“Something to soundtrack both new love and broken hearts” triple j
“Hazlett’s potent delivery is haunting yet simultaneously comforting.” EARMILK
“Hazlett utilises music as therapy, both a vessel for his thoughts and a means to broadcast them.” CLASH MAGAZINE
Writing and performing music is a form of therapy for Australian native Hazlett. His modus operandi: finding beauty in the banalities of modern life.
The self-proclaimed overthinker is ready to step out of the shadows, having journeyed far from home in Brisbane to find creativity in Stockholm, Sweden. His Thundering Hopes EP out today is a follow up from the artist’s first staple break-up EP Honey, Where Is My Home.
Exploring the journey of acceptance, Hazlett tells us: “It’s about those moments when you move on and feel normal again. The times when you live a little reckless. The way you bury certain feelings to protect yourself. Nights when you wonder if it’s okay to be selfish and mornings when you notice nothing’s a waste of time. It’s a collection of stories about fumbling your way to feeling good again and how living’s never perfect, but you can make it pretty.”
The singer-songwriter has already captured an impressive list of credits, having received support from the likes of NME, EARMILK, Clash Magazine, and When The Horn Blows, which described his soundscape as ‘danceable uplifting melodies that feel like inhaling that first blast of fresh air when you’ve been underwater for too long.’ Last year, Hazlett appeared on Australia’s triple jUnearthed as a featured artist.
Hazlett’s lyrics naturally often deal with transition and moments of clarity. Opener ‘Fireworks’ is the heartbreak song of the record, although he tells us “it’s more a realisation that you can’t make someone love you and if you need to can you really call that love.” Elsewhere on the record, ‘Karaoke’ is about being there when your friends need you – in this case while on a night out with Lindsay Lohan in NYC that got out of hand – “when that happens I have a paternal instinct that kicks in, I get a one track mind for making sure nothing happens to my friends.”
After writing songs and playing in various rhythm sections for most of his formative years, Hazlett has been able to perfect his own artistry. Teaming up with producer Freddy Alexander, Hazlett combines the heart and grit of the songwriters of old with an open-minded nature that takes in a plethora of modern pop influences. He is certainly one to watch out for this year.
