Haley Heynderickx is a folk singer from Portland who has quietly begun to make a name for herself in the music world. After winning NPR’s Tiny Desk contest by submitting “The Bug Collector” — still my early fav off her forthcoming album — Heynderickx got another early boost of support from the site, who premiered her “Oom Sha La La” video late last fall.
Now, she’s slowly begun releasing singles off what will be her debut album, tenderly titled I Need To Start A Garden, which we named one of our most anticipated albums of 2018 early on. Mid-January, she officially announced the album’s release with “Untitled God Song,” and today she’s sharing another new song, “Worth It.”
The track starts off fairly slow and quiet, gradually building over the course of almost eight minutes into a barn-burner that bucks wild against being put in a box. It’s a perfect summary of Heynderickx’s songwriting strengths, as she deftly turns a cooing ballad into a towering, epic force, handling both sides of the spectrum — and everything in between — with grace.
“I was living in a house with six women at the time and attempting to pursue music as more than a bedroom act,” Heynderickx said of the song. “In this, I was struggling to find confidence and purpose in it. Writing “Worth It” was a cathartic release at the time, just allowing myself to take up space and make as much noise as I could in our basement without driving my roommates too crazy. After several weeks, this song got carved out. It has been through a lot and it means something new to me each time I hear it. (Unfortunately, not a Missy Elliot cover.)”
Check out her tour dates below and listen to the track above or below via Spotify.
02/09 — New York, NY @ Ad Hoc Presents at Berlin (25 Ave A)
03/01 — Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios with Vikesh Kapoor
03/12-18 — Austin, TX @ SxSW
03/21-25 — Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Festival
03/27 — Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar*
03/28 — St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway*
03/29 — Milwaukee, WI @ The Backroom at Colectivo Coffee*
03/30 — Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall*
03/31 — Minneapolis, MN @ Turf Club*
04/01 — Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon*
04/03 — Indianapolis, IN @ The Hi-Fi*
04/04 — Ann Arbor, MI @ The Ark*
04/05 — Toronto, ON @ Great Hall*
04/06 — Montreal, QC, CAN @ The Belmont*
04/07 — Kingston, NY @ BSP Lounge*
08/02-05 — Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon Music Festival
08/16-19 — Brecon Beacon, Wales @ Green Man Festival
* – with The Low Anthem
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I Need To Start A Garden is out 3/30 via Mama Bird Recording. Pre-order it here.
