Q&A: Hailey Picardi Prepares to Release Her Debut EP, ‘scars to prove it’ With a Shattering New Single “hide and seek”

MusicQ&A

May 13

INTERVIEW

HAILEY PICARDI INTRODUCED LISTENERS TO HER HEARTFELT VOCALS— intricate storytelling and whimsical lyricism from her first single “car crash” released late last year. With more releases following soon thereafter, she has only proven to have a strong grasp on her sound and how she can translate her personal experiences and emotions into tracks that don’t just pull you in, but keep you coming back and wanting to know more.

As Picardi continues to hone her craft one delicate note and lyric at a time, she not only encourages listeners to reflect and learn from their own experiences, but to break down any walls around intimacy and vulnerability. She doesn’t hesitate to voice her faults and insecurities, inviting listeners to do the same: “You are a double edged sword/you’re the poison, the cure/you’re the enemy and the ally in this war/I keep wanting more ‘cause/I’m not even sure that I know who I am without you anymore.”

With her latest single, “hide and seek,” she captures the unique phenomenon of feeling trapped by a person you want to escape, but can’t, no matter how hard you want or try to start over: “I could buy a boat sail off into the sea/build a home in a foreign country/but you’ve memorized the places that I’ll be/when you and I are playing hide and seek.”

On “hide and seek,” Picardi blends synth instrumentals, earthy guitar and dreamy vocals, creating a layered and dynamic sonic palette that goes hand-in-hand with the push and pull of the relationship she constantly circles in and out of. Her intimate vocals are gentle, creating an alluring contrast with the powerful instrumentals that swell in each chorus, like waves crashing onto the soft sand at a beach.

Luna had the pleasure of chatting with Picardi about the emotional journey of creating “hide and seek” and the cathartic freedom of releasing her debut EP “scars to prove it.”

LUNA: Huge congratulations on your latest release “hide and seek!” The song captures the feeling of not being able to “escape” someone you are or used to be in love with. Can you tell us a bit about the process of bringing the song to life? How did the song evolve from beginning to end?

PICARDI: Thank you so much! Surprisingly enough, the chorus melody came first with this song. I was driving one day when it hit me. I fell in love with it and started brainstorming a concept and lyrics that would correspond. Later that night the phrase “you’ve memorized the places that I’ll be when you and I are playing hide and seek” popped into my head and the rest of the song started building out from there. I loved the imagery of me hypothetically sailing all the way to a foreign country and still feeling like that one person will find me. I wanted the song to feel playful with an inevitable aspect. One line I incorporated to reflect that is “but once you find me the game is over, and I can run but only so far.”

LUNA: I have been so lucky to have been following your growth as an artist over the past few months. Your lyricism is what draws me into your music, while the instrumentals are captivating and distinct to your sound. What is your songwriting process like and how has it evolved over time and shaped you as an artist?

PICARDI: I love when people appreciate the craft of songwriting! The process definitely depends. I’m definitely a chorus-first writer. Sometimes I’ll begin with an inspiring concept that leads me to pick up my guitar and search for chords that reflect the emotion I want to convey. Sometimes I’ll grab my guitar with no specific concept or direction and see where it takes me. However, I think my favorite method is beginning with a captivating song title and finding the melody that naturally follows.

LUNA: How did you first get into music and what or who were some of your early inspirations? I would love to know, in particular, who has inspired your lyricism!

PICARDI: I discovered Taylor Swift in first grade. I vividly remember a family member suggesting that Taylor’s music was for an older audience, but I disagreed and kept on listening because her visual storytelling was fascinating to me. In first grade I tried writing my very first song with my ukulele but was unsuccessful due to my lack of life experience to pull from. It wasn’t until 7th grade that I felt truly inspired to write about my own life experiences.

Billie Eilish’s new song “listen before i go” made me feel so seen due to her expression of suicidal ideation. I had been suffering from depression for years and I realized I could write about it like she did. I love writing about pain. I connect to nothing in life like I do the ache of it all. Whether that be nostalgia, yearning, depression, heartbreak etc.—I'm just in love with the depth and room for exploration that these themes hold. folklore and evermore by Taylor Swift are the two albums where lyricism inspires me the most.

LUNA: What is the earliest memory you have of music, whether that be listening to music or creating music for the first time? How do you think this moment continues to inspire you?

PICARDI: I performed “Hey, Soul Sister” for the talent show in kindergarten with my best friend. I sang while she hula hooped. I remember the comfortability I felt on stage. It felt like home. I also remember hearing “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye on the radio at that age and it became my favorite song. It took me to another universe and that’s something I’ve always looked for in music.

LUNA: What is your favorite thing about being an artist? What is your favorite part of the music-making process?

PICARDI: The freedom. I like to say I almost don’t live in reality. I don’t settle for it. I don’t fit into the box that the man who came before me designed and I don’t think most people do either. Art is my way of evading the chains of society and living in accordance to my soul. Music is my portal to the world that I’ve always yearned for and found a home in.

LUNA: All of your music releases thus far, “hide and seek” included, are very personal stories of love and heartbreak. What thoughts and emotions go through your head when you release music? Are you scared, happy, relieved, or a combination of things?

PICARDI: For some reason I’ve never been scared to share my story. My story may be personal, but I believe it was given to me to share. I’ve always thought to myself, “Who am I to shy away from speaking about the things that other people also feel? Who am I to contribute to the narrative that we should suffer in silence?” I feel overwhelmingly grateful to be able to speak knowing someone is listening. Releasing a song for me feels like coming up for air after you’ve been holding your breath under water. I’ve gone through something emotionally compelling and now I get to voice it.

LUNA: Do you ever feel the need to step away and be outside of that headspace? Can you tell us a bit about how you go about balancing those emotions?

PICARDI: I feel like I have to subtract my worth and happiness from numbers/streams and just let the art be what it is. If a song is meant to be major, it will be.

LUNA: You’re gearing up to release an EP later this month called scars to prove it, congratulations! Can you tell us a bit about how the EP process began and your experience writing and recording it?

PICARDI: For the past year, I’ve been building my sound as an artist and brainstorming what I want to say to my listeners as I’m coming off of the ground. Last August I was blessed to have found a producer that brings my music to life in a way that feels so authentic and natural. Since then, we have been recording these songs and bringing my visions into reality. Most of the songs on the EP were written by myself; others were a collaborative process. I have been through treacherous experiences in the past year or two—a few of which birthed the inspiration for my songs “car crash” and “double edged sword.” Other songs on the EP reflect a state of self awareness rather than the story being centered around another person.

LUNA: How many songs can we expect to hear on the EP? Can you tell us how you built the sonic structure and story of the EP?

PICARDI: There will be seven songs total—four of which are the singles I’ve released, three will be new. I feel like when you find the right producer, building the sonic world for each song is something that comes so much more naturally. There is one song I wrote on guitar knowing I would want the production to be much more synth-driven and energetic. The title “scars to prove it” actually came from one of the lyrics in this song where I talk about my distorted perception of love. I feel like that theme is displayed in all of the songs on the EP if you look for it.

LUNA: What was the most challenging aspect of writing and recording the EP? How will you take this challenge and use it to grow as an artist in future projects?

PICARDI: Some of the songs came together the first time recording, others took multiple stabs and sometimes weeks to truly get the vision right. For example, “double edged sword” went through many stages before it became what it is now. There is another song on the EP that I ended up having to re-record entirely because I liked the feeling of the song better in a lower key. As much as these were time consuming obstacles, one thing I’ve learned is to never settle for a version of a song that isn’t yet what it’s supposed to be. I can feel it in my bones when there’s a song that’s meant to be something bigger and better and it hasn’t had the chance to become that. Patience is so important.

LUNA: Did you ever experience any creative blocks throughout the process? If so, how do you navigate those situations and what do you do outside of music to feel inspired and creative?

PICARDI: Absolutely. I switched out one of the songs that was supposed to be on the EP initially because I felt like it wasn’t the best version it could be yet. Lyrically, melodically, and sonically I felt it didn’t reflect the emotion I wanted to convey. When I was trying to finish it I kept getting stuck so I put a pin in it. I decided to stop chasing it,but rather let it come to me when it was ready. In order to feel inspired and creative I try to take my mind off of the craft at times so I can draw new inspiration from experience.

LUNA: What is something new you learned about music, your writing process, and yourself while making the EP?

PICARDI: I learned that sometimes I never truly know if I like or emotionally connect to a song when I’m in the process of writing it until I let it breathe for a day. Even if I think I’m in love with this song, I can never really trust my feelings for it until I give it a moment and come back to it.

LUNA: How would you describe your music to someone listening for the first time?

PICARDI: Emotionally vulnerable lyricism and vocal performance. Not inherently sad or happy—most of the songs meet you where you’re at emotionally rather than pressing a certain feeling onto you. Organic but otherworldly elements. Some songs have very stripped instruments like guitar, others are more electronic and synth-driven.