A conversation about Australia's vibrant electronic scene certainly isn't complete without mentioning the award-winning music producer Hayden James. He built a reputation not only for his seamless fusion of deep house, electronic pop, and downtempo, but also as an artist who keeps things exciting with an unpredictable creative direction. My first encounter with Hayden's music occurred during his undeniable breakout year in 2018 when "Just Friends" with Boy Matthews reached my ears. Since then, he's gone on to rack up a laundry list of accolades including performing at Coachella, a North America tour, and even collaborations with the likes of Elderbrook, Cassian, and SIDEPIECE.
Throughout 2024, Hayden has been gradually teasing us with stellar singles from his latest album We Could Be Love - a body of work straddling the worlds of classic house, indie dance, and pop. Most importantly, however, it's thematically consistent as he dives into themes of romance while offering a vibrant and colorful listening experience. In this article, Hayden takes us through the journey of making We Could Be Love, and opens up about fatherhood and much more.
When you first started to create music, you were predominantly in bands and you had other solo projects too. What were the factors that eventually led to you going all in on what you were doing as Hayden James?
I basically got to a point where I wanted to do my own thing. I had some issues working with a couple others and decided if I really wanted to do this I needed to trust myself. I didn’t start the ‘Hayden James’ project until I was clear of the other groups. It was liberating to say the least hah.
In your perspective, what should committing and going "all in" on music look like for the modern-day artist?
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Trust yourself, your decisions and the rest will flow. Everyone has a different work ethic and schedules that work for them, so to me it’s all about your passion for what you do. You have to love it and put the work in.
Reflecting on 10 years as Hayden James, what internal and external factors do you believe have contributed to the longevity of your career?
Crazy it’s been 10 years since my first release. Internally it’s kind of what I said above. I find myself always coming back to the question ‘why do you want to write music and perform?’, and the answer is still because I LOVE it :)
Externally, it’s almost impossible to control these factors. I tend not to sweat the things I can't control. All I can do is surround myself with the best team and have fun writing the best music I can write.
In which ways is raising a family of your own influencing the themes in your music? To go one step deeper, I'm also curious to hear how fatherhood has had an impact on your life as an artist?
Being a dad is my favorite thing in the world. Nothing comes close. If there are parents reading this they’ll know it’s the hardest thing you’ll ever do (and I’m just starting hah) and the most rewarding thing. Musically, my kids and my family bring me so much joy that I believe definitely flows through me in the studio when I'm writing. It makes up who I am. Being a father, I want to be home as much as possible and honestly, I’m lucky that I can be with my kids almost every day.
The sound of your latest singles from your upcoming album We Could Be Love is quite bright and uplifting. How does this sonic direction tie into the narrative of the album?
The album feels really positive with some dance floor vibes as a whole which I feel is a direct influence on all the touring across the USA I did last year. I found myself wanting to create more ‘dance floor’ ready music but still make it ‘HJ’. Songs like "Shelter" and "Waves Out" and "The Pleasure" have that strong energy but also feel super emotive and tell a story. I’m so pumped for people to hear the whole album.
What life events or experiences influenced your creative process while you were working on We Could Be Love?
The entire album was written in about 4 months which is very quick for me. I stopped drinking entirely and really focused on being in the studio most of the year and this is what came out. I’ve never been more focused and feel pretty great. Keeping it up :)
It seems like this is a project where you had tons of fun with friends and artists you admire. How was the process of selecting collaborators different for this album?
One of my favorite things to do is collaborate. I find the best comes out of me when I'm in the studio with someone or even just sending music back and forth online. The majority of the collaborating artists are from the UK - I spent the end of 2023 in London writing which really opened up my process musically. I not only loved working with everyone on the album, but I’m genuinely a big fan of all the vocalists. It was super fun to work with every single one of them. I’ve got to mention my brother Kormak too. We worked on the production and mixing of this record for months together. He’s such a gun at making things sound great and we’re an epic team when it comes to putting the icing on the records.
What do you wish people would pay close attention to when they dive into the experience of We Could Be Love?
I hope they listen from start to finish. I’ve thought a lot about the track order which follows a certain vibe and feels like it tells the story of the album nicely. There’s a bunch of different styles of music on there too which I hope people listening will enjoy. Songs for all moods.
Given that the title revolves around love, what do you personally consider are the key elements necessary for sustaining love?
Good question. Personally, it’s about trust, patience, and being ALL IN with your partner no matter what. It’s also about just having fun and being there for each other.
At this point in your career, who would you say you make music for?
I love being in the studio and having that moment when you know you have something big... Something undeniable. It’s that feeling I love. So I guess I'm writing music for me at the end of the day, but one of my favorite things is when I get a message from someone I don’t know telling me how my music has impacted their life. It feels so good to know you can help someone with music.
Okay so, 1) an artist/band you’d love to have a D.M.C (deep meaningful conversation) with 2) An artist you think would be rad to party with 3) An artist you would love to be your mentor. You’re welcome to select from artists who are dead/retired.
1. Kevin from Tame Impala. One of my fav bands and I would love to dive into his creative process and talk music gear all day.
2. Gotta be my boys, ODESZA.
3. Please mentor me, Calvin Harris. haha
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