Jackie Hayes (2021)

(Photo by Adam Alonzo)

Rapid-fire Questions

1. What have you been listening to lately?

I’ve been listening to a lot of things - king krule, alex g, radiohead, remi wolf, blur, 070 shake, pretty sick, show me the body, kennyhoopla, jack stauber, jordana, binki, MIA, the list goes on.

2. What trend do you think is due for a comeback?

I have been seeing a lot of people on tik tok say that silly bandz are about to get popular again. I would be curious to see if this actually happens.

3. Did you know that there was a baseball player named Jackie Hayes that played for the Chicago White Sox back in the ’30s?

No, I didn’t know that, but that’s pretty crazy.

4. If I use my connections to get you to a spot at the gathering of the Juggalos, would you be down to play?

It all comes down to who else is on the lineup…

5. What’s something you’re currently looking forward to? (Besides playing at the Gathering of The Juggalos)

I’m sure this is what a lot of people say, but it’s just true: I am so excited to start playing shows again.

6. Last song that made you cry?

I’m going to be honest with you, I’m not actually sure. I know for sure I cried when I heard the newest king krule album for the first time.

7. Make me cry.

This could go a lot of different routes and I’m not sure which one I should take.

8. When I was a kid I got sent to the principal’s office because I learned how to burp on command and I wouldn’t stop doing it during class. What’s the most ridiculous thing that you got in trouble for growing up?

When I was a kid I got in trouble for “running away” from church to go to the local target and buy a seventeen magazine and some mascara.

9. First concert you ever attended?

My first ever concert was Pierce the Veil’s ‘collide with the sky’ tour in 2013.

10. Any Chicago bands that you think we should check out?

When it comes to Chicago bands, I would say to listen to girl k!

(Photo by Adam Alonzo)

Isaac Gutierrez for BL: How have you been?

Jackie Hayes: I’m okay, just riding the wave right now, to be honest. One day at a time or whatever they say.

You’re the first person I’ve interviewed 3 times! Once back in 2018 and also October of last year. I feel like I should mail you a medal or something. WHY DO YOU KEEP AGREEING TO DO THIS?

Why not??

I think you’re one of the hardest-working artists I know. You released your EP “take it, leave it” just last year, a handful of singles this year, and now your latest EP “There’s Always Going To Be Something.”

Do you have a schedule or set goal when it comes to recording and putting out music? Like “I want to release an EP and 5 singles every year” or are you just constantly working on music and release it whenever it feels right?

Right now, I have set a goal of releasing one project a year. This is also going to continue for next year. I am not sure what I’ll do after that. I love making new music, though, so we’ll see what happens.

I read in a previous interview that you played in a worship band for a little while when you were younger. What was that experience like?

It was a lot. I was the youngest person in that band by a long shot. I had to wake up super early and memorize a bunch of chords and stuff for these worship songs. They had this projector thing that would show the lyrics of each song on screen so the congregation could sing along. Looking back, it was pretty funny I did all of that.

I know that things didn’t end too well, BUT was there a song that you think went off harder than it had to?

I have most of the songs scrubbed from my memory. I’m sure if I heard one in public though it would elicit some sort of intense emotional reaction.

Your latest EP There's Always Going To Be Something is out now! Can you talk to us a bit about the release?

It’s out now, that’s for sure.

What are some of the inspirations behind the EP?

I think it might be interesting to list some non-music inspirations for this ep. I watched a lot of movies during all of this. I remember I watched Black Swan for the first time. The one thing that really stuck with me was the main character’s pursuit of perfection. On an unrelated note, I would lay down and watch these YouTube “made for cats” videos in between recording and that probably made its way into the ep somehow. My cats were also there, it wasn’t just like I was watching them by myself. That would’ve been funny though.

When we spoke last year you mentioned that you had been working on trying to find your own sound. From the outside looking in it seems like this EP is distinctively a “Jackie Hayes” EP and like you’ve grown more confident/comfortable in your sound. Do you think you’ve found your sound with this EP, or at least are closer to discovering your sound?

Absolutely. I am not totally there but I am a hell of a lot closer than I used to be. It’s constant trial and error. Part of me wonders if I will ever get to 100% perfection in what I’d like to sound like, but I’m at least trying to get there. If anything, that makes things more exciting. My taste is constantly evolving and I’m always looking for new sources of inspiration.

I’ve been a fan since I first heard “Flowers” back in 2017. It’s been so exciting to see you grow as an artist over these past few years. What do you think has contributed to that growth?

A lot of my growth just came with aging. I was 17 when I wrote that song and I had no clue what I was doing. I was flailing around in the dark. I was having a hard time figuring out how I wanted to sound for a long time. Now I’m 22 (my birthday just passed) and I have a much better grasp on things.

Is the end product pretty close to what you envisioned in your head when you first started working on the EP?

If you want me to be completely honest, I’m not so sure. I am a huge perfectionist, and I have to talk myself into releasing things sometimes. Looking back, there are a lot of things I would already like to fix, but I doubt most people would’ve even noticed if I did. I will say this: I am very proud of what we were able to accomplish. We did all of this in our apartment. It was a high-stress environment a lot of the time. Some of that was self-induced. To be fair, I am like this with every song I release. It is a blessing and a curse.

What do you like to focus on the most when it comes to creating a song?

Things change. Right now (with writing my new stuff) I’m focused on having really strong vocal melodies. A few weeks ago, I was really into making instrumentals and figuring out what tones I’d like to use. I wasn’t interested in singing as much at the time. Who knows what it’ll be in another few weeks.

Vision isn’t on spotify anymore??

It hasn’t been for a long, long time.

Do you ever like to revisit your old stuff?

Honestly, no I do not. I am the kind of person who will obsessively listen to my demo when I’ve just made it, but after it’s actually on Spotify I never listen to it again.

I saw that you’re touring with Briston Maroney next year! Are you excited to be back on tour soon?

Absolutely I am. I can’t wait. I haven’t met Briston yet and I’m really excited to. This will be the longest I’ve ever been on tour.

I noticed that there aren’t any Texas dates. Why do you hate us?

You know what…I’d like to tour Texas, seriously. Does anybody know where I can play?

What is your favorite/coolest musical accomplishment so far/? (besides being interviewed by me for the third time)

My favorite musical accomplishment has been something that technically hasn’t happened yet so I cannot say. Well, I guess you guys will know next year. Sorry. If we’re speaking on things that are out in the open, it would be playing riot fest, 100%. I went when I was a teenager. I hope I can go next year when MCR plays.

What can we expect to see from you in the near future?

Hopefully, even more new music. I would love to get on some more shows, too.

(Photo by Adam Alonzo)

Is there anything that you’d like our readers to know? (It doesn’t have to be about music)

Just that I’m excited to start playing shows again. And, I can’t wait for people to hear what’s next. Maybe I shouldn’t be saying that seeing as my EP just came out. “There’s always going to be something” is out on all streaming platforms!

And to wrap things up, do you have any questions for me?

How long has born loser magazine been around for?

Since late 2017/Early 2018. That's wild.

Thank you for taking the time to do this interview!