From DUSK to DARK – A Conversation with HAYLA
Best known for her collaborations with industry giants such as John Summit, ILLENIUM, Kygo, Kx5 (Deadmau5 and Kaskade), and more, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter HAYLA sat down with Strider just before taking the stage at Badlands Music Festival in Calgary, Alberta to chat about the upcoming release of her sophomore album, DARK, embarking on the largest North American tour of her career, and more!
In what ways has the release of your debut solo album, DUSK, impacted your life and career?
HAYLA: You know what? I think mentally it's impacted me a lot – and career wise as well. It sort of made my brain shift further into artist mode, which definitely helped me think about myself differently, but in a positive way. It's been incredible to work on all the collaborations that I've had, and I'm so grateful that I have, but being able to have this tangible thing that was mine – I think it just made me kind of feel a lot more together with myself, if that makes any sense.
What do you hope to experience with the upcoming release of DARK?
HAYLA: I just hope that people feel like they know me a little bit better. There are a lot of themes in this album which are centered around grief and loss and missed relationship opportunities. I feel like if anybody resonates with the songs – One, I'm sorry, 'cause obviously there's a lot of hurt in there. But two, I just hope that people connect with it and get some catharsis and comfort – I'd like to be able to give that if I can in some way.
You’ve spoken about the significance of the name DUSK in the past. What does DARK mean to you?
HAYLA: Both of the albums, I sort of pre-knew what they were going to be called. I knew DARK was going to be called DARK. Dusk is one of my favourite times of the day, but dark, also. To listen to music, where you feel like there's no other senses that are inhibited by anything else, and it's just – music is the thing that takes you. And I think at the time of writing DARK, [I] was also in the darkest period of my life, personally. This album – it's imitated my life, exactly.
Released as singles, “Heal”, “Enough”, and “Easier” serve as fans' first taste of DARK. How does this selection complement the album as a whole?
HAYLA: I think it gives people a bit of a spectrum of what's on there, subject matter wise. There’s a lot of heartbreak and grief – but also slight bits of hopefulness – like glimmers of light in the darkness. Some of the pieces that may have grief at the core, the music hopefully adds lifts of hoping, on the other side of everything, that it's gonna be okay.
How did the process of writing and composing DARK differ from that of DUSK?
HAYLA: I didn't produce anything on this album, but I was in the room helping move it and build it to where I'd like it to be. [I] worked incredibly closely with producers and co-writers. Most of the songs were written and recorded on the day of. None of [the songs] were re-vocaled – I'm not sure whether I did that on DUSK or not. But the approach on this was – I didn't know what I was gonna write that day. We just entered the room with no ideas, really, apart from what came out. So it just felt fun, in a sense – even though some of the subject matter was hard – to play around with style and genre, and just get instruments out.
Do you envision DARK as a sort of sequel to DUSK, or is it intended to be observed as its own distinct piece of work?
HAYLA: I think I still see it as a continuation, even though it's completely different. The only sort of thread is me. DUSK was made up of songs that I'd had over a course of three years and put together because I love them. DARK was pretty much written in eight weeks, apart from 2 songs [that] sort of helped me enter into the style and genre of the album that it is now.
You’ve collaborated with a wide range of artists over the span of your professional career including Kygo, John Summit, and Kx5 (deadmau5 and Kaskade) – how does the creative process differ from when you are writing solo material?
HAYLA: There's probably subjects I wouldn't necessarily write about with collaborative artists in the sense of the songs that have got to do with grief at the core. It felt like it was too personal to share that, and to make that story something else that wasn't purely mine. In collaborations, there’s elements of everybody in the room. Most of it sparks from a conversation that we've all had before we start writing – we’ll be talking collectively about something, and then that song will be drawn out from the conversation. It's still a really organic process, but I think there's certain subjects that I would write about, and subjects that I would keep for myself. When it's heavier hitting ones, it feels so personal.
Who would be your dream collaboration, and why?
HAYLA: There's quite a few really, but there's one that I always say – and I've said this so many times now – Bonobo. Purely because I've been a fan for years and years and years. I just so enjoy the instrumentation and his production and musicality. I'm a massive fan – that would be amazing. Oh, Ólafur Arnalds, and Kiasmos. Ólafur Arnalds is an incredible composer and pianist – Kiasmos is more of an electronic sad project. It would be incredible to work with any of them.
You are just weeks away from embarking on the largest North American tour of your career thus far. What are you most looking forward to?
HAYLA: Just being able to travel around places that I've been to before, and some places that I've never been to before. I'm really looking forward to hopefully connecting with more people, and I just want to do as much travelling and shows as I can, really.
Have you developed any pre-show rituals over the years? If so, what are they and what significance do they hold?
HAYLA: One pre-show ritual that I have – I definitely have a lot of herbal tea. Throat Coat – can't get it in the UK. I should warm up a lot more than I do, but I always try to stay hydrated. Mainly herbal tea and lots of water, and then little bits of warm ups. Today, my ritual was listening to The Bodyguard album by Whitney Houston.
Have you always felt that music was your ‘calling’?
HAYLA: No – I was very shy and I found it extremely hard to sing in front of anybody. If there was a curtain, I'd be behind it. I always, in my smallest corners of my heart, was like, this is the thing that makes me feel the most myself, and I would love to be able to show that, and feel that electricity that you feel when you do the thing that you love. But I never really thought, realistically, that it would be something that I'd do. I was just incredibly shy – and I kind of just felt the fear and did it anyway. [I’ve] been doing music for years, and kind of slowly but surely got out of my own way.
What would be your message to your younger self now?
HAYLA: The most important thing, probably about everybody, is the fact that they're kind of their own individuals. Try not to be afraid of being yourself. 'Cause I think that's the one thing that I'm trying to always remind myself – just being yourself is okay.
Aptly named, DARK is heavily centered around themes of grief and loss, with glimmers of hope and resilience spread throughout. DARK is set to release July 31st, 2026, while The Dark Tour – HAYLA’s longest North American run to date – commences August 6th in Chicago, IL.
Thank you to HAYLA for taking the time to chat with Strider!
HAYLA’s The Dark Tour:
August 6 – Chicago, IL – Concord
August 8 – Toronto, ON – Cabana
August 9 – Montreal, QC – Ilesoniq
August 12 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
August 13 – Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
August 14 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel
August 16 - Washington, D.C. - 9:30 Club
August 18 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West
August 21 - Dallas, TX - Studio
August 22 - Austin, TX - Emo’s
August 23 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
August 26 - Kansas City, MO - The Truman
August 28 - Denver, CO - Ogden
August 29 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
September 2 - Sacramento, CA - Ace Of Spades
September 3 - San Francisco, CA - The Regency
September 4 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda