Creative Conversation 002: Hauskey Dissects His Debut
Interview by Luke Byatt.
Hauskey’s debut ‘Slow’ was a long time in the making. The Sydney based producer, writer and vocalist has been a fundamental force behind the scenes for a number of writing and production credits to his name. ‘Slow’ is a culmination of Hauskey’s skills packaged into a lush and grooving package. We caught up with the ascending act to dissect his debut and more.
Futuremag Music: Hey Hauskey, how're you doing?
Hauskey: Just grand thank you, how are you?
Futuremag Music: Good thanks, congratulations on the release of 'Slow', it's a phenomenal debut release! Before we jump into it, could you talk us through your experience with music and how you developed the Hauskey project?
Hauskey: As a kid I thought artists did everything themselves; writing, recording, mixing, etc. So I figured I had to learn how to do all of those things. It’s been a constant evolution of working out how to write better songs / lyrics, learning instruments, trying to merge all the different types of music that I love, and then painfully getting all the technical stuff up to a standard. It’s not an easy road, and I’m still learning, but it’s nice to have something that is 100% "me" out in the world.
Futuremag Music: Turning to 'Slow', how does writing and producing for yourself differ from working for other acts such as KIAN, Angie McMahon, Fergus James, Ecca Vandal, Eliott, or Yorke?
Hauskey: I love writing with others, but sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what an artist’s vision is for a song. When it’s just me, I can continually refer to my own personal “taste” and that helps inform every seemingly minor decision, even down to how I might sing a particular word, or where I place it rhythmically.
Futuremag Music: What are some aspects of the single you'd like to highlight?
Hauskey: I did it all in my bedroom, in a crappy share house in Newtown. It blows my mind that you can do that these days. I was feeling pretty frustrated with writing at the time, and had just had a bit of an argument with my partner. I grabbed my guitar, and more or less that chorus hook was the first thing I sang (minus any decent lyrics). Instead of writing songs, I really should have been taking out the bins.
Futuremag Music: To wrap it up if Hauskey was a cocktail, what would be in it to best describe the project?
Hauskey: Slightly sweet, slightly sour. Gin based? With a tiny umbrella.