Last week Australian dream pop singer/songwriter Hatchie released her sophomore LP, Giving The World Away, courtesy of Secretly Canadian (Cherry Glazerr, Faye Webster, Skullcrusher). Although the album follows-up 2019’s Keepsake, Hatchie has said it feels like a restart of sorts. Without losing any of the charm of Keepsake or 2018 EP Sugar & Spice, Giving The World Away sees her getting much bigger, with a sound that inspired The FADER to write, “it’s shoegaze, it’s rave, it’s late ’90s mall-pop all at once, and it makes the combination seem completely natural.” Next week Hatchie kicks off her US tour in support of the album, which will have her headlining The Foundry at The Fillmore on Thursday, May 5th. I recently got a chance to chat with her about her latest sounds and just what you can expect of the evening.
Izzy: You have a brand-new album, Giving The World Away, and you’ve been dropping singles from it for a while now. Have you had any favourite responses to the new music so far?
Hatchie: It’s honestly been such a fun whirlwind of a release that I couldn’t name any favourite responses. I’m just so glad everyone is really open to me exploring new sounds and growing with me, because sometimes fans aren’t that receptive to change.
Izzy: How do you feel like it compares to previous releases, both in terms of sound and the process of writing and recording it? I know you’ve said that, in some ways, it felt like starting from scratch.
Hatchie: I would say it is more mature and well thought out than my previous releases. It was a result of a lot of deep contemplation and self-reflection during the transition from touring non-stop for a few years to being locked in my house for a few months during the start of the pandemic. I was able to really pull apart all of the tracks and question why I did things a certain way. I also collaborated more on this one throughout the writing, recording and production process because I wanted each song to be the absolute best version of itself. I worked at home with Joe Agius and over email and calls with Jorge Elbrecht and James Barone in Denver to make sure everything was thoughtfully considered and fleshed out. I just wanted this record to sound really big and fit for a live setting, so that was a main focus.
Izzy: Speaking of Jorge Elbrecht, he has worked on a lot of really great records. How was working with him? What do you feel like he brought to your sound?
Hatchie: Jorge is the best, he is such a professional but also super laid back and fun. He works quicker than anyone I’ve worked with before and is really knowledgeable. He loves really specific ‘80s sounds and melodies that he helped us fill this album with.
Izzy: I really love your recent music videos (especially “This Enchanted”), which remind me of the golden age of music videos, in the early-mid ‘90s. What is it that inspires the visual elements of your work? Or is it different for every video?
Hatchie: It’s different for every video. Joe has directed and edited all of my videos except for “Quicksand,” which he co-produced, so that has a lot to do with why they are so visually cohesive. We get a lot of inspiration from videos by artists like U2, Savage Garden, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, PJ Harvey, and other artists from the late last century with really specific and effective visuals. We love to incorporate lots of movement and colours that help tell a story without a specific storyline, because I really don’t want to have to act out something like a romantic story.
Izzy: On a related note, you have an amazing sense of style. What does that draw inspiration from, if that’s even something you think about? Do you have any style icons?
Hatchie: I love fashion so much but I mostly just watch from the sidelines and keep my personal style pretty simple, other than for videos. I was really lucky to work with my friend and stylist Lindsey Hartman for the “Quicksand” video. We drew a lot of inspo from old music videos as well as ‘90s editorial and runway styling, which are always two big references for me. Lately I’ve been loving asymmetry and deconstructive pieces, but I also love ‘60s mod, softened cyberpunk, and 2000s party girl themes. I’m always a huge fan of ‘90s Kylie Minogue, Kate Moss, and PJ Harvey, and lately I’ve been noticing Zoe Kravitz, Caillin Russo, Gabi Bechtel for making simple pieces stand out with interesting styling.
Izzy: You recently signed to Secretly Canadian, which is one of my favourite labels. How is it being part of that family? Not to play favourites, but do you have any labelmates with whom you’re particularly close or of whom you’re a particularly big fan? I’m a massive fan of Faye Webster.
Hatchie: It’s so nice! I’m not close with anyone on the roster but I particularly love everything Cherry Glazerr has been doing over the past few years!
Izzy: I love asking artists about their favourite albums. So, what are some of your favourite albums, whether things you grew up loving or just things you’ve really been digging recently?
Hatchie: I don’t have favourites either. Last year I got really obsessed with Magdalena Bay‘s new album, and I love the latest albums from Charli XCX and Confidence Man.
Izzy: You’re about to kick off close to a month of US dates. Are there any shows you’re especially excited for, whether places where you’ve played especially good shows or just places you like getting to see?
Hatchie: Well, the very first show in Washington D.C. is on my birthday, so that’s a big one! I also particularly love visiting Portland and Seattle.
Izzy: I know you’re bringing along Caroline Loveglow as support, of whom I’m also a fan. How did the two of you link up? Are you excited to have her as a tourmate?
Hatchie: I heard her music through following her label and labelmates online and was instantly a fan, so I’m really keen to see her every night on tour.
Izzy: What can be expected of the live show when you play The Foundry in the very near future? I haven’t seen you since you toured with Alvvays and Snail Mail in 2018.
Hatchie: We have a proper light show involved this time around and sooo many new songs!
*Get your tickets here.
