Hayley Mary announces her debut solo album ‘Roman XS’, out Friday 25 October and shares its lead single and video, The Lonely One. Co-written at a house party with Reggie Goodchild from Confidence Man, the synth-pop heartbreak anthem explores the story of a mysterious love triangle.
Co-produced with Goodchild and The Jezabels producer Lachlan Mitchell, The Lonely One is Hayley Mary‘s best yet offering of the ‘happy-sad’ sound that’s become characteristic of her solo music. The single channels the nostalgic emotion of The Killers meets Belinda Carlisle. It’s a love letter to the past, a reckoning of the present, and an ode to the complex dynamics of love.
Hayley shares, “Goodchild and I started writing kinda by accident. We were partying and hanging out at the Con-man house a bit, and he had a few amazing demos that he thought would suit my 80s diva-style singing. We were jamming over this track, trying to flesh it out while everyone else was on the dance floor. It gave me the feeling of driving down a highway away from heartbreak, sadly but triumphantly.”
Produced by Hayley and Mitchell, with co-production from Johnny Took of DMA’s and Goodchild, ‘Roman XS’ traverses the territory of iconic 80s divas such as Annie Lennox and Kate Bush, infused with moments reminiscent of The Killers, The Cure, and Arctic Monkeys, with the gritty dance beats of The Chemical Brothers or New Order. Featuring The Lonely One alongside singles One Last Drag and The Ballad of Ruby Wednesday, the forthcoming album showcases Hayley’s capacity for writing cathartic pop songs with lyrics as deep as the ancient ruins.
“The only thing more excessive than an album that took three years to make is a wall-of-sound rock ‘n’ roll album, filled with neo-classic romantic songwriting and expansive layering of guitars, synthesizers, and harmonies. That is Roman XS,” explains Hayley.
Such a rich set of influences could only lead to a mammoth body of work which is why it took the time it did. “It may be indulgent to take your time until you feel you’ve made something of substance. And it may be indulgent to spend every cent you have (and many you don’t have) on studios and producers. Let’s face it, it’s indulgent to be a musician,” Hayley shares. “It’s excessive to romanticise the diesel-guzzling 80s in the way this album does, and to litter it with gothic religious and pagan symbolism and hysteria to boot, but, perhaps, in a way, it is also just reactionary punk in the age of musical minimalism.”
Hayley Mary found her footing in the original era of indie-slease with Sydney band The Jezabels who found their early success with their emotive, new-wave sound and quickly gained recognition as an enigmatic frontwoman. After a few years of international success and touring, the band went into hiatus, leading Hayley to pursue a solo career of her own making.
Following a stint collaborating with various musicians across the UK, Hayley returned to Sydney and her guitar rock roots to release three pop rock solo EPs ‘The Piss, The Perfume’, ‘The Drip’ and ‘Fall In Love’, including the anthemic single Like A Woman Should, which boomed in popularity through the TV series ‘Maid’. Working with producer Scott Horscroft (Silverchair, The Presets) and co-producer Oscar Dawson (Holy Holy), these combined her trademark quirky, provocative, romantic lyricism with a more aggressive classic-rock/singer-songwriter style, receiving praise from NME, Pilerats, Life Without Andy, Sydney Morning Herald and Tone Deaf. The releases lead to support for the likes of DMA’S, Liam Gallagher, and Tim Finn, as well as festival offers, including the UK’s Great Escape.
The Lonely One IS OUT NOW
‘Roman XS‘ will be released on Friday 25 October.
Double A-Side release Roman XS – Extensio is due on November 11.
Thanks to AAnthologies
