Darlington pop/electro/country singer-songwriter, Hayley McKay, makes her way to The Cluny, Newcastle this month so Damian Robinson caught up with her to talk about her upcoming album and more.
It’s been nine months since your haunting debut single, ‘Unspoken’, landed. How would you describe the sound and concept of ‘Unspoken’ to our readers who may not have heard the track?
It’s a ballad and a classic break-up song. It’s about moving away from a relationship that isn’t working and just how tough it is to do so. I think it’s something everyone can relate to.
The recent follow-up single, ‘The Bottom Of My Heart’, has a more upbeat sound compared to ‘Unspoken’ but is still very introspective talking about themes of pain, demons, and healing. Where did the idea for the track come from?
It’s different from ‘Unspoken’ in that it’s about not giving up on something – sometimes you’ve got to get through the pain to get to all the good stuff. It’s quite an uplifting, motivating song, but it has a drive to it with a country vibe. I write most of my material, but we got sent through some songs from Nashville and this one really stood out for me.
So Matthew Parisi is producing your album. What impact has he been making to the sound of your tracks?
Matt completely gets my sound and how to produce it. It’s all about getting the vocal out front and letting the production complement my voice rather than overwhelm it.
You played the Cluny 2 earlier in the year and have a date in the Cluny 1 this month. What differences will you be making between the two sets and what can fans expect from the show?
We may showcase a couple of tracks from the new album, but we want to get people up on their feet and dancing and we have a set that’s proven to do that.
Hayley Mackay plays The Cluny, Newcastle on Friday 15th Sept. Tickets, priced at £10.00 in advance, are available from thecluny.com.
