Today we’d like to introduce you to Kodachrome Babies
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hi! We’re the Kodachrome Babies from Northeast Ohio. I’m Hannah Hartman (guitar), and my bandmate is my older sister Mallory Gerstacker (ukulele). As kids, we were both involved in various music and arts programs, and we both took piano lessons as young children and learned the foundations of music through these lessons. Mallory started percussion in middle school, which transformed into drum line and steel drum band in high school, and she also worked behind the scenes on high school theater productions. I played the cello starting in 5th grade and continued until after high school, and I also played in my high school’s steel drum band. I was active in choir and theatre as well. I picked up the guitar around 8th grade but didn’t start playing very seriously until Mallory took an interest in ukulele in 2009. That’s when we began playing together just for fun. Over time, friends and relatives began asking when they could see us play, and eventually we were offered actual gigs! Since then, we’ve played countless gigs and released three studio albums: “Developing” in 2015, “A Very Kodachrome Christmas” in 2016, and “The Simple Things” in 2024. In the fall of 2023, Mallory moved with her family to Cleveland, OH, which opened up new opportunities for us. We are now exploring this new scene and are excited about the possibilities!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We’ve always approached the band as kind of a side gig art project—not a professional career—which has kept it fun. We typically let the gigs come to us rather than seeking them out, and that’s kept us busy between our day jobs. The struggles we’ve encountered are common to any musician—broken strings, forgotten equipment, etc.—but aside from that, it’s been a fairly smooth road for the Kodachrome Babies.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We’re pretty bare-bones with our live performances: an acoustic guitar, a ukulele, and sisterly harmonies. We fill things out a lot more with a full-band sound on our studio albums, inviting friends and family to offer their musical talents on percussion, bass, lead guitar, and more. We’re definitely known for our harmonies. People often tell us how well our voices blend together, and we attribute it to our genetics—growing up, when we would answer the phone at our home, people often couldn’t tell which girl in the family they were talking to because our voices sound so similar. I’m so proud of all the albums we’ve produced. We aren’t known for cranking out a high volume of original songs, and the process of bringing each song to life in the studio takes several months, so each one is a labor of love that gives me a lot of pride for the finished product. Being sisters seems to set us apart from others for the reason mentioned above—how well our voices blend. We also put our own spin on familiar tunes rather than attempt to cover them exactly as they sound, and people seem to respond well to our style and song choices.
What matters most to you? Why?
We are active in our communities and the various challenges they face and will always stand on the side of human rights, so we often volunteer our time for events and people that need support. We were both activated in 2020 to get involved in our local community around the issue of racial justice, and we remain involved in local groups with missions that align with our beliefs. We were raised by parents who instilled the values of respect for everyone, fairness, and equality, and that undoubtedly shaped us into the adults we’ve become. Mallory and I also both care a lot about recycling, sustainable practices, and green living in general. As previously mentioned, Mallory operated an art workshop that focused on utilizing trash to create beautiful artwork, and she even makes our Kodachrome Babies T-shirts out of upcycled materials. I recorded a podcast through my work with the radio station about how to recycle properly in our community according to the local rules and regulations. It’s not easy being green!
Pricing:
- Merch including CDs, stickers, buttons, and T-shirts are available by donation at any of our gigs
- Find our music on the music streaming service of your choice
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kodachromebabies.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kodachromebabies/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kodachromebabies
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KodachromeBabies
