HAYLA in Philadelphia: An Exclusive Interview, Portraits, and a Night at Underground Arts - August 13, 2026
Photos/Words - Mazie Wolf
Editor - Julia Hill
HAYLA is entering a new chapter. With DARK out and her biggest North American tour yet underway, she’s back on the road doing what she loves most: performing, traveling, and connecting with people through music.
Before her Philadelphia stop, I sat down to talk about what it’s like to perform some of her most vulnerable songs, how DARK came together, the music she’s been listening to lately, and where she wants to take her sound next. And, of course, we had to talk about her new favorite genre: “sad bitch music.”
“I Think It’s Just Sad Bitch Music…
the more I write, the more I realize how much we need it. Talking about the harder things sometimes can be the most important.”
Walking into Underground Arts on August 13th, I was nervous. I was about to sit down backstage for an exclusive interview, and after spending the days leading up to the show listening to her music and putting my questions together, meeting her felt a little surreal.
Then I met her, and I immediately felt comfortable.
HAYLA was so kind and welcoming, and the nerves I had walking in pretty much disappeared. We sat down and started talking about DARK, vulnerability, music, and what she wants to do next. It was an interview, but it didn't really feel like one. We bounced ideas off each other, laughed, and got to know each other a little. Getting to sit down with someone whose music I genuinely enjoy and have that kind of conversation with her was really special.
And yes, I did recommend Reading Terminal Market. The real ones know.
THE INTERVIEW
MAZIE: You just started your tour last week. How has it been?
HAYLA: It's been amazing. One of the most amazing things is that I'm getting to see some places I've never been to before, and also revisit some places. This is the first bus tour that I'm doing, and it's the largest North American tour that I'm doing so far. I hope there's more to come. But yeah, I've been loving it. It's been so cool to be back out on the road.
MAZIE: Your music explores a lot of vulnerability and emotional depth. How do you take care of yourself emotionally when you're constantly performing and revisiting those feelings onstage?
HAYLA: I think I'm very aware of the fact that if I overthink what I'm singing about, then it will “catch me out.” I've had moments before where I've almost choked on words because it's like, whew, you know?
But I'm quite good, I think, at connecting just enough to a point where it won't affect what I'm trying to sing about. I'm so connected to what I'm singing because it's exactly what's happened to me, but I think I'm able to go into a performance zone in a way, so it takes the edge off the emotion for me.
MAZIE: Many artists talk about the pressure of writing their second album because they had their whole lives to write their first. Did you feel pressure from the industry or yourself to exceed your previous work?
HAYLA: No, to all, actually, which is really nice to say. It wasn't something that we actually thought I was going to do, because I had suffered this loss and I really wasn't sure if I'd be in a writing zone, if I was able to do anything whatsoever. I had a bunch of writing sessions booked over a period of eight weeks. I had two songs written previously, maybe a year beforehand, which gave me the license to play a bit more musically, I think. But there was no remit; there was no pressure whatsoever. It was just going in to try and find the love of writing and the love of catharsis through music, really. I honestly think that if there was pressure applied, I don't think I would have probably ended up with an album so quickly. I maybe would have thought, “Oh, maybe people want to hear what I've done previously,” more kind of EDM-leaning. But yeah, it was just the most organic thing ever, really.
MAZIE: Your music moves between pop, soul, R&B and EDM influences. How would you describe the sound you're creating, and how has that evolved from where you started?
HAYLA: I think I've described my sound as sad bitch dance music in the past, but now I think it's just sad bitch music. My favorite mood is melancholy, apparently. I live in that. I do have a happy disposition, I think, but in my writing I always lean towards that because, truthfully, deep down, we're all looking for connection in music. The more I write, the more I realize how much we need it. Talking about the harder things sometimes can be the most important. But without trying, I think authentically, this just all kind of fell together. I think, all in all, I probably am—yeah, it's sad bitch music.
MAZIE: Own that.
HAYLA: Yeah, yeah.
MAZIE: No, seriously. That's your thing. And it can always evolve and change. Speaking of evolution, what do you think about the next chapter of HAYLA? What still feels like an unexplored dream for you?
HAYLA: I still want to just tour more places. I love traveling, and I think that the more I perform, the better I feel. I want to be able to spread that.
Like I said before, connection and togetherness—I think just to try and make people feel like they're not alone. If I can do that through music, and also together on the dance floor, we will, you know? I feel like DARK has changed me in a sense because whatever I move forward with after this, I think is always going to be infused with some elements of what I've put into DARK already.
I definitely want to go more cinematic. I'd love to use more orchestral works. I'd definitely love to play around with style and genre a little bit more because I love so much different music.
WHAT'S IN HAYLA'S HEADPHONES?
MAZIE: Okay, this is off the book, but what have you been listening to lately?
HAYLA: Deftones is one of my favorite bands. I listen to Deftones a lot. I've been listening to Broken Social Scene's new album.
I've also been listening to Title Fight, kind of a hardcore band, but really cool. I've been listening to loads of Blondshell. There's a song I've been listening to loads called “My Heart Has to Work So Hard.” It really feels quite nostalgic. I don't know. It feels like it's something that I should have heard when I was younger, but obviously it wasn't there then.
MAZIE: Do you listen to older music too? I know you mentioned your parents love Fleetwood Mac.
HAYLA: I just took my dad to go and watch the Eagles at the Sphere in Vegas. I love that old kind of music. James Taylor and stuff. I wanted to take my dad to go and see Paul Simon, actually. And Stevie Wonder—I went to go and see Stevie Wonder with my parents years ago.
MAZIE: He's one of the best artists ever.
HAYLA: One of the most amazing gigs I think I've ever been to in my entire life. I love a bit of Vivaldi. I love a bit of Miles Davis. Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald. I could go on.
FROM COACHELLA TO THE INTIMATE ROOM
MAZIE: You've performed at stages like Coachella and in front of huge crowds. Now you're playing a much more intimate room like Underground Arts. How does your relationship with the audience shift?
HAYLA: I think it's because they're here for me this time. Obviously, it's amazing to be a part of the collaborations that I've been a part of and be on the stages that I've been on with the artists that I've worked with. But the fact that people want to come and see me on my own truly means an immeasurable amount. I'm just so grateful that people would want to spend their evening here.
And I think, for me, whether it's a larger crowd or a smaller crowd, sometimes smaller crowds are actually a bit more... I feel like because it's more intimate, I can see everybody. So sometimes my stage fright beforehand is a little bit larger.
But my approach to performance and live shows is always kind of the same. I try not to overthink it. I think that's the key, regardless of whatever size the audience is.
But yeah, I think this rings a bit more deeply for me because people are actually deciding to come and see me.
MAZIE: Which is really nice.
HAYLA: Thank you, my love.
Before I knew it, the interview and the portraits were done, and I was back out in the venue with my camera, ready to actually watch the show.
Lizzy Jane opened the night, taking the stage to a crowd that was immediately ready to move. She greeted the audience, and the response was incredibly warm before she launched into her set. The music was vibey in exactly the right way. From the front row, I was dancing while trying to keep my camera steady enough to actually get the shots.
The lighting added to it, too. Lizzy kept moving, dancing and getting into the music, while the room shifted around her. It felt less like standing around waiting for the headliner and more like the night had already started.
Then, at exactly 10:05 p.m., the room changed.
HAYLA hit the stage.
The setup was minimal but futuristic, with a sleek stage design that fit the world of DARK perfectly. Her outfit was black, but it wasn't simple. There were so many layers and details to it that it felt almost impossible to take in all at once. Complex, which matched the music she was about to perform.
Before she came on, I had been talking to fans near the front of the stage. Some had seen HAYLA before. Some knew every lyric. These weren't people who had casually stumbled into a concert; they were there because they knew the music and wanted to be there for her.
And when she came out, we moved.
HAYLA has the kind of stage presence that makes you want to dance before you even realize you're doing it. Every movement felt intentional.
And then there was her voice.
Hearing HAYLA through headphones is one thing. Hearing that voice live, in a small room at Underground Arts, is completely different. She can easily move from vulnerability to full vocal power.
And maybe that is what stayed with me most about the night. I had already spent time with HAYLA before she stepped onstage. I had heard her talk about connection, vulnerability, performing emotional songs, and wanting to bring people together through sound. Then I watched her actually do it.
The interview gave me one version of HAYLA. The portrait session gave me another. But watching an entire room move with her gave me the clearest picture of all.
HAYLA's DARK era might live in melancholy, but onstage, she knows exactly what to do with it.
She makes you dance.
HAYLA moves on with her tour, stopping in Atlanta, multiple dates in Texas, and continuing west into September. Check out more here for info. You don’t want to miss it!
