An Interview With The NY-Based Musician, HALEYJANE ROSE!

Meet the NY-based artist HaleyJane Rose! She’s a member of folk/pop trio Boy Band and recently released her second solo single “Unaware/Ungrateful” to a great response.

Check it out on Soundcloud HERE.

“soars to dizzying heights you never want to descend from” – Indie Midlands

“decorated with dry humor and driving angst” – B-Sides & Badlands

HaleyJane Rose is a New York based singer-songwriter. While known for her work with the harmony-laced folk/pop trio Boy Band, Haley’s solo sound takes her acoustic influences and mixes it with her love for indie rock. Frequenting venues such as Rockwood Music Hall, Pianos, and the historic home of anti-folk, Sidewalk Cafe, HaleyJane plays electric guitar-driven, indie pop tunes with a wave of humor and earnestness. 

Connect With HaleyJane Rose Online Here-

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

Learn more about HaleyJane Rose in the following All Access interview-

What does a typical day look like for you? What do you have scheduled the rest of today and this week?

I actually work at a school full-time! When I’m not at work, or working on my solo music, I do improv comedy, host a comedy podcast, and am in a folk/pop group, Boy Band. Today, however, I took the day off to go to Comic Con with my mom, haha! I’m going as Captain Marvel. Higher, further, faster, baby.

Now that we are in the latter half of the year, how has 2019 treated you? What are some goals that you have had for yourself this year? How close are you to reaching them or did you already? What are you already excited about for 2020?

My goal for 2019 was so record more songs and improve on my guitar playing. And maybe for the first time (like… ever) I feel like I’ve kept my resolutions. I released “Unaware/Ungrateful” over the summer and have four songs currently in the studio recording process. In 2020 I look forward to sharing a full album! I also really hope Harry Styles releases a new album, because I love him. 

Growing up, how important was music in your life? Can you recall the moment when you decided that you wanted to be in this industry? Was it an easy or difficult choice to make?

Music has always been a huge part of my life and my family always nurtured and supported my passions. Originally that music passion came with my involvement in musical theatre. I picked up the guitar when I was 15 as a way to learn my favorite acoustic singer/songwriters and spent years of high school and throughout my college Theatre major performing acoustic covers in coffee shops, wine bars, on Youtube… It wasn’t until 2014 that I started songwriting seriously. I think it took living on my own and feeling a little lost after graduation in order to spark something worth writing about. And once I did, it just felt right. Writing songs is my favorite part of an industry that I’m still learning a lot about, and hope to become even more involved with.

Was there ever a time when you thought about doing something else? If you weren’t a musician today, what else could you see yourself doing? Would you be as fulfilled in life?

I’m okay with having my eggs in a lot of baskets. I want to be a comedian, I want to write a TV show, I want to be a songwriter for pop artists, country musicians… Performing my music will always be here for me, and I have a lot I want to accomplish in my life.

What has it been like branching out on your own and releasing solo material?

I was actually a solo artist first! I played a lot of shows as an acoustic artist – I wanted to do the whole coffeehouse thing. But I think starting Boy Band and taking time before releasing any solo music allowed me to develop my sound, experiment with many different genres, and figure out who I really am. I think my music is better because of the wait.

Where did the inspiration for your latest solo single “Unaware/Ungrateful” come from? How does it compare to anything else that you have previously released?

I was really angry and exasperated when I started writing Unaware/Ungrateful. My good friend and co-writer on the song, Travis Crowley, helped me see past the blind rage and articulate my thoughts into something clever and cool. I think tonally I was inadvertently inspired by the women of the 90’s, like Liz Phair, Alanis Morissette, and Gwen Stefani. They wielded their anger like a weapon, and then used it to create poetry.

How do you think you have grown as a musician since you first started making music?

I think when I first started writing I was trying to fit into a certain mold of what I thought a “singer/songwriter girl” was supposed to be. Now I have many outlets to experiment with songwriting styles and genre and don’t want to box myself in.

How do you feel about social media? What has social media done for your career so far?

It’s a necessary evil, isn’t it? On one hand, it’s fun to see old friends’ lives unfolding and being able to self-promote my music. On the other, so much of what we see on social media isn’t the truth — everyone’s creating a bit of a narrative about their life to make themselves seem better off. It’s actually what my first song, “Three First Names” is inspired by. It’s a hypothetical scenario where I could just tell the full, messy truth about what’s going on, instead of self-editing.

Who are some of your favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? Who would you absolutely love to work with in the future?

Jason Mraz is the reason I started writing songs. My personal musical style has taken a different path, and there are so many more musicians I’d love to work with, but his lyricism and wit are still the goal.

If you had an unlimited budget and your schedule was free, what would your dream music video look like?

I want to dance! I’d love to be a part of a choreographed dance sequence that’s really challenging and expressive. I used to dance competitively as a child, and then in ensemble numbers in musical theatre productions – I miss having dance as another medium to express yourself and create.

Where would you love to hear a song of yours played?

England! I know that’s very broad, but I’m a huge musical anglophile. From The Kinks to The Kooks, British rock is a huge influence on the way I write my solo projects… being approved across the pond would be the ultimate validation for me. 

At the end of the day, what do you hope people take away from your music?

You can be many things at once. You can be funny and mad, or sarcastic and sad. I feel like music history shows women musicians often being polished and packaged neatly. Women can be dynamic, loud, complicated and messy… and it’s more fun that way.