Join Natalie as she sits down with rising pop sensation Haiden Henderson for an exclusive interview on 101 WIXX.
From his humble beginnings living out of his trunk to selling out venues across the country, Haiden shares the inspiration behind his viral hits and his unique blend of pop and rock. Get insights into his creative process, collaborations with artists like Sam Short, and his upcoming tour plans.
Transcript:
Natalie – 101 WIXX
Hey there. It’s Natalie. Today, I’m thrilled to be joined by the incredible artist who’s been lighting up stages from L.A. to New York with sold out shows and a string of viral hits. Haiden Henderson, thank you so much for being with us today.
Haiden Henderson
Thank you so much for having me. It’s good to meet you over the radio of all things.
Natalie – 101 WIXX
So, your music and real social media have a knack for going viral. Practically overnight. Take Hell of a Good Time, for example. It’s been an absolute sensation, already racking up 2 million plays. Can you delve into what you describe as your unique musical style and sound?
Haiden Henderson
Yeah, I think everything I do is just slightly self-deprecating and somebody coined the phrase during one of my writing sessions that I sound like a ‘one man boy band’. And I think that that sort of encapsulates what I do. And this song wraps all of that up into a buzz. So it’s kind of the rock and roll backbone behind it.
But then on top of it, it’s in my take on a glassy, sort of Britney Spears-esque pop vocal. And that’s kind of the two sides of my world with with everything that I do. It’s so interesting of a mix between pop and rock that I can think of.
Natalie – 101 WIXX
Well, right now, fusion between genres is so popular. You have rock and country, pop and country and what have you. So why not continue with rock and pop? And I feel like from listening to your music, you do that beautifully. … With your success, I know that you did the whole L.A. grind with living in your car.
And now that you’ve transitioned to, what I would say to, be one of the artists to watch in 2024, how do you think that grind has helped or hurt you in your music career or even writing thus far?
Haiden Henderson
Well, I love that everything so far has felt natural because it has purely been because of necessity. Like I was living in the back of my truck because I couldn’t afford rent, but I wanted to be in L.A. so I felt like that’s where I had to be. Even prior to picking up the guitar. And I was studying aerospace engineering in college and just making ends meet. I loved building things. And so I started playing guitar while living in the back of my truck. Just thought I was going to be a guitarist. Hence the rock side of things. And I had some medical condition with my hands growing up that came back from playing guitar. So I started writing songs because I woke up one morning and wasn’t able to open my hands.
So everything was purely based on necessity. I just wanted to keep chasing this, this very pure fulfillment that music has given me and having it come from that place, I think overall really keeps me focused on what I love about this. I haven’t really been caught up in all the other L.A. stuff.
Natalie – 101 WIXX
Absolutely. I have noticed that you, from just what I have seen in regards to interviews, how you interact with your fans. You do seem very genuine and I think there is such a difference with artists who come up from such a grind and hardship. I wouldn’t necessarily [say] hardship, but just that grind to get out there. And once you have that one viral hit, it can either hurt or help you.
And every single hit that you have, or, song that you have released has become a hit. And also last week you just released another song called Bleachers, which had over 100,000 plays. Now, what’s funny about this are the comments that I’m reading saying that it has that Camp Rock and High School Musical [feel]. And I have to admit, as a millennial, I can feel it and I’m obsessed with it.
Haiden Henderson
So true.
Natalie – 101 WIXX
But what I’m obsessed with more. And I hope that, you know, fans can agree with me on this is you’re so versatile because you go from Hell of a Good Time with this grungy pop rock to Bleachers with this more upbeat pop tempo. Can you tell us a little bit more of going into Bleachers and that single?
Haiden Henderson
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I mean, because I thought I was just going to be a guitarist and that’s where all of my songs start. They’re typically just written, you know, between me and a very few number of people that I like working with on a guitar. That is sort of the three thread for me. Besides it being me singing everything and writing it. But I think Hell of a Good Time had this kind of dark, promiscuous, mysterious energy around it that I wanted it to have because the girl that I was writing about reflected that, and Bleachers was something that I knew if I took too seriously, it would come off. I don’t know, kind of ‘douchey’, for lack of a better word.
The song is about me being down in the dumps, living in a 300 square foot apartment after living in the back of my truck and habitually drinking just to get through the day and stuff and swearing to this person that one day I will be the one that got away. One day I will be big. One day somebody will hear my music.
But it’s not right now. And that sort of underdog anthem was something that I felt tied my background into to what I’m doing now and I didn’t want to take it too seriously because I’m a self-deprecating person back, back to that. And so it has a playfulness to it. It is the perfect live song. There’s live interaction where I literally say, and the crowd will go, “na na na na na na na na na.”
And the fans go absolutely crazy for it! It’s it’s meant to be played in a room full of people. And it’s a really fun one.
Natalie – 101 WIXX
And that’s a full circle moment. So have you sent, the girl that you wrote this about, the song?
Haiden Henderson
She she only likes the videos on my on my socials that are promoting the songs. I think it is like a her subtle nod to being like, I know this is about me, but it’s okay. It’s cool.
Natalie – 101 WIXX
Well, hey, inspiration.
Haiden Henderson
At least I like to think that!
Natalie – 101 WIXX
Inspiration comes in all different forms, and I think it’s great that you can kind of not so much laugh at yourself, but just make such an experience so relatable to your fans. And basically anybody that listens to your track and going back, you said that you write and you have a very small group of people that you trust with your music journey.
I have seen on your social media. Sam Short, who’s one of my favorite artists at the time. I think she’s brilliant. And I’m wondering, would there ever be a collaboration between you two?
Haiden Henderson
Well, I wrote Bleachers with Sam and a lot of the songs that are coming out this year. This will be my first year of release, releasing music like once every 4 to 5 weeks, a very, very consistently and a large majority of the songs are actually written with her. She’s one of my best friends, and when we were really starting out, we started a company together just to fund our artistry like we’ve been through the thick and thin of it together.
So a collaboration is definitely possible. You’ve written songs as duets with each other just for fun, and I think it’s likely just a matter of time before it’s, you know, right time, right place, and we just pull the trigger on it.
Natalie – 101 WIXX
Absolutely. Well, that one I will absolutely be looking out for. Now, I heard that Muse is one of your music inspirations as well. And due to the fact that the Twilight movies and all of that, I have to ask, okay, are you Team Edward or are you Team Jacob?
Haiden Henderson
If you’re a Team Jacob, I have so many questions for you. It’s Team Edward all the way. Jacob is just like he… I can’t get over the fact that he wants to be with a baby by the end of it.
Natalie – 101 WIXX
The imprinting is not allowed! Haha.
Haiden Henderson
No, but Muse was definitely. I love the the Supermassive Black Hole track on the Twilight soundtrack. And I loved the way that they came in the verse with… [sings]. And it just sort of got like high falsetto thing. And I knew for a Hell of a Good Time. I wanted to start with that “she’s the devil” because of that, that feeling like when whatever a male singer comes in with that high note from the bat, I’m just I’m hooked immediately.
Natalie – 101 WIXX
And you know what, Haiden? It works like that sound for you just works. Not a lot of artists lately can really be so versatile. Everyone’s just looking for that one viral hit, and then that’s just their sound moving forward. Whereas correct me if I’m wrong with you, I feel like you’re kind of touching into different genres of music and it’s working for you, and I hope that you continue to just dive into that because as your music develops, I really believe that it’s just going to keep going better and better and hit after hit.
And so moving forward. What can your fans expect next for you and is there a tour coming up? What’s next for Haiden?
Haiden Henderson
Well, I just got off of a few shows with one of my other best friends named Emei, and we just played the Gramercy Theater in New York and the El Rey Theater in L.A. there were both sold out shows, and that was kind of where I premiered Bleachers live for the first time with the full band and everything.
And I am coming off the high of those shows because they were just insane. But playing live is my my favorite part of the job is what I got into this for. And so we’re exploring some more headline shows for myself. I started this year with a couple of headlines. My first two sold out headline shows, and we’re going to dip further into the middle of America and see where we feel fans are and do some more of my own shows.
Or I’ll be opening for an artist on a on a full national tour. And then I’ve got another song coming in June, actually, where we just dropped Bleachers four days ago and we’re not slowing down another four or five weeks and I’ll have another song out for the fans and it’s going to rinse and repeat.
Keep going.
Natalie – 101 WIXX
Are you able to share the title yet or are you keeping that under wraps?
Haiden Henderson
This is an exclusive. I’ve not told anybody this, but it is called K.O, like knockout.
Natalie – 101 WIXX
Honestly, I can’t wait to see your career go up and up and up from now. And I can tell you that the homies of the show, that’s what we call our listeners, they are gravitating to your music and I’m excited to keep you in rotation because like I said earlier, you are one of the artists to watch in 2024 and I wish you nothing but more success.
I hope you do come to the Midwest, especially if you hit up Summerfest. We’d love to have you here in Wisconsin. Thank you so much for joining us today on 101 WIXX.
Haiden Henderson
Awesome. Thank you. I’m eternally grateful. Thank you for having me and thank you for listening!
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