Shaina Hayes Announces New LP 'Kindergarten Heart'

Montreal-based folk singer-songwriter Shaina Hayes announced her sophomore album Kindergarten Heart, set for release on February 23, 2024 via Bonsound.

A captivating blend of gorgeous vocals, inviting melodies, and thought-provoking lyrics, Kindergarten Heart follows last year’s album, to coax a waltz, fulfilling the promise of her engaging debut.

Alongside the announcement, Hayes also shared a first look into the project with the single + video, “New Favorite.” The track looks back at the sparkle of new love, coaxing those feelings forward to the present. Driven by a simple, persistent guitar melody, the verses of the song begin bare, but accumulate momentum as the rhythm section makes its entry and begins to swell with sporadic bursts and fills. The verses peak and abruptly give way to a lush, waltzy, vocal-heavy chorus, taking listeners on a journey through the looking glass.

This concept of purposeful remembering, of honoring memories by pulling them forward to inform the present, is one that has been woven throughout Kindergarten Heart. “New Favorite” serves as a playful introduction to these greater themes.

Shaina Hayes was raised on a farm in a tiny town called Shigawake on the Gaspé coast of Quebec. She grew up listening to singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Regina Spektor, and Feist, traditional country artists such as Hank Williams and Dolly Parton, and more modern country stars, including Shania Twain and The Chicks.

After attending university in Montreal, Hayes participated in the city’s bustling music scene, studying jazz and singing in cover bands. She also sang backing vocals for the noise-rock band zouz, finding kindred spirits in the group’s Francis Ledoux and David Marchand.

Influenced to start her musical journey, Hayes shared her first song “Hollow” on Bandcamp in 2018. Following that, she returned to her hometown of Shigawake and began to record her debut album, to coax a waltz. For three years, Hayes grew produce while she completed the album, eventually seeing to its release in April 2022.

While she still maintains some engagement with her farming endeavors, Shaina Hayes has made the shift to devote herself fully to her music. In late 2022, she once again teamed up with Ledoux and Marchand to start recording her sophomore album Kindergarten Heart as more opportunities began to unfold for her, opening for artists like The War on Drugs and The Barr Brothers.

Kindergarten Heart is a work of striking originality. Call it folk-pop seasoned with alt-country, or simply pop – in any case, Shaina Hayes is making fresh, exciting music that needs to be heard. Though Hayes wants to resume farming eventually, Kindergarten Heart guarantees she’ll be a full-time musician for the foreseeable future, as the world discovers this charismatic performer.

Photo Credit: Lawrence Fafard