Q&A: Maintaining Vulnerability in A Content-Driven World, Hazel English Talks Process & More
YOU’VE OBVIOUSLY NEVER CRIED IF YOU DON’T KNOW — Hazel English. I’ll never forget the first time I heard “I’m Fine” — I was absolutely… not fine. Like most people, I’ve been a Hazel English fan since roughly 2017, but English has proved to have a style that simply won’t quit and keeps me coming back for more time and time again — one could say, we stan. But what is it exactly that sets English apart from the indie norm? The quality (it’s always the quality). Equipped with haunting vocals, echoey synths, and gut-wrenching lyrics, the Australian-born singer-songwriter is bringing the best of melancholic surf rock to the states, much to our pleasure. Drawing inspiration from the likes of legendary creative voices such as Carole King and surprisingly even the late author of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Phillip K. Dick, English explores her own take on the sad, twisted world we live in by doing what she does best: making it beautiful.
I’m honored to have had the chance to sit down with English and ask some of my most burning questions about the songs I’ve known and loved for years, as well as gain a little bit of insight into what’s on the horizon for the indie pop rock princess.
LUNA: What does a typical day look like for you?
ENGLISH: I wake up and if I can be bothered I do some exercise. Then I make breakfast and do some reading and journaling. From there I get ready for whatever work I have to get done that day. Some days that might be going to a session, other days a photo shoot or music video shoot; sometimes it's editing footage, finishing a song, going to a meeting — every day is different!
LUNA: Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
ENGLISH: My two biggest inspirations are the sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick and legendary songwriter Carole King. Those are my lifelong pursuits and to me they are both unbeatable in their respective field.
LUNA: What role does the artist have in society?
ENGLISH: This is a good question — I think as artists it's up to us to express the emotion that most people experience but can't always put a name to. We provide catharsis, a connection for people who want to relate — whether through feelings of sadness, joy, heartbreak, anger, etc.
LUNA: What does your process look like? Is it different every time?
ENGLISH: It can be different depending on my mood. Most of the time the chord progression comes first and then I come up with a melody that fits and then lyrics last.
LUNA: How have you grown as an artist in the last 5 years?
ENGLISH: The last 5 years? I think I have become more comfortable as a songwriter in the last 5 years and grown in my confidence. I think I probably pull from different references sonically now than maybe I used to, a natural progression from just listening to different kinds of music over the years and wanting to try different things.
LUNA: What’s your favorite part of your job?
ENGLISH: I love being creative and seeing the ideas that have come to life as I put them into action. It feels extremely gratifying to finish a project that started out as maybe one single idea in my head and then grows to become a whole body of work. You're literally creating something that did not exist before and that's exciting!
LUNA: What was the inspiration behind your last single, “California Dreamin’”?
ENGLISH: I originally recorded a very stripped back acoustic cover of “California Dreamin’” for a compilation album my label Polyvinyl put out during the pandemic. Then I thought it might be fun to flesh it out a bit more and add some more elements and, yeah, that was the impetus for releasing it.
LUNA: How do you know when a song is finished?
ENGLISH: Sometimes it can be hard to know when to stop and I never want to “overwork” a song. I generally just use my intuition to help me figure out when it's done — usually when I can listen to it without picking out some kind of flaw, then I know it's done.
LUNA: What’s the biggest challenge an artist faces?
ENGLISH: Honestly, I think in the current climate, the biggest challenge is to push yourself to take risks when it's easier to stick with what's comfortable. In this algorithm-focused world we live in it can be tempting to make music just for the playlists but to me that kind of music always sounds hollow and lacking. Staying vulnerable and putting a piece of yourself in your art can be difficult but is always worth it.
LUNA: Are you working on anything at the moment?
ENGLISH: Yes! I have been working on a new project which I'll hopefully be able to announce very soon! Stay tuned ;)
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