OUT NOW – LISTEN HERE
TAKEN FROM THE SECOND PART OF GOODBYE TO THE VALLEY LOW OUT 4TH OCTOBER VIA NETTWERK
As the second part of his Goodbye to the Valley Low project approaches and his autumn headline tours across Europe and the US swiftly sell out shows, Sweden-based Australian musician Hazlett releases his latest single ‘Do You Haunt Me’.
Continuing to make waves with each release, the new track from Hazlett finds the folk artist untangling a web of complex emotions. With his unmistakable trademark sound of muted acoustic strums meeting ethereal guitar lines, a gentle beat pulses throughout while Hazlett’s hushed vocals reach out for something certain amongst the haziness. Hypnotic, intimate and soaring all at once, the songwriter effortlessly captures a complicated mindset, making his path towards the upcoming release of his new EP all the more intriguing.
‘Someone once told me healing isn’t linear. Like all good advice though it’s a tough thing to remember when you’re going through it. There’ll be dead ends, there’ll be mistakes and there will be plenty of advice from the sidelines along the way. But this was just a little ode to still attempt to remind myself for every step that feels backwards, in the grand scheme of things it’s actually a profound lunge forward to where we need to be. Even when it doesn’t feel like it.’ – Hazlett
Recorded in an off-grid cabin in the middle of Scandinavian nowhere, the first part of Goodbye to the Valley Low was released late last year. It’s a stripped-back collection of delicate indie-folk songs brimming with personal anecdotes told through Hazlett’s polished introspective songwriting, and produced by longtime collaborator Freddy Alexander. It resonated with listeners everywhere and Hazlett was soon inspired to revisit the cabin, knowing there was more to explore. This new EP completes this project, six brand new songs, which together with the first EP, makes one cohesive album. The songs are once again exquisitely layered, the musicality is rich, the tracks are timeless and Hazlett’s hushed vocals enthral across the 6 tracks. Out October 4th, vinyl fans will also be able to purchase Goodbye to the Valley Low on vinyl in its final form as a 12-track album.
‘Truth be told there was never meant to be a Side B to Goodbye to the Valley Low, but the more that I tried moving on from it the more I kept getting pulled back,’ Hazlett explains. ‘I think being out there in the cabin brought out a lot of initial feelings that I worked through and then after that I was left with all these half thoughts and feelings that needed a little more work to figure out. Which might be why it sounds a little bit darker at times. If Side A was the curiosity of the cabin then Side B is working through all the questions that it left behind.’
2023 was a busy year for Hazlett, as he released his debut album Bloom Mountain to positive support from the likes of The Line of Best Fit and Atwood Magazine, having previously received acclaim from CLASH, NME and When The Horn Blows. Going on to support Wild Rivers and Josiah & The Bonnevilles across the UK and Europe, he ended the year by releasing EP Goodbye to the Valley Low. This year is also shaping up to be a monumental one for the artist – with new music out and having opened shows for LANY, Calum Scott, Passenger and Ocie Elliott, Hazlett will be embarking on a lengthy run of headline shows across North America (as well a a stint supporting John Vincent III), the UK and Europe, some of which are already sold out. More details below.
Hazlett was born and raised in Australia but if the past few years are anything to go by, he’s very much bloomed in Sweden. An old friend, one big break-up and playing Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall’ three times a night was the unplanned cocktail of moments that saw him throw adulthood to the wayside and venture to the other side of the world. Everything crystallised in Stockholm after finding the fabled collaborator chemistry in now close friend Freddy Alexander. A lot has changed since then and what started as a way for him to “figure out some things in his head…” has now become a whole world of music and beautiful details to move through.
Even though the nerves never quite go away, there’s this newfound quiet confidence to the troubadour from down under. You may not have met, but sometimes when you’re listening to Hazlett, he feels like the only friend you’ve ever had.
‘Do You Haunt Me’ is out today. Listen here.
The second part of ‘Goodbye to the Valley Low’ EP is out October 4th.
‘Goodbye to the Valley Low’ Vinyl album also out October 4th.
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My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago
