(September 15, 2023) - Vancouver's Haley Blais releases her sophomore album Wisecrack via Arts & Crafts. Across the 11 tracks of Wisecrack produced with Dave Vertesi, Haley explores concepts concerned with conscience, morality, and the superego. All of Haley's sophomore album is textured and wryly poetic, oscillating somewhere between a cherished childhood memory and the creation of a new self.
LISTEN TO WISECRACK: HaleyBlais.lnk.to/Wisecrack
Alongside the album's release, Haley shares the video to Wisecrack track "Body." Directed by Bertie Gilbert, the video for "Body" sees dancer Laurie Case traverse through neighborhood streets into a playground and across a field with captivating contemporary dance movements. About the sonics of "Body," Haley reflects, "I wanted this song to be my 'Sister' by Angel Olsen moment, with a huge instrumental outro building towards a crescendo of guitars. I think Dave kind of mellowed it out, it has this swagger to it. There’s still the huge swell, but it feels more like a sigh of relief than a big emotional moment."
On Wisecrack, Haley is more confessional, focused, and darker than on anything she has yet produced. For Haley, the purpose of looking backwards was never just for nostalgia’s sake, it’s to come to terms with the past in an effort to push herself forward. Not only is the sophomore effort mature, but it is also about maturing. Within the creases of Wisecrack, Haley dives into the existential, everyday worries we all contain but rarely share and lays them bare across performing them exquisitely with profundity, grace, and humor. Wisecrack includes the recently shared track "The Cabin," which arrived with a video directed by Zia Kalyan, "Baby Teeth," which was paired with a video directed by Vancouver VFX artist Shea Oracheski, and "Matchmaker" along with the 2022 singles, "Coolest fucking bitch in town" and "Survivor's Guilt."
Haley is set to hit the road to support Tommy Lefroy this September and October for 8 shows including stops in Boston, New York City, Toronto, Philadelphia and Chicago. On October 20th, Haley will perform a hometown album release show for Wisecrack at The Hollywood Theatre in Vancouver before heading over to Europe for a string of shows in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Glasgow, Bristol, Manchester, London and Brighton. Also, Haley is set to perform at Pitchfork Paris on November 12th at Petit Bain. Full tour routing listed below and ticket information HERE.
About a decade ago, Haley started developing a community and fanbase as a teenager with her diaristic YouTube videos and tender ukulele covers. Since then, Haley, who sang classical opera for ten years, traded in the solo ukulele for a guitar and a five-piece band. In 2020, she released a debut full-length album of jangly pop anthems, Below the Salt, produced with indie staples Tennis and Louise Burns, featuring the vocally powerful, complex slow-burn favorite “Be Your Own Muse.” Below the Salt amassed millions of streams and avid support from publications like NPR, NYLON, and i-D and led to a North American tour with Peach Pit. Ahead of the Wisecrack release, Haley signed with iconic indie label Arts & Crafts.
Listen to Wisecrack and watch the video for "Body" above, see upcoming live dates and full album details below, and stay tuned for more from Haley Blais coming soon.