Much has been made of our modern era of distraction. In her 2019 book How To Do Nothing, Jenny Odell warns about the deleterious effects of giving in to the forces constantly vying for our attention—social media feeds, gamified consumer culture, the exponentially bleak 24-hour news cycle. She cites the ethicist James Williams, who writes: “In the short term, distractions can keep us from doing the things we want to do. In the longer term, however, they can accumulate and keep us from living the lives we want to live.” These aren’t petty concerns, Williams says—there are “deep ethical implications lurking here for freedom, well-being, and even the integrity of the self.”
I wouldn’t be surprised if Oregon singer-songwriter Haley Heynderickx had a well-worn copy of Odell’s work on her bookshelf. On the opening track of Heynderickx’s second album, Seed of a Seed, she frets about this problem of attention: She’s feeling guilty, addicted to her phone and avoiding texts while counting up “the useless things I’ve bought for someone’s profit.” But she’s being chased by another version of herself, one who finally gets Heynderickx to slow down and refocus her attention—specifically, to “stare at purple clover off the highway.” The flowers help; suddenly, the song’s anxiously strummed heartbeat slows, blossoming into washes of gentle acoustic and sweeping electric guitar.
This suggestion—that a turn towards the natural world can be an escape from the chaos of modern life—runs throughout Heynderickx’s songwriting (and, in fact, is a key tenant of How To Do Nothing). On her debut, 2018’s I Need to Start a Garden, Heynderickx compared human kindness to “honeycomb/Holding the bee in the folds,” and her vision of romance included gently scooping a bug out of her lover’s room. The “brink of my existence essentially is a comedy,” she sang; the solution, naturally, was “to start a garden.”
On Seed of a Seed, Heynderickx foregrounds this theme and explores her internal anxieties and the wisdom that can be gleaned outside the confines of our minds. She tells these stories in a honey-rich voice that can sweep from powerfully belted notes to playful talk-singing. Her songs often take place in the borderlands between modernity and nature: She doubts the fulfillment of big-city dreams while twirling a foxglove. She is stuck driving her car but finds time to commune with a pebble in a stream. Cell phones and hummingbirds show up nearly in equal measure. While her fingerpicked guitar forms the emotional core of her songs, she nudges her sonic palette a little wider here. Cello and trombone give songs like “Redwoods (Anxious God)” and “Sorry Fahey” an earthy richness and depth; the spindly guitar riffs and close-tracked harmonies on “Spit in the Sink” lend the song a spare, intimate feel.
Exploring Nature as an Escape
Heynderickx’s music and themes often revolve around the idea of turning towards nature as a means to escape the chaos of modern life. This concept is not only prevalent in her songwriting but also aligns with the core message of How To Do Nothing by Jenny Odell.
Blending Modernity and Nature in Songwriting
Heynderickx’s songs beautifully straddle the line between modernity and nature, showcasing her doubts about big-city dreams while finding solace in the simplicity of nature. Whether it’s twirling a foxglove or communing with a pebble in a stream, her music embodies a harmonious balance between the two worlds.
Emotional Depth Through Musical Expansion
While Heynderickx’s fingerpicked guitar remains at the heart of her songs, she expands her sonic palette on Seed of a Seed. The addition of instruments like cello and trombone adds an earthy richness to tracks like “Redwoods (Anxious God)” and “Sorry Fahey,” while the delicate guitar riffs and harmonies on “Spit in the Sink” create an intimate ambiance.
Conclusion
Heynderickx’s music not only delves into the internal anxieties we face in the modern world but also offers a glimpse of hope and wisdom that can be found by turning towards nature. In a time of constant distractions and chaos, her songs serve as a reminder to slow down, refocus our attention, and find solace in the beauty of the natural world.
FAQs
Q: What is the central theme in Haley Heynderickx’s music?
A: The central theme in Heynderickx’s music revolves around the idea of turning towards nature as an escape from the distractions and chaos of modern life.
Q: How does Heynderickx blend modernity and nature in her songwriting?
A: Heynderickx beautifully straddles the line between modernity and nature in her music, showcasing her doubts about big-city dreams while finding solace in the simplicity of nature.
Q: What instruments does Heynderickx incorporate in her music on Seed of a Seed?
A: In addition to her signature fingerpicked guitar, Heynderickx expands her sonic palette on Seed of a Seed with instruments like cello and trombone, adding an earthy richness to her tracks.
Credit: pitchfork.com
