Hailing from Arkansas, the Progressive-Folk band Haliday releases their debut EP, 'Self-Titled.'
While writing most of the EP's songs on a camping excursion in Arkansas, John Davis and Hunter Passmore have ingrained nature's organic beauty into their daydreamy sound.
Regarding their debut EP 'Self-Titled,' we can feel vast heart and passion within these Alternative-inspired tracks.
Opening the EP with the intro track "Intro," this 50-second instrumental brings us into the middle of the bar surrounded by crowds of people clinking drinks and getting down to some live tunes. With ambient acoustic guitar raining down from above, there's a faint yet noticeable kick and sub-bass that makes itself at home in the heart of this instrumental—giving us a glimpse of what to expect from the rest of Haliday's EP.
Softly opening their next track "Near the Pines" with warm acoustic guitar, the song brings us into a reflective state that has us question routine. Once John Davis' pure vocal stylings enter the song, we can't help but get deeper into the song's concept where we're stripped of everything we have only to go through the motions of our day-to-day cycle. Hunter Passmore brings such grace to the song with his soft banjo plucking accompanied by John Davis' soulful acoustic guitar. The song reminds us of longing for our past days of freedom while staying somewhat optimistic for the future.
Deepening the atmosphere within their next piece "Long Roads Ahead," Haliday serves the bittersweet atmosphere to healing and how we must go on with our journey. What catches our ears within this track is the mild Hip-Hop beat that brings energy and life to the track. Not to mention the melodic acoustic guitar picking, the instrumentals are incredibly diverse and dynamic while continuing to pull us in deeper and reflect on the song's theme.
As Davis continues to sing of moving up and moving on, we love the raw passion and strength that Haliday has infused into their EP.
Onto the next track, "Walls" gives this instant dark and mysterious sound from the jump. With an intense addition of trap drums heating the track, we can't get enough of this song's unique and heavy instrumentals. The main acoustic guitar brings the trackback to Arkansas' forests, yet spicing it up with brilliant surrounding production while Davis makes a minimal vocal appearance. This track stands out as a unique and heavy instrumental, yet Haliday adds incredible depth through minimal vocals and a unique blend of genres.
With the next track "Bold," Haliday brings a bold instrumental and vocal performance into this mighty tune. What we've noticed so far is that Haliday's EP has progressively increased the use of trap drums and bass in each song, and this one has to be the strong point. The gripping drum patterns take us into a modern-day atmosphere while adding incredible range through Folk and Country-Esque acoustic guitar melodies. As John Davis again adds minimal vocals to the track, Haliday allows listeners to bask in the magnetic atmosphere that the instrumentals uniquely deliver.
Reaching the outro of the EP with the last track "Ran Away," Hunter Passmore opens the track with bright and cheerful acoustic guitar patterns that glimmer through our speakers. John Davis' unique vocal performance enters the track in this deep and serious tone, completely resembling timeless Folk/Country tunes. He sings this disheartening message of attempting to look away and run from the pain, yet realizing that there's no escape from mental turmoil than to face adversity head-on. A perfect track to close their EP with, as it allows listeners to deeply reflect on inner-issues that need some attention.
Haliday has placed a diverse blend of sounds and genre approaches into their dynamic and introspective EP "Self-Titled," and we can't help but lose ourselves in the duo's dreamy instrumentals and conceptual lyricism.
Discover Haliday's Self Titled EP here.
We can't get enough of the dreamy sound you've delivered on your debut EP, "Self-Titled." Could you take us through the project's overall concept, and what you wanted listeners to take away?
We honestly just wanted to make music that we like. Our songwriting process is more of just a feeling at a given moment.
What was your creative process like for "Self-Titled" when creating an excursion in Arkansas? How did your surroundings influence your songs?
The surroundings drastically influenced our songs for the EP. How could it not? It was a lot of fun though. There were a few nights that were rough but other than that we had a great time. We'll probably do the same thing for the album but in Arizona.
Within a few songs on your EP 'Self-Titled,' we're able to hear a unique addition of Hip-Hop drum patterns. What inspired this sonic route for the EP, and do you plan on sticking with this sound in the future?
Haha yeah so that's funny you guys brought that up. Prior to coming together to form the duo Haliday, Hunter made beats for hip hop artists. When we started experimenting in the studio with 808's along with acoustic guitar, mandolin, and banjo it just sounded good so we ran with it. We'll probably do something similar with the album, but we will always have songs that are just acoustic.
Seeing as your group is still somewhat fresh to the music industry, how would you describe Haliday to someone who's never listened?
It would be hard to describe Haliday to someone who has never heard our songs. We're a progressive folk duo that uses 808's and drums in our music, but only when the vibe calls for it.
What has been keeping you inspired in 2020?
While in quarantine we focused on creating a new sound. We had more time to play guitar and focus on writing songs. Making music is keeping us inspired right now. Drawing inspiration from nature is also a major part of our creative process.