Hayley Jane — 4 December 2019 on Rocket Shop Radio Hour
Hayley Jane joined guest host Bob Colquhoun and Corrie Lyndes on ‘Rocket Shop‘, Big Heavy World’s weekly local Vermont music radio hour on 105.9FM The Radiator. Catch up with her at facebook.com/hayleyjanemusic.
On Wednesday, December 4, Haley Jane narrated a musical journey to the Rocket Shop crew. A musical story-teller, Haley Jane layers her music with lyrics both emotional and raw, and evocative stories which have been described as theatrical and Vaudevillian.
Jane opened with her song, “Do Well.” A few hiccups dotted the performance, but we don’t judge. It’s difficult to criticize an unfinished song, especially when it comes from a personal place. The song explores themes of self-love and personal growth.
One line in particular rang out above the rest: “I don’t know who I am without a man, bottle, or band.” If you’ve followed Haley Jane’s story, you may understand this line. If not, it’s worth recounting Jane’s backstory: Jane recently left her partners, The Primates, to venture on her own, leaving behind cirrhosic levels of alcohol, too.
Jane holds no grudges against the band, and recalls their journeys fondly, but she needed a change. “The band deserved better,” she says. She needed time to work on herself: escape the bottle and develop her own voice.
“We were going but we weren’t growing,” says Jane. The band suffered trial and tribulation and tempest, but never stopped touring since their founding in 2007. They moved up festival ladders, but failed to evolve as a band.
With The Primates, Jane performed to make people dance. Now, on her own, Jane plays to make people think. We think she’s transitioning well.
Jane’s covered Towns van Zandt song, “I’ll Be Here in the Morning,” to bridge her performance. Jane learned the song while isolated in a cabin for four days without internet, a phone, or interaction with others.
This is unusual for Jane, who regularly performs for an audience. Jane’s musical path began with musical theater at the age of eleven. Her past influences her music immensely, demonstrated in songs like “Heart House,” which blend spoken words and songs with her naturally bellowing theater-voice.
Jane eventually added the guitar to her repertoire, and found inspiration in artists like Alanis Morrisette and Sean Cole. By the age of nineteen, Jane embarked on her musical career, traveling to Boston to perform as the front person for ska and reggae groups. From there she joined the American Repertory Theater, back-up sang for Alice Cooper, and eventually joined The Primates to form Haley Jane and The Primates.
“Colorado” was the penultimate song. About distant and unrequited love, the song follows the story of an east coast woman in love with a rocky mountain man. Jane draws from her deep well of personal experiences for this one, as the song mimics her own story of a distant crush who serendipitously stumbled back into her life.
“The more honest you write, the more people will relate to your music,” says Jane.
Jane is currently sharing her music and touring with her stage production, titled Yes Darling, which she co-wrote with friend Ryan Montbleau. The first showing is at the Double E in Essex on December 7, and has plans to travel as far as Washington D.C., and a healthy number of stops around the New York City area. Check out Yes Darling’s Facebook page for the full list of locations.
Once again Jane draws from real experiences. Years ago she brought a backstage fight on stage, and was surprised by how much the audience loved it. They thought the anger and frustration was all part of the performance. When Jane’s emotions had settled, she realized the drama of the moment, and discovered a new muse.
The play blends the real world and the fictional, and theater and music, as the narrative follows two performers caught in a complicated relationship. The show begins “backstage” with an argument, but the two lead characters, played by Haley and Ryan, must drop the fight and put on masks as the fictional curtain drops and the two must perform for the audience. Expect fourth wall breaks, clever storytelling, and everything else Jane is known for.
Not only does Haley Jane have a touring play, but she also has plans for an album this coming April! Jane reveals a few tidbits about the album on the podcast, but otherwise details are still fuzzy.
Jane ended the evening with her song “Heart House,” a song to bring together every aspect of her music, from theater, to stories, to clever lyrics, to personal experiences.
We have little more to say about Haley Jane, other than you NEED to listen to her music and you should keep an eye on her trajectory. If the past is any indication, the future holds nothing but opportunity and adventure. We’re excited to see what comes next.
Text by Luke Vidic.
Photo by James Lockridge.
