Hayley
McKay is a singer/songwriter from Darlington who has immersed herself in music
and the performing arts throughout her young life. She has just released a
brilliant new single called ‘Unspoken’ and we got to speak to her fresh from
filming a slot for television down in Bristol.
How did filming go today?
It
was good! It’s my first time in Bristol. It was a nice view and good fun!
Your new song ‘Unspoken’ is
out now. How would you describe it?
It’s
quite a heartfelt ballad with piano and haunting guitar in the background, and
my voice is quite powerful out front with nice reverb on it.
What was the inspiration
behind it?
I
wrote it with two other songwriters from Brighton – Pete Howard and Matthew
Prizzi – who produced it. We were all on the same wavelength for the song [and]
we knew what it was all about. It was from, kind of, personal experience. It is
something that most people can connect with.
The video is online now, set
on quite a windswept beach. Was that enjoyable to make?
It
was in Northumberland, just behind Bamburgh Castle. It was in November so it
was cold [but] we had a laugh [and it was good fun]. We ended the day with some
fish and chips and we were all in there with our coats and hats for half an
hour until we had to take them off!
Are you also working on an
album?
We’ll
soon be working on the next single and at the start of summer we’ll be
recording the album. I’m really excited as I’ve got lots of new material and a
band now as well. I’m excited to share this new sound and new songs with
people!
How is the writing going?
Some
of these songs I’ve had for a while, whilst some are brand new. I love the
writing and creative aspect of it and seeing my song growing from a few words
on the page to the full production is fantastic.
You’ve also had live dates
recently put a headline gig next month. How are preparations going for that?
Yes,
good! That’s on the 9th February in the Cluny. It’s a great venue.
We’ve been rehearsing and we’re really excited for it.
For those who’ve not seen
you live yet, how would you describe your live sound?
It’s
a range of songs; some upbeat, some slow. We’ve got a violinist who is amazing
and we’ve got keys, a bit of synth [and] a bit of piano. My voice is
country-ish so some of the songs are British Country, but they’ve all got a pop
feel to them [that’s] quite catchy. We’ve got guitar and drums, so it’s a bit
of a new sound really! I think people will definitely have a good time
listening to the music. We get people up dancing!
Are you a fan of British
country?
I
love country music. I went out to Nashville a couple of years ago. I Love Dolly
Parton; she’s a story-teller. I love listening to country music because of the
story-telling aspect. It’s heartfelt. I’d say my voice is quite country, but
not all ‘yee-hah’ American country. It’s a new kind of country sound that we’ve
got and something that’s naturally formed.
You’ve toured with Scouting
For Girls, Tom Jones, Tony Christie and many others. Was it great to be asked
to gig with such acts?
It’s
been really good and they’ve been fantastic gigs. It’s just been great to
support such big acts as you’re drawing in new fans and it’s just a fantastic
experience and some of the stages have been brilliant. [The] Tom Jones [gig]
was in a massive tent on the Isle of Man and the biggest tent I’ve ever been
in! I’ve supported Scouting For Girls a couple of times now. The second time
was at the highest pub in England and it was snowing that night, and it was
absolutely packed! Each gig is different really!
You studied at The British
and Irish Institute of Modern Music. What was that experience like?
I
went to the one in Brighton and Brighton was such a creative place. It was
great being around such a place as it’s really inspiring, and lots of people
inspire you. I was song-writing with like-minded musicians. And I did a course
called ‘Access to Music’ about artist development and again that was great to
be around like-minded creative people.
Finally do you have any big
ambitions for the rest of the year?
It
would be great to get some of my songs played on national radio and have a
wider audience. I love travelling with music so to travel more with the band
and get some big festivals [would be great]. It’s all very exciting and last
year was full of great gigs and opportunities so things are looking really
bright!
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