On Tuesday, June 23rd, “The Heydaze – EP” was released to the delight of many fans. Their catchy hooks will stay in your head for days and will probably become some of your summer 2015 anthems. Since the releases of singles, including “Little Bandit” and arguably, their most popular yet, “Adderall,” these guys are gearing up to take the pop world by storm. I was lucky to have some time to chat with lead singer, Jesse Fink, to discuss the new music. Besides being a really cool guy, Jesse had some really insightful things to say about the new EP. Before this release, these guys were totally “DIY.” They wrote, recorded, and produced their prior singles, themselves, and they honestly came out great. So great, in fact, that they began to receive lots of attention for their work, leading them to find their current agent and a manager to help guide them, artistically. As they moved forward, they decided to steer their sound to be more like their live performances, rather than slightly over-produced. They have a new drummer and bass player, and have collectively matured as a group.
While The Heydaze definitely writes radio-ready pop hits, there’s a lot more to their music than that. Jesse described the stigma that goes along with the pop genre as “bubblegum music for teenage girls.” Of course, there’s no issue with that music, as teenage girls comprise quite an important industry demographic, but Jesse wants “to make pop music that’s more universal and consumable,” appealing to a wider range of people. He says, “I want fans to take away that it’s fun, catchy, feel good music. We take these stylized glamour photos and shoot music videos, and even though we’re creating polished pop productions, at the end of the day, we are still musicians. We take a lot of pride in that.” It’s obvious in the sheer craft of the tracks on the EP that Jesse speaks the truth.
I was lucky enough to have my first experience of listening to “The Heydaze – EP” live at their EP release party. The guys were extremely tight and harmonious on stage, making them an absolute joy to listen to. The songs were catchy and fun, and I couldn’t wait to download each track upon my arrival home that evening. Since then, I have grown to appreciate the entire project on an even greater scale.
Opening with “Dumb” was a wise choice for The Heydaze. “Feel good” is definitely the first term that popped into my head upon listening. It’s light, yet extremely well crafted. The song recounts the events of the previous night, and having made some potentially questionable choices. The bridge examines those decisions, with the lyrics reading, “I’m feeling stupid, but fuck it, I’m shameless. I won’t apologize for being so dumb.” The band chants “No regrets,” and that’s what I take away from the song more so than anything else. We have all had a few of those nights, but at the end of the day, some of the best memories come from those wild times, right? The accompanying melody will never leave your head and you will want to linger around that repeat button all summer.
“Side Effects” is a very cool song, and the chorus really shines through as one of my favorite parts of the album. The harmonies are wonderfully cheery, and Jesse’s vocal abilities are obvious in his range and tone. Up next is “ABC,” which is probably my current favorite track at this point; even though I honestly like each track enough that my favorite one will likely fluctuate. I’m going to call the song “adorable,” and whether or not Jesse likes that description might be another question. He sings to a girl, telling her how much she means to him by “spell(ing) it out” for her. The lyrics, “A girl, B my world, C all the things that you deserve” start of the chorus in the most innocently poetic way possible. When I asked Jesse about his favorite track on the EP, he laughed and told me, “That’s like asking me to pick my favorite child,” before telling me about the composition process of “ABC.” He started writing it during his sophomore year of college and it has seen many faces during its development. He always had enough faith in it to stick with it, and declared, “’ABC’ is the most dear to my heart.”
The EP caps off with “Headlights.” The build in this song is impressive, as the booming chorus takes hold of you, demanding your attention. My favorite lyric from the track reads, “The road we travel on doesn’t care who’s right and who is wrong.” These guys prove to be wonderful lyricists, showing that pop music can be much more than its stereotype. The four-song EP ends well before you’re ready, and you’ll probably want to hit that relay button right away.
What’s next for The Heydaze? “World domination,” jokes Jesse; but seriously, he’s not far off. “Dumb” is already playing on Sirius Hits 1, and coupled with this summer’s tour, The Heydaze is looking to expand nationally and eventually, internationally. The EP is not only a great purchase for your music library, being the high quality, catchy pop music it is, but you can also feel good about supporting some really great, hard-working guys. After the releases of their individual singles and this fantastic EP, I am officially on Team Heydaze, one hundred percent rooting for their success.
Article: Alex Feigin
