| Tanukichan | |
| Birth Name: | Hannah Junghwa van Loon[1] |
| Birth Place: | San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Years Active: | 2016–present |
| Label: | Company Records |
| Website: | https://www.tanukichan.com/ |
Tanukichan (born Hannah Junghwa van Loon) is an American singer-songwriter based in San Francisco.[2] Her debut album Sundays was released on July 13, 2018[3] via Company Records with production by Chaz Bear of Toro y Moi.[4] Following the release of Sundays, van Loon supported the musical act Kero Kero Bonito on their 2018 tour.[5] Prior to Sundays, van Loon independently released her EP Radiolove and an early version of the song “Bitter Medicine” in 2016.
On March 3, 2023, van Loon released her second album GIZMO on Company Records, also produced by Chaz Bear. In June and July 2023, she was the supporting act for Melanie Martinez on all 29 stops of her North American PORTALS Tour.[6] Van Loon was the special guest for Alex G and Alvvays' co-headline 2023 Summer Tour that took place in August.[7]
Van Loon was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area in a Christian family.[8] She grew up performing classical music, studying keyboard, violin, guitar, and bass.[9] Van Loon first began playing in ensembles as a fiddle player in a bluegrass band. During this time she was enrolled at University of California, Berkeley, majoring in mathematics. She later spent four years in San Francisco pop band Trails and Ways.[10] [11]
Van Loon's stage name refers to the addition of the Japanese honorific chan to the name of the tanuki, an animal which has significance in much of Japanese folklore. While growing up, van Loon was often referred to as "Hannah-chan".