Shaina Hayes Shares Folk-Pop Single 'Sun And Time'

Montreal-based folk singer Shaina Hayes returns with the wistful new single + video, “Sun and Time,” a track dedicated to those who've had any kind of encounter with the winter blues. First premiered via Under the Radar, “Sun and Time” comes from her upcoming album Kindergarten Heart, out February 23 via Bonsound. 

“Sun and Time” summons the warmth and buzz of summer's past, urging listeners to hang tight while another one makes its way around. Drum-forward and built around a moody, strumming electric guitar, the song ventures a little farther into the realm of