Damian: Hi Hayley, how are you?
Hayley: Hi Damian – I’m fine thank you, just a little busy with all of the upcoming festivals. But I’m having fun!
Damian: It’s been nine months since your haunting debut single ‘Unspoken’ landed. How would you describe the sound and concept of ‘Unspoken’ to our readers who may not have heard the track?
Hayley: Well, it’s a ballad and a classic break-up song. It’s about moving away from a relationship that isn’t working and just how tough it is to do so. I think it’s something everyone can relate to.
Damian: The recent follow-up single ‘The Bottom Of My Heart’ has a more upbeat sound to ‘Unspoken’ but is still very introspective talking about themes of pain, demons, and healing. Where did the idea for the track come from?
Hayley: It’s different from Unspoken in that it’s about not giving up on something – sometimes you’ve got to get through the pain to get to all the good stuff. It’s quite an uplifting, motivating song, but it has a drive to it with a country vibe. I write most of my material, but we got sent through some songs from Nashville and this one really stood out for me. I thought it was a song I could definitely collaborate on.
Damian: ‘Bottom’ has an interesting sound – slightly country with an inclusion of slide guitar. With an album in progress, is ‘Bottom’ an indication of the sound we can expect on the album?
Hayley: You can’t call it Bottom – we call it TBOMH! I’ve got my own genre – pop/electro/country or PEC for short. You’ll find there are a good variety of songs on the album. And yes – there are some really good, uptempo tracks.
Damian: Matthew Parisi will be producing your album, what impact has he been making to the sound of your tracks?
Hayley: Matt completely gets my sound and how to produce it. It’s all about getting the vocal out front and letting the production complement my voice rather than overwhelm it.
Damian: You played the Cluny 2 earlier in the year, and have a date in the Cluny 1 in September. What differences will you be making between the two sets and what can fans expect from the show?
Hayley: We may showcase a couple of tracks from the new album, but we want to get people up on their feet and dancing and we have a set that’s proven to do that.
Damian: Finally there are some interesting cover version choices on your Soundcloud. Can we expect any more in the future, and if so what tracks are we likely to hear?
Hayley: There are so many good songs out there, but with a cover I have to believe I can make it my own, not simply replicate what’s already been done. There will be a couple of covers at The Cluny – and you’ll just have to come along to find out which songs they are!
Hayley Mackay plays The Cluny on Fi 15 Sept. Tickets from £10.