Future/Past is H A Z E debut EP, the accomplishment of years of stylistic and personal research. H A Z E takes a turn into darker, more ethereal sounds, still blending rock and electro influences. The artist also experimented a lot more with vocal harmonies in tracks such as Shadow - influenced by Billie Eilish’s emblematic use of backing vocal melody lines - and Anywhere But Here - in which she carefully crafted a full choir with operatic influences as an ode to her mother’s career. In Future/Past, H A Z E dives into deep emotions to close a chapter of her artist life as she has now moved to Paris to explore new musical and personal horizons.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey H A Z E, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Hey there! Well I’ve always had a strong relationship with music. I took piano lessons as a kid but stopped to focus on ballet instead, which is still a very music based form of art. Also, my mom is an opera singer and my brother a guitarist so music’s always been around at home.
How do you balance your time in the studio with other commitments such as a part-time job, family, admin?
I’ve just recently moved to Paris so I’ve put things on hold for a bit, adapting to a new lifestyle and a new job (I teach in a vocational school). But I’m really looking forward to having all of it settle down nice and quick so I can get back to songwriting - I do that at home on my own, then take a solid few weeks during school break to lock myself into a studio and record non stop!
Your latest release is 'Future/Past'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
The recording process to be honest felt like therapy in a way: it was very cathartic to write and even more powerful to perform in the studio. I remember having deep conversations with Bob Matthews, who produced three of the tracks about my lyrics, and I remember him asking if it was hard for me to sing these words aloud. That really helped communicating and understanding my vision as well in terms of sound design which we spent a lot of time on!
Where did you get the inspiration for this EP?
It’s about growth, introspection, letting go, and burying hatchets, I guess. It’s really for me a way to celebrate my move to Paris, turn a page and open a new chapter.
How long did you work on the 'Future/Past'? Was it an easy process for you?
The production process took over a year, with its ups and downs. Everytime I was in the studio I felt fulfilled but it also came with so much anxiety around the promo strategy, the industry games etc, so I also spent long periods of time inactive, but thankfully I’m surrounded by a very supportive team that helped me push through and finish the work and I couldn’t be happier!
How do you know when a work is finished?
You never do, really. Or at least I don’t. When I don’t have anymore ideas or suggestions on how a track could sound, I guess, that’s when I’m ready to put it out. But I could easily have a tendency to hold on to my tracks forever just because it might be missing something, and if I did, I’d never release a thing…
Can you write what was your best performance in your career? How do you remember it?
That’s a super easy one! I was playing with my old band and we were performing in a small underground venue for the closing of fresher’s week at our music uni. The place was sold out, we didn’t really think it would be a great gig because of how small the place was, but the people were just brilliant, they somehow sang along to our songs and they even had me crowdsurf, highlight of my performing career!
How do you find yourself in the music business? When you started out in music, did you know it would be like this?
I knew it would be hard, but I didn’t realize it would be soul consuming. There’s so much to think about when you’re starting a career, and so much to invest in. The costs or production alone are very expensive if you can’t produce yourself. Then there’s the whole game on socials, finding gigs, reaching out to the media… it’s about selling yourself in a way, something I really can’t do for myself. Any managers out there, snap me up!
Who is your favourite musician?
David Bowie. Not just a musician: an all round artist.
What are your plans for the future?
Writing more in French, starting to play live again in Paris and London, and getting back in the studio asap!