I had the opportunity to speak with Canadian singer/songwriter Hannah Georgas prior to her in-store performance at Criminal Records last night. She is a talented and charming musician. If you haven't heard her EP yet, you need to run and get it.

Here's our conversation on a cold and noisy Queen West corner:

T.O. Snob: It's nice to meet you. I've heard the EP finally and it's fantastic. Hannah Georgas: Why thank you.

T.O. Snob: So are we going to get a full length from you soon?

HG: Yes, we're going in to make my record in April. So we're excited about that.

T.O. Snob: This is your first time playing CMW. What does it mean to an artist playing a festival like this for the first time?

HG: It's just an exciting experience. I've played a festival, I played the WCMAs last year and it's kind of similar to that. Just coming it's awesome because I have done showcases in the past solo but I get to come out with my band for this one. That makes it more exciting and getting to come out to Toronto is great too. I'm from Newmarket.

T.O. Snob: Yeah I saw your bio said "various suburbs around Toronto".

HG: Yeah pretty much so it's nice to come back and play. It's great.

T.O. Snob: Are you going to try to check out any of the other acts while you're here?

HG: Totally! I went last night and I saw Mother Mother. It was the music BC showcase and I kinda just stuck around there and I saw We Are The City and Dan Mangan who is also a good friend of mine. I really want to see Bloc Party but I think it's tonight and I'm booked to play. Yeah there are some good people playing.

T.O. Snob: What inspires you to write?

HG: Well basically music is my form of communication. It's my outlet where I can't communicate with people I need to make music. It's my outlet. Anything day-to-day, living day-to-day life is inspiring.

T.O. Snob: I've read some of your press and you've been compared to Feist and to Kate Nash. What do you think when you read those comparisons, is it positive, is it negative?

HG: It's obviously amazing to be compared to Feist and to Kate Nash. The first time I heard that, reading the newspaper article I was just like "Wow, that's amazing". I'm such a fan of Feist. But I just hope that I can make my own sound and create and be Hannah Georgas.

T.O. Snob: You have a song on the EP about The National. I saw you earlier shopping for their t-shirt. What is your favorite National song?

HG: Well the song that kind of just hooked me on them is called "Secret Meeting". It's an amazing song, and the whole Boxer album is intense I listen to it all the time. They are such a great band.

T.O. Snob: What made you decide to get into music? You talked about communication and you're way to communicate, was that it?

HG: Ever since I was little I was kinda forced into taking piano lessons and from there I just started to write and at a really young age wanting to make my own music. I always wanted to do it and I really plunged into my stuff. In the last year and a half I've been working on my solo stuff. Before that I played in bands, but I've always wanted to do my own thing.

T.O. Snob: Do you have any guilty musical pleasures? It's Neil Diamond for me.

HG: Nice! You know who that reminds me of, the character in the Jack Black movie Saving Silverman when he's all obsessed with Neil Diamond.

T.O. Snob: I actually read about your Jack Black thing.

HG: Yeah, I kinda love him.

Well one of the first artists I got a tape of was MC Hammer. I love catchy pop music too. I guess that's a guilty pleasure but I'm not afraid to admit it. There are songs that I love to bust a move and dance too that are cheesy. I don't know what else, that Slave For You album by Britney Spears. There are a few songs on that album that I definitely dance to.

T.O. Snob: Well it's cold out here so thank you. Is there anything else you'd like to say to your fans in Toronto?

HG: Just come to the shows tonight...although I don't know if this will get out there by then.

T.O. Snob: Probably not. How about buy the EP?

HG: Yes, buy the EP please.

T.O. Snob: Thanks it was nice to meet you.