Hazy: "It feels great to add a new flavour into the mix"

Hazy, formerly known as Charlie, recently graduated from Manchester and is taking the music scene by storm.

Photos by Gaz Davies

The 22-year-old has gained attention from BBC Radio Stoke as "genuinely obsessed" to continue support from Indie Star and KB Canada.

From supporting the likes of Porches at The Deaf Institute to his launch of his debut EP 'Crystal Disguise' which sold out Manchester’s' Gulliver’s as he described the event as "a milestone" of his life. Hazy has become an artist to watch in the coming years.

His latest single 'Swimming Closer' follows in his footsteps from 'Arcade' which has become a part of releases throughout the year. The single which was written and produced in his bedroom during the lockdown and co-produced by Andy Gannon; who has worked with the likes of Robbie Williams and Rudimental.

The single, shouts summer vibes and the bouncy pop song gives a sense of optimistic but "incredibly related to what's going on in the world currently." Unlike his recent track record, this tune nods to the life of bedroom pop which is influenced by the likes of Clairo and Mura Masa.

First, how excited are you for people to hear your latest song 'Swimming Closer' which is out very soon?

Seemingly this question provokes an obvious answer, so I was thinking about answering ‘about a 5 out of 10 in excitement’ just to be edgy. But I’m glad you asked because truthfully, I’m a 10/10 on the excitement scale. I say this because I've gone full circle with my musical influences in the sense that ‘Swimming Closer’ resonates with the ‘bedroom pop’ style that marked my first entry into the industry. It feels great to add a new flavour into the mix.

The song was co-produced by Andy Gannon - who has worked with the likes of Rudimental and Clean Bandit - how did you get him to work on your latest single?

We basically had a phone call and realised that we have a lot in common creatively. He likes my music too, which is probably the main reason why we’ve started working together.

How hard did you find it to produce 'Swimming Closer' throughout these circumstances?

It was straight forward this time around. I’m emotionally invested in these lyrics, and they’re incredibly relatable to what’s going on in the world currently, so the production elements came naturally. Andy had a great sonic vision and did a wicked job at giving it a unique vibe.

What inspired you to get into music and how hard or easy have you found it to push through into the industry?

Originally, I did music just to do something different. I followed in my Mum's footsteps as a piano player and grew to love writing songs more than anything. I also grew up amongst some right muppets in school, and when I saw how uninterested they were in music it just inspired me to get better at it. The industry has always been a challenge to tackle. But I enjoy the graft. The challenge of getting noticed amongst 40,000 tracks that are uploaded to Spotify per day is crazy but makes for a hell of a reward.

You have supported the likes of 'Porches' to 'Pacific', what has it been like as a rising star to support such big names within the music scene?

Surprisingly normal. It’s always a unique atmosphere whenever you support bands with large fanbases. But you can break the ice backstage by asking what their go-to meal deal is. And you can learn loads about someone from the type of meal they pick. Supporting artists with dedicated audiences mean I get to play to genuine music lovers and chatting to music junkies after the show is super rewarding.

One of your biggest projects was your EP 'Crystal Disguise', what was that like for you to get out for everyone to hear and how did the fans react?

A milestone. One of the best things I’ve ever done was launching the EP at Gulliver’s. I had the time of my life performing to everyone that I had managed to hook with the EP. I also chucked facemasks into the crowd and it was like singing to a hoard of merry mannequins.

Finally, is it true we will be seeing a debut album from you next year?

The rumours are true.

Check out Hazy on Spotify or give him a follow on Instagram and we can't wait for his debut album which is coming out very soon.