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We’re super-excited to have some time today with music artist extraordinaire Hayes Warner; greetings and salutations Hayes! Before we dive down the proverbial Q&A interview hole, how has the last gasps of 2022 been treating you?
I’m so excited to be chatting with you guys! 2022 has been an amazing year for me since I’ve gotten to really focus on making music. The last months of 2022 have been filled to the brim with writing and recording sessions. I’ve been making tons of new music and finishing my debut EP that I’ll be releasing in early 2023. I’m working on creating an EP that really touches on the broad spectrum of emotions and experiences I’ve been having over the last couple years –– as of right now, the EP has songs I sob to on long drives, others for when I’m dancing around my room alone, and others I always play to pump up friends before nights out. As this year wraps up, I’ve also been working on securing more tour dates for 2023 – I can’t wait to get out on the road and perform these new songs!
I love the holidays in New York and it’s my first year since graduating college that I’m able to be here all of December – I’m planning to really milk it and go to every holiday-themed NYC event, street fair, and ice skating rink for the next few weeks.
Congratulations on the official November 25 premiere of your first formal track which is entitled SHUT UP! What was the genesis of this gem of a tune?
Thank you so much! I’ve been so overwhelmed and grateful with the reception “SHUT UP” has had within the first week of release. I wrote “SHUT UP” when I was in the mood to write something sassy. During a writing session when I was exploring song concepts, I thought back to a few nights before. I was watching one of my best friends talk to someone she really liked at a bar, and I obviously leaned in to eaves-drop on their conversation. I heardmy friend making fun of her crush’s T-Shirt. When her crush would tease her back, she would respond with a playful “Shut upppppp.” Both of them were super giddy and their light-hearted teasing had so much flirtatious energy. I thought it would be fun to write about this phase of flirting, before either person admits that there are feelings involved and before anything gets serious. I think this stage right before you realize you’re really into someone is the most exciting stage of flirting – everyone’s confident and there’s no stakes.
I also thought about the childish behavior that comes out when I’m flirting with someone for the first time. The butterflies make it almost impossible to think straight (my friend described it as “losing all her brain cells”). I wanted to add that childish element in the song, which I think it came across with the song’s post-chorus “na-na” hook, some of the lyrics (“I see you and I’m seasick,” “I think it’s kinda fun making fun of your feelings,” etc), and the distorted guitar sound.
Who was your producer on SHUT UP and what did that collaboration look like in the studio?
I’ve been working a lot with two incredible NYC-based producer-songwriters, Jackson Hoffman and Ryder Stuart, who I collaborated with on writing and production for “SHUT UP.” During a session in August 2022, we wanted to start a song from scratch, so we intentionally went to the studio with no track started, no lyrics written, and no song-concept agreed upon yet. As soon as I told them the story about my friend’s teasing flirting tactics, Jackson began strumming his guitar and came up with the guitar melody that ended up driving the song. We agreed the guitar melody reflected both the childish energy and feeling of being “seasick” from liking someone. Within 7 minutes, the three of us wrote the “SHUT UP” chorus. The way we wrote the song almost mimicked the word-vomit you get when you’re talking to someone you like and you barely know what you’re saying. Within a few hours, the song was fully recorded. Definitely one of the fastest songs I’ve ever finished.
How is SHUT UP different than anything else on the 2022 music scene?
I just had an interview with Virgin Radio (Kris Fade Show) and the co-host Priti Malik described “SHUT UP” as a “disruptor.” This was exactly my intention when writing SHUT UP – when the song comes on, I want people to notice a collective shift in energy. Whether it’s the seasick guitar chords, the fun-flirty verses, or the screaming chorus vocals, I want people to get a wave of good energy when the song comes on. I feel this way when I listen to the Y2K punk-rock bangers from when I was little (P!nk, Ke$ha, Fall Out Boy). Those songs pump me up and put me in a good mood, and I think people really need that energy right now. While I love an amazing breakup ballad, I also love recording and performing something that’s designed to lift people up.
What do you hope listeners walk away with after giving SHUT UP a couple of dozen spins on their hi-fi systems?
I really hope “SHUT UP” is a feel-good song. I want people to feel like they can scream in the car or on the dance floor. As a songwriter, I used to think the only way I could make good music was if I made songs that had a sad and deep meaning. As I’ve grown as a songwriter, I think that the depth of music doesn’t have to be about whether or not it makes you sad, but more about how it makes you feel. I’ve started to believe that a song can be just as powerful if it makes you feel amazing and energized than if it makes you feel sad and thoughtful.
In terms of the meaning of the song, I want “SHUT UP” to remind people to have fun when they’re flirting in a teasing, casual way. Sometimes I feel pressure to be overly nice or complimentary, but my authentic self wants to poke fun a little because that’s what I do with people I love. When it comes to flirting or dating, I want people to remember that they don’t have to fit the mold of what they think people want, but they should do what feels good and go from there.
You’re a New York native. How do those roots inform both you and your music?
