Founded amid the COVID-19 pandemic, EIGHT THOUSAND BIRDS is an alt-pop duo that has never met IRL. Formed in 2021, when Vancouver-based musician Alejandro Zarazua met Johannesburg-based vocalist Hayley Chewins on an online music forum, the two were soon collaborating and creating music virtually. The result, their debut EP Turn Again and Come Back, is now set for release on February 14th. ‘Blue House’ is the first single to be released from the EP with the track showcasing what EIGHT THOUSAND BIRDS does best, blending personal lyrics and lush eerie melodies. Since EIGHT THOUSAND BIRDS is 100% a long distance music project, the duo admits that there are some challenges that come with creating music with a partner that is on a completely different continent. But despite the obstacles, they decided to forge ahead and create an EP together.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hey EIGHT THOUSAND BIRDS, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Alejandro: Listening to some songs and artists for the first time made me feel something I hadn't felt before. And music helped me to connect with people in a way that wouldn't have been possible without it. I guess I wanted (want) more of that.
Hayley: Honestly, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t into music. My private universe has always been filled with it, and singing has always been the way I process the world.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
Alejandro: Games (board, video, mind, etc.), cooking, and more.
Hayley: I love writing, reading, yoga and hiking. And cuddling my dog.
Your latest song is 'Blue House'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
Alejandro: I think everything about our work is a little unusual (how we met, our long-distance process, etc.), but this song in particular had a little bit of everything -- Hayley recorded her vocals in different spaces (bathroom, foyer, etc.), both of our spouses became unplanned guest musicians and helped with different elements, etc. And I think that all this gave our music a very special character in the end.
Hayley: The strangest thing about this song for me was that it started out as an idea for a novel before I realised it was a song – that’s never happened to me before. Also, the lyrics just poured out of me in one go. (Usually it takes me some time to figure out the arc of a song and get the words right.)
Can you reveal the recipe for a musical hit?
Alejandro: I will if we ever have one! ;) Seriously though, as much as there seems to be a formula for everything, in the end no one can say for sure what works and what doesn't -- and I love that. Trying to come up with a recipe is basically copying what someone else did before, but it won't have the same results for you. For me (and I think, for us), it's about trying to say the most meaningful things in the most interesting ways. If my heart feels warm and my brain tickles, I know we made a good song. And if it turns out that more people feel the same way, then I'll know we made a great song.
Hayley: The only metric I have is: do I love this song? If I love it, if I want to keep singing it, if it keeps speaking to me, then I know I have something good. I really believe you can’t control how the world receives your art. So I just focus on my relationship with it and how it feels to me.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as an artist?
Alejandro: Always learning as much as I can from as many people as possible. Making this EP with Hayley has been a huge learning experience, and I think we've seen each other grow a lot this past year -- from writing to singing, recording, producing, working on visual content, sharing with others, promoting our work, and more... I think that the most important thing we are doing is just being there to help and push one another.
Hayley: I don’t think you have to force growth or learning as an artist. As long as I’m open, as long as I’m spending time with my craft, as long as I’m exploring and allowing space for the magic, growth and learning are inevitable. Making music with Alejandro has been a beautiful learning experience for me. The biggest thing he’s taught me is gentleness -- with the creative process and with myself.
What inspires you as an artist? Could it be the sea, the weather or something else?
Alejandro: Most of all, people. Personally, I have felt so inspired by Hayley's songs, what she has to say and how she chooses to express it, that it has driven me to try to make my part just as good. And I've felt the same when working with other people -- what they think and do inspires me to try to be better.
Hayley: So many things. The birds in my garden. Walking in my city. Books. Listening to music. The sounds in my neighbourhood. The sky. The world is so beautiful. That’s what inspires me.
How do you spend your free time? What makes you feel relaxed?
Alejandro: See above -- mostly playing games and cooking/eating with my wife! When I want to relax, I take a walk, do some exercise, or lie on the floor in silence or with some music... Bam. Relaxed.
Hayley: Going for long walks with my husband and dog, reading (right now I’m reading the new Hanya Yanagihara), dancing around the living room to Taylor Swift, watching movies, getting up before sunrise to soak in the quiet…
Do you have a mentor or coach?
Alejandro: Do you know 'Siddhartha' by Hermann Hesse? A part of me resonated when I read it. I guess the best answer I have is 'everyone and no one'.
Hayley: I have so many! My husband. My therapist. My sister. Books, poems, songs. They’re all guiding lights.
Do you think it's easy to become established in the music world, or is it difficult?
Alejandro: According to a guy I saw on Instagram, it's super easy! I sent him some money yesterday, so the hundreds of thousands of real, organic followers should start coming in tomorrow. Subscribe to our channel to see what happens!
Hayley: I haven’t spent much time thinking about that. Right now, I’m focusing on the process of making music – the thrill and the magic of it, the craft of it, the joy. That’s what matters to me.
What accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next five to 10 years?
Alejandro: I think that finishing this EP has been a huge challenge and a big accomplishment for us in terms of songwriting/production, but also as music professionals in a broader sense (organization, project management, promotion, etc.). The next challenge is to figure out how this can open some doors for us to keep doing what we love. In 5 years, I basically want to know that I have been doing much more of this, reaching more people, and hopefully sharing with some of them the idea that trying your absolute hardest is the challenge and the accomplishment in itself -- and life kind of just falls in place around it.
Hayley: I don’t really think of making music in terms of accomplishments. I just want to keep doing it, keep the channel open. I’ve always been the kind of person who tried really hard – making goals, striving to be the best, etc., – but I’m starting to shift away from that. The way I see it, the goal of life is simply to be who you are. The goal of making music is to make music. As long as I’m doing that, I’m winning.