Before the show, I got the opportunity to sit down with HAYLA and talk about her new album, Dark, and the process of making the record.
Before the show, I got the opportunity to sit down with HAYLA and talk about her new album, Dark, and the process of making the record.
INTERVIEW + TRANSCRIPTION BY MIREYA PATINO
A beautiful melodic instrumental plays and there is still chatter everywhere. Everyone's excitement rises as the time gets closer to 10pm. Then just like that, the lights are off and fans are screaming with their hands in the air anticipating the start of the opening track.. A beautiful green & blue shine down, and HAYLA is on stage.
August 28th 2026
GWT: Is this your first time in Denver?
Hayla: I’ve been before. I was at Bluebird Theatre the last time I was here, and then I’ve done Red Rocks with Illenium, and then just one song with John [Summit].
GWT: Did you like Red Rocks?
HAYLA: Oh my gosh it’s like next level. Yeah I did not anticipate. I’ve kind of seen pictures, but I didn’t anticipate how amazing and stunning the landscape would be.
GWT: Yes it really is truly beautiful! You have your new album Dark that just recently came out. What was your inspiration behind writing that one?
HAYLA: Well, I’ve been through an incredible loss, and I genuinely didn’t know if I was kind of able to write anything, or if I had anything really to give. And I entered into these writing sessions with no plan of writing an album. It was something that was totally unplanned. And I think I just went into these writing sessions and we only had, I think we had, like 8 or 9 sessions booked in, and I just went in for the love of writing. For catharsis, and also for a bit of therapy. I think those sessions became real moments of life and everything was so dark in my life at that exact time. I remember I said to my manager after that 8 weeks that I had those sessions, I said “I think I’m done.” And he said “What do you mean done?” I said, “I think I’ve got a body of work.” That’s how kind of unplanned it was. It wasn’t just to write an album, it was just to kind of write and find and see if I was gonna be okay and able to do anything.
GWT: Wow, that is really beautiful that you were able to cope with everything with writing. I wish I had a way of words like that like you!
HAYLA: I mean, sometimes it’s one of those things I totally didn’t anticipate to write,and I feel like it was full of the things that I don’t think I was saying any of those things aloud in a conversation and then I managed to. I think by writing, it sort of allowed me to give my grief a voice.
GWT: You said the writing process aided with your grief and I could tell throughout listening to Dark I could feel all the emotions. Did writing these songs help aid with your emotions and grief?
HAYLA: Hmm, you know what, I think it did, and I think I am still going through it, obviously. But I think that, actually being able to sort of just talk about it. Most of the sessions started with the conversation and the people I was in the sessions with, I was just so fortunate, happy, and grateful that they were just so open for me being able to share. So I fully felt like I was in such a safe space to be able to share authentically and be able to kind of process a little bit. So I think after all of that, I haven’t listened back to everything [her album], and I know I am going to be singing today, but the more I have sung them out loud, the more I feel like I am understanding my grief more. And also, I think realizing that I am going to live with it forever and these songs have definitely helped heal, in a way.
“I think by writing, it sort of allowed me to give my grief a voice.”
GWT: I am very excited to hear this album live. My personal favorite is the title track “Dark.” It is very beautiful. What is your favorite song to perform off of it live, if you have one? I know it can be so hard to choose!
HAYLA: Yeah it is really hard laughs. If I am being honest, probably “Heal” is one of them and “Dark” as well. They’re actually kind of the top and bottom of the set. Heal is the starter and Dark is the bottom, very end. I think both of these songs signify a change of style that I kind of ended up stumbling upon with this album, because it wasn’t forced, there was no thought about style and genre. Literally that day when I turned up to write, they were just as they were. I left that day and we just didn’t think about style or genre or anything. I think singing those songs now has kind of led me on this path of a bit more of understanding and self discovery, but also hoping that audiences get to know me a bit better. So, I feel like those songs kind of solidified a little bit of change for me, in the sense like the title track of the album and it’s the first one with a different kind of sound. They are both quite important, but it’s hard to choose and you feel the same way!
GWT: With your new album being deeper in emotion and your feelings dealing with loss, do you think you have built a stronger connection with your fans?
HAYLA: You know what, I think so, because I think that people have been reaching out to me about things and I don’t think I realize how much connection people needed. I know that people do, but I do think that talking about how things can be can sometimes be the most important. I think when I am writing these songs and having them out there I have had these messages from people. I had one message from someone in particular who said it’s actually helping them realize and being open to their grief and being able to actually to start feeling that. I just kind of think if I’m ever able to make something, somehow, make someone feel like one, they’re not alone.and two, that they’re seen and they can get some catharsis from it and get some connection and not feel like they can’t talk to somebody. I think if you have a conversation spark from a song,maybe it makes you think, okay, that resonates with me and I need to speak to somebody about this, you know and connect. I think maybe that’s been something with this album that I truly, the more I write, the more I do shows, that I realize how much community and togetherness we need.
GWT: Do you have a favorite from playing the larger festivals to standalone shows at all?
HAYLA: I don’t know. I am just, so totally very internally grateful with people who want to come see me perform and that is the thing for me. I am just so, ultimately, it is just so not lost on me that people give up their time. It’s one of the most precious things that we have and people buy tickets for the shows, as well. I am just so internally grateful that people would want to just come on to a show. I am again, internally grateful
GWT: With you currently being on tour, and with just a few cities left, is there any city that stood out to you the most? From the crowds or just something beautiful about the city.
HAYLA: Well, I am very excited to play in Denver because every time I come back here, I have the most amazing nights. I mean, to be honest, it’s been really hard just to pick one that would be my favorite one because I am just so happy to be here. I feel fully blessed to be here.
GWT: One more question to wrap this all up, do you have any advice to girls trying to make it in the industry?
HAYLA: I would just say, like, trust your gut! Say yes to the things that feel good and say no to the things that don’t because if it doesn’t feel right, trust, you will know. Keep going on going and in those moments when you feel like it’s kind of not going somewhere, that’s the point where you need to keep on going because you never know the moment. Perseverance with just being yourself. I think everybody is so individually special and I think it’s a superpower. Go out there, find your community, 100%. Some things might come across in small stepping stones of life you will find that they were insignificant things that led you to the point that you end up being in. My life has been made up of many instances of happy coincidences. Obviously, working really hard and trying to hone my craft, and keep on going in those moments where I feel like giving up.
Trust your gut! Be your own unique, wonderful, beautiful self!
“ My life has been made up of many instances of happy coincidences.”