Definitely – for a lot of reasons! I think New York has really instilled a go-getter energy in me, and a fast-paced no-bullshit mentality. Growing up, I was always surrounded by people who were working really hard in such a wide variety of industries. The high-speed energy of the city definitely has helped me when it comes to my music career. I’m super passionate about music and writing, but it’s that hustle and hardworking grind that has helped me meet people who have helped me get my music to people’s ears, so I’m incredibly grateful for my NYC roots!
Growing up, I honestly used to strut around the city aimlessly with my headphones in and write lyrics to my next song or even pretend I was in a music video. In this way New York is really ingrained in my music, and I think the rapid energy of the city translates into my songs.
Who inspires you musically?
Growing up, I was a HUGE fan of P!nk, Avril Lavigne, Kes$ha, Joan Jett, and other Pop and Punk-Rock musicians. I’m really inspired by the no-nonsense attitude of their music and who they are as artists: they are edgy yet relatable and their lyrics are meaningful but with an ear candy essence. Recently, I’ve really been inspired by artists like UPSAHL and Fletcher – I think they’re both able to make music that speaks to such a huge range of emotions, and that’s something I really want to replicate when I start releasing larger bodies of music (like my debut EP and album).
As a singer and songwriter, which comes first for you – The lyrics or the music?
It depends. Sometimes I’ll think of a good song concept or lyric and immediately write it down in my notes app. These ideas usually come to me when I’m having a conversation with someone else about a situation they’re going through, or thinking about my own day-to-day experiences. Other times, I’ll record a quick melody on my voice memos app – sometimes these melodies become songs, sometimes they’re just cringey ideas I had in the shower. But most of the time, I’ll sit down at the piano and play around with chords until I find something that sticks. In that case, the melody comes first and the lyrics follow. Long story short – it’s both!
A music video for SHUT UP is set to premiere on December 2! Did you have creative control over the final cut of the video?
Definitely because I put so much of myself into my music, it’s important to me that I am a part of every facet of the creative process surrounding a song I’ve written. I was lucky to work with incredible directors Frankie Fire and Rook (French Montana, Saweetie, and Roddy Ricch) who worked with me to elevate my initial ideas into the final product, which I’m so proud of.
I really wanted the video to play into the no-nonsense attitude of the song. The video follows me and some friends during a not-so-typical night out. I wanted the video to feature two storylines: on one hand, I wanted to show a carefree night clubbing with friends that fits the fun energy of the song; on the other hand, I wanted to reflect the girlboss energy of flirting with the pre-planned heist scene.
A big part of my creative inspiration is my style. My best friend from High School (Chloe Harting) and I style all of my outfits together, and we worked hard to interweave these two sides of the video I wanted to convey into my outfit and makeup. The eyeliner reflects how the scene is sharp and focused, but also the glitter references the fun-loving attitude of the track. The black outfit is both professional and no-nonsense, but the accessories add a flare of edginess and playfulness.
On the heels of the release of SHUT UP can fans look forward to an LP release in 2023?
Definitely! I’ve been in the studio nonstop recently and have a TON of new music. When it comes to deciding which songs I should put on my debut LP, I want to make sure there’s a song on there to fit every emotion. I’m designing my LP to have songs on there for listeners looking to cry in the car, music for anyone that wants to play a banger at a pre-game, or a few mid-tempos when someone’s feeling introspective. I’m super proud of the music I’ve been making recently and am so ready to release this LP early 2023!
What does your touring schedule look like in the coming weeks and months?
After all of the performing I’ve done throughout 2022, I’m itching the get back on the road and have a lot planned. In summer 2022, I opened for the legendary Fetty Wap on his For The Fans tour. In October, I performed at an iHeart Radio Festival Showcase in Las Vegas with some amazing Pop singer-songwriters. I just got back this week from Dubai, where I was scheduled to open for Louis Capaldi at the Coca Cola Arena. While I was in Dubai, I performed at some radio stations, and had an amazing time playing some of my new music. The Louis Capaldi show date has been rescheduled to October 7, 2023, and I am going to be opening for him on that date.
Also some exciting 2023 dates include South By Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas – I’ll be performing at a few different stages there. I’m excited to announce some more 2023 dates at the beginning of the new year!
Any final thoughts you would like to share on SHUT UP?
I’m really grateful for the reaction SHUT UP has gotten after the first week. I’ve never made a song like SHUT UP before: we wrote it so fast and just wrote/recorded what felt good, rather than micromanaging every single lyric. I was so proud of the results, and the first time I listened to the full recording I had that same exciting feeling I have after hearing y2k bangers.
Obviously I was nervous to put this one out and felt pressure because I really wanted people to feel the same way about it as I did. To get over 125k streams in one week, over 2.5m views on TikToks I’ve posted promoting the song, and be added to some of my absolute favorite Spotify editorial playlists (SALT, New Music Friday, New Pop Picks, Pop Right Now, to name a few) was surreal and just motivated me even more to keep releasing music. Thank you everyone that has streamed SHUT UP! I’m so grateful.
