Interview: Haley & Michaels on recent events and quarantine
- by Andrew Braithwaite
- in Interviews
Nashville-based country duo Haley & Michaels are on the rise with over 40 million online streams. Making regular TV appearances, they continue to share the stage with some of the biggest names in country music, receive praise from Rolling Stone, plus features in TIME, The New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today.
We have caught up with this hot rising duo to ask them some questions whilst in lockdown.
Q) Living in these unprecedented days with nearly all of us isolating, how are you both passing your time? Also, is there any chance of you doing any live stream gigs?
A) These times are absolutely unprecedented and have changed so many things about all of our lives. We are staying home and have been quarantining since we got back from the UK, three weeks ago. We are staying very busy with the creative side of our music and we’re working hard on finishing our studio and stage downstairs in our house. We had been traveling for most of the past two years and haven’t been able to finish what we started long ago. So, yes! We will be doing live stream gigs from the basement downstairs and also some from our living room.
Q) You were recently on BBC Radio 2 speaking to the legendary Bob Harris. With his show being a fundamental part of country music in the UK, what kind of experience was this?
A) We are so incredibly honored to have been invited on BBC Radio 2. Not only did we get to be interviewed by legendary Bob Harris but also we got to perform our music live, which was so thrilling! We have been dreaming of releasing our music in the UK for years, but we truly could not have dreamt up a more incredible and special way to perform live for the first time in the UK! It was also really nice to get to spend time with the other artists who were a part of the festival, as well as Mark Hagen and the other people who work at BBC Radio 2. There’s a real family like quality to it. And, of course, it was a highlight to get to be in the room with Bob Harris and hear that incredible voice of his in person!
Q) By the sounds of it you have already played to some impressive audiences. Which would be your favorite gig to date?
A) We got to do some incredible performances last year! If we had to pick a favorite it would be the Monday Night Football half time performance for the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. They are our hometown team and to get to perform during the game and for that hometown crowd of a packed stadium was a thrill we can never forget! It was also our first stadium show so there will always be something extra surreal and special about it.
Q) You were due to play at this year's C2C festival in London but unfortunately the event had to be canceled. With a reschedule for 2021 just announced, will you be returning next year?
A) We were all so disappointed about the festival having to be canceled but of course we understood and appreciate that safety is being prioritized during these times. We were so looking forward to performing at the festival and to meeting fans after the shows! We would absolutely love to be there next year and we are planning on it!
Q) Who are your main influences?
A) We grew up three miles apart from each other in California but we did not meet until we were both in Nashville, TN. When we were growing up, country music was not as popular in California as it is today. So, when we met we bonded over the fact that we both were heavily influenced by country music and artists like Garth Brooks, Keith Urban and Little Big Town. That said, we also have pop/rock influences that shape our music and who we are as artists individually and as a duo. Ryan was influenced by classic rock artists like U2, Bon Jovi, Guns N Roses and Roy Orbison. Shannon was influenced by Sheryl Crow, Fleetwood Mac and James Taylor.
Q) Is there any artist in particular that you would like to work with?
A) We’d love to do a collaboration with Little Big Town because we absolutely love their harmonies and think it would be so cool to combine groups that are both harmony-driven. Of course, we’d also love to do a collaboration with Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. Of course U2 and Bon Jovi would also be pretty excellent :)
Q) How long have you both been making and performing music together?
A) We first met in 2011 and started singing together later that year. In 2012 we started writing together and found that we had a lot of chemistry not only as singers but also as writers. We wrote a song that is on our debut album called “The Price I Pay” and that song made us decide that we wanted to make our duo official and in early 2013 we became “Haley & Michaels”.
Q) You have just announced you're both expecting a baby daughter in October - exciting times ahead! What impact on your music do you think this will have?
A) Yes! We are very excited and could not be more thrilled! We have found that the most meaningful moments in our lives always create the most meaningful songs. So we can imagine that there will be a new depth in our songwriting and lots of new inspiration!
Q) With Rolling Stone naming you as one of their “Artists You Need to Know”, plus your song ‘Hail Mary’ being featured in the Netflix film Walk. Ride. Rodeo, has this opened up more opportunities for you?
A) Absolutely and we are so grateful! We have been feeling a lot of momentum build and it has been so rewarding to have new doors open. We are really eager to release new music and to get back out there on the road!
Q) Your first UK single "Drinking About You" has just been released, are you planning any UK gigs for the future?
A) We were planning to be back over a few times this year but with the changing times of today like everyone else, we are in a bit of limbo. We do know that as soon as we are able to travel safely, and as soon as gigs are safe for others to attend, we will be there and we couldn’t be more excited!!
Thanks again, and good luck for the future!
Andrew
Country
