu didn’t want to dismiss the totality of a relationship. She calls her sophomore album a “love” album. It’s called Describe.

Jadagu, who was signed to Sub Pop shortly after high school and recorded her first EP on her iPhone, dazzled us on her first visit to World Cafe, showcasing her impressive guitar playing. On Describe, she’s painting on a bigger canvas, experimenting with synth sounds to create something that feels like its own universe.

Today, Jadagu talks about expanding her sound while focusing on her songwriting. She uses repetition to great effect on Describe. Plus, as a recent grad of New York University, she discusses what she’s learned navigating the music industry.

This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Miguel Perez. Our senior producer is Kimberly Junod and our engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.