Irresistibly intimate and stunningly vulnerable, Hayden Everett’s sophomore EP ‘Kennecott’ is an awe-inspiring work of beauty, passion, pain, and presence.
for fans of Novo Amor, Dustin Tebbutt, Hayden Calnin
Stream: “Still” – Hayden Everett
What are our goals for this life; who are we now, and who are we trying to become? Why are we here? The big questions don’t often get concrete answers, so instead of writing , singer/songwriter Hayden Everett explored them through music. In doing so, he found a special kind of catharsis – one that resonates for artist and listener alike. Irresistibly intimate and stunningly vulnerable, Hayden Everett’s sophomore EP is an awe-inspiring work of beauty, passion, pain, and presence: A deep-diving plunge into life, nature, and the self, the haunting Kennecott EP lights an unforgettable fire through warm, heated performances of chilling glacial indie folk.
It’s a stirring, cinematic five-song endeavor to appreciate the little things and live in the moment – and while the work is never over, Everett seems to accomplish – or at the very least, establish – his goals with humility and an admirable degree of grace.
I will move and forget it happened
I will talk just a little more
They all go until they’re laughing
Highest bet in the bidding war
So wait up; we’re made to pause
With all the gain comes heavy loss
I’ll sit and see and stop to breathe
I hear, I’m here, so still I’ll be
If I am still
I can’t avoid the things that I conceal
If I am still
I can’t deny the weight, oh I can feel again
I’m still here
– “Still,” Hayden Everett
Independently released May 28, 2021, Hayden Everett’s sophomore extended player Kennecott arrives on the heels of a string of beautiful, compelling singles that showcase the very best of this fast-rising singer/songwriter. Formerly from the Bay Area and now based in San Diego, Everett mixes cool licks and buoyant melodies into an ambient and moody landscape. He subtly, effortlessly marries together the folk and pop worlds with delicate, fine-tuned finesse.
In premiering Everett’s 2019 debut single “Color,” Atwood Magazine praised the artist for tapping into the current strain of indie pop while also maintaining a certain timeless sonic quality: “His sounds evoke a well-developed balance of emotions ranging from joy and celebration, to nostalgia, doubt, wonder, and hope. In his first step up into the world, Everett makes a powerful self-reflective statement recognizing and reassessing his values.” Everett’s self-titled EP Hayden Everett, released September 2019, has racked up well over one million combined streams, and remains a worthwhile listen for fans of Novo Amor, Dustin Tebbutt, Volcano Choir, Bon Iver, Hayden Calnin, and so on.
Waiting till the money’s up
I’m telling you there’s not enough
It’s easier to let you down
With the last I took, is the last time I’ll come around
Wait until you settle in
I’m telling you you’re lookin’ thin
If Kennecott is drying out
Then the last you look, is the last that is ever found
Seems like a good time to tell you
You’re betting on a better stay
Seems like a good time to sell you out
I’m all outta change
– “Kennecott,” Hayden Everett
Two years later, Everett remains a musical force.
In reviewing the EP’s title track this past February, Atwood praised the artist a song that is as fragile and ethereal as it is rooted in the ground: “A serene and tender wash of wintry indie folk wonder, ‘Kennecott’ is as stirring as it is heartwarming…. a lush reminder of nature’s purity and beauty.”
The tip of this EP’s iceberg, “Kennecott” sets the stage for the gorgeous emotions and sonics of “Resolve,” “Still,” “Honeycomb,” and “By the End” – each of which captures a little more of the artist’s human essence with a spark of sweet, melodic magnificence. Everett makes every second worth savoring, which is a testament to both his vocal performance as well as his evocative instrumental work. Whether whispering hot on the mic, as he does on “Resolve,” or pouring himself out as he does on “Honeycomb”; whether it’s the glistening guitars and strings that rise and fall on “Still,” or the smoldering chords and subtle trumpets that glide the EP to its hushed close on “By the End,” Kennecott holds our attention and amazement throughout.
It’s an especially important project for Everett himself. “This project is centered around the concept of presence,” he tells Atwood Magazine. It started with frustration about my own inability to be fully present, and became about how I (and you) can be more aware of the beauty that surrounds us.”
He continues, “This EP is about being present in nature and on Earth; it’s about allowing awe and wonder to compel us to protect that beauty. It’s about pausing the constant movement and ladder climbing to be still; those moments are the most precious in the end. The Kennecott EP is about being present in sadness and pain rather than suppressing it. Ultimately, this project is the most vital to-do list I’ll ever write. At the end of my life, I deeply hope I can say that I embraced this to-do list, ‘adoring the weight of each moment.’”
Let me take in beauty
May my eyes never adjust
If I lose the lens of wonder
Then in my sight I cannot trust
Will my eyes always deceive me
If I climb the tallest one
Will my mind ever believe me
I want to know the rareness all is from
Where did all the feeling go
Nothing is the common note
Resolve it
Oh, resolve it
Am I ever gonna get it back
Call time do I gotta act
Resolve it, resolve it
– “Resolve,” Hayden Everett
Introspective and enthralling, Kennecott sets Hayden Everett apart as a singular indie folk singer/songwriter – one to watch today, tomorrow, and forever more. Experience the full record via our below stream, and peek inside Hayden Everett’s Kennecott EP with Atwood Magazine as the artist goes track-by-track through the music and lyrics of his latest release!
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:: stream/purchase Kennecott here ::
Stream: ‘Kennecott’ – Hayden Everett
:: Inside Kennecott ::
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KENNECOTT
Kennecott serves as the central story and metaphor for the EP. I wrote “Kennecott” from the perspective of an Alaskan copper mining town that was abandoned in the 1930s. The song acts as a letter to the miners who failed to protect and appreciate the natural beauty around them. This story encapsulates the message of the project—to be present in the awe of nature rather than exploit it. There’s so much more to find than wealth.
RESOLVE
Resolve was the first one I wrote and the song that started this project. I was sitting alone on a cliff along the Northern California coast, staring at a spectacular sunset over the Pacific Ocean. I felt almost nothing and that alarmed me. Logically, I knew that what I was looking at should make me feel alive and invigorated, but I just couldn’t access that emotion and awe. I had my guitar and journal with me, and I wrote Resolve then and there about my frustration with apathy and lack of wonder. We’re constantly surrounded by beauty, and it’s such a tragedy that we’re desensitized.
STILL
Still addresses the how of learning to be more fully present. The most precious moments to me are when I pause the constant movement, ambition, and routine to just breathe and be still. Stillness allows me to feel gratitude, and it also unearths pain and sadness that I suppress. Stillness brings perspective. It compels me to avoid aimless movement; it compels me towards intentional movement and activism for urgent causes. Most importantly, being still reminds me that I’m still here on Earth.
HONEYCOMB (FT. ADAM CARPENTER)
Honeycomb is about being present in loss. I used to look at pain and suffering as purely negative. Yet without pain, there is no empathy, which I believe is our deepest point of human connection. This song is about avoiding grief, but it’s ultimately about the realization that moving on just means learning to live with the sadness.
BY THE END
The final song on this record is very intentionally placed. I wrote this one with an amazing Canadian artist named Luca Fogale, and we attempted to capture what we hope we can say at the end of our lives. I deeply hope I can look back and know that I fully lived out the sentiments of Kennecott, Resolve, Still, and Honeycomb. I hope I can say that I gave away all the love I was capable of giving. By the end, I want to know with confidence that I was present with those around me and that I absorbed the beauty that surrounded me.
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:: stream/purchase Kennecott here ::
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Stream: “Kennecott” – Hayden Everett
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