The first time I heard Haley Blais, I was struck by her authenticity and ability to convey what other humans are feeling through her music. Just take the lyrics from her song Late Bloomer for example, which present themselves as the soundtrack for those navigating a budding relationship. The Canadian folk-pop singer is based in Vancouver, BC and like many musicians, she’s proof that a little hard work and ingenuity can get you far. Before relocating, she lived in Kelowna, BC and traveled through Europe, New York and Canada singing classical opera, which she admits not a lot of people know about. Now, she’s a musician and YouTube content creator. Her debut EP Late Bloomer (2016) was released independently online by demand of YouTube subscribers and now she’s gearing up for her latest release, Let Yourself Go, a 5 track EP set to be released on April 7, 2018. I was fortunate enough to have the chance to talk to her amidst her pre-album buzz so keep reading to learn more about the process of songwriting, relocating to Vancouver, her YouTube channel and making music videos.
YAA: How would you describe your music to somebody who has never heard it before?
HB: Technically, it’s a mix of indie pop and folk. Right now I’m writing a lot of my music with a “rock chick” head space and I really just want to scream, but all that comes out is folky flutters. I’m working on it.
YAA: You relocated to the coast from Kelowna a few years ago. How has this change in scenery affected both you and your music?
HB: Kelowna is such a small town, it was hard to find inspiration in it. Being in Vancouver, and completely independent, there’s a lot of room for me to (sorry for what I’m about to say) spread my wings, and collaborate/meet so many creative and like minded pals. I can’t even imagine what I would be doing if I still lived in Kelowna and I really don’t want to think about it. Actually, I would probably have a lot of money because Vancouver is expensive as hell. Now I’m depressed.
YAA: Who influences you the most in terms of your sound?
HB: Oh man, that’s so hard. A lot of the times it’s whatever band I’m obsessed with. Right now it’s a mix of Sunflower Bean and The Byrds. It’s always changing, I’m constantly influenced by artists.
YAA: You released your debut EP “Late Bloomer” in 2016 along with a video for the EP’s title track. In it, you feature several references to popular culture such as Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” and the movie “The Breakfast Club” and you’re always heavily involved in the process of creating these videos. I especially admire your video for “Severance Pay” which features a vintage feel. How important are aesthetics to you and are the visions behind these videos done solo or in collaboration with others?
HB: So important. The music video to a song only enhances your experience of it, so if it’s not on par with the vibe of the song the whole thing falls apart, obviously. Sometimes when I’m writing a song, I’ll see it play out it my head that idea can then be hard to then communicate with collaborators/directors – and that’s why the videos I’ve put out thus far I’ve directed because I have such a specific vision in mind. I’m excited to branch out and work with others, though, and see who like, “gets” me lol
YAA: What song are your most proud of writing out of all of your songs?
HB: Musically, I love the way Small Foreign Faction came together; I’m really proud of it. There’s some stuff I’m working on currently that I can’t wait to get into the studio and see how they form. I think since forming this full band, the music can only get better.
YAA: What song or lyrics that you’ve written are you most emotionally connected to and can you take me through your song writing process?
HB: There’s a lot of songs I’ve written super recently that I think are extremely personal. “Late Bloomer” is up there too. I used to mainly write songs based off fictional instances I made up in my head because nothing had happened to me worthy of a song yet, and I think I was scared to look into myself that deep. Only in the last year or so have I dug deep emotionally and it’s a really therapeutic experience. Who knew. My writing process is very weird; if I can’t write a song in 10 minutes, it won’t make the cut. It’s rare for me to sit down and say, “okay, I’m going to write a song now”. Usually it’s when I’m in the shower or washing the dishes and a phrase will suddenly pop into my head, I’ll grab my uke, and the whole song pours out of me.
YAA: Your first single from your upcoming EP was released a few weeks ago and I’ve noticed tons of people associating “I never wanted anything / And I never got it” with memes of people crying which, if I’m being honest, was my first reaction to the song. It’s delicate and soft but heart wrenching at the same time, which I think only great songwriters can accomplish. That being said, I wanted to ask you about your experience writing the song and the inspiration behind the lyrics?
HB: The reaction to Small Foreign Faction is so funny, I love that people are associating the song as an anthem to angst and loneliness, which don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that was there when I was writing it, but I didn’t even (intentionally, at least) think about myself when writing it. The song is actually inspired by the case of Jon Benet Ramsey. I was at home one day and I remembered the phrase from the ransom note they found in the Ramsey’s house, “small foreign faction”. I did a quick Google search and it yielded the chorus: “I’m just a foreign faction, irreconcilable conflict at parties”. Seeing the word “parties” made me think a lot about Jon Benet and how she never had the chance to live a full life, and everything she deserved to learn. A recent review of the song said something like “it’s a beautiful ode to what happens when you take a reflective and honest look at who you are and what you’re doing”, which I like better than the murder of a child beauty queen.
YAA: Why did you choose to title your next EP “Let Yourself Go”?
HB: It’s titled after a song on the EP that I was initially going to cut, that’s about society’s perception of beauty, and how someone who doesn’t confine to the constructs could be seen as unattractive or they’ve “let themselves go”. The phrase, let yourself go, kind of took on a new meaning that felt a lot more like a statement of total freedom, and I loved that.
YAA: How are you planning to celebrate the release of the EP?
HB: We’re having a big ol’ release concert the day it comes out, and it should be a party.
YAA: You’ve been posting videos on YouTube for several years now and have amassed 140k+ loyal subscribers. What influenced you to start your channel?
HB: I knew it would be a great way to get myself out there. I wanted to not only use YouTube as a platform to share my music, but let people actually meet and connect with the person they’re listening to. I think that the connection between creator and listener/viewer/supporter, whomever, is so integral, so having my channel to make personal videos about my life only strengthens that.
YAA: How do you balance your YouTube channel with your music career? Do you ever have to sacrifice one thing for the other?
HB: Not really, it’ll take me maybe a day (or two if I’m busy or lazy) to film, edit and upload a video; the production isn’t very time consuming so it’s easy right now to balance the two.
YAA: In terms of your content, you’ve posted a lot of covers. My personal favorite is your cover of “I Love You So” by The Walters, but I wanted to ask you what song do you love covering the most?
HB: That one is up there for me too, along with a Beatles cover I did a year or so ago of “In My Life”. At a recent show we did a cover of “Dreams” by the Cranberries and that was a blast too.
YAA: What’s one song you can think of that you wish you wrote? Does it hold any significant meaning to you?
HB: Oh my god so many. I literally have a Spotify playlist I made called “*pretends I wrote these*” hahaha. I think songs that can be vague in their context, but still evoke deep emotion and a feeling of familiarity without being so transparent in their meaning is so impressive. Did that make sense? “Sister” – Angel Olsen, “Iceblink Luck” – The Cocteau Twins, “Masterpiece” – Big Thief, “Green Light” – Lorde, to name a few.
YAA: If you could open a show for anybody, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
HB: I did a small acoustic set last week, and literally had to run off the stage to get to a Lorde concert, so it almost felt like I was opening for her in an extremely round about way. Could you imagine if I opened for LORDE? I saw that Mitski is opening for her on the last leg of the Melodrama tour. That’s insane.
YAA: Finally, any parting words of wisdom?
HB: I am not very wise, so my default to this question is to always drink water. And please listen to my EP. Both will hydrate you.
Huge thanks to Haley Blais for sparing some time to talk to me! Interested in her music? Keep up to date with her latest ventures by following her on social media.
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(All photos received were shot by Kolton Procter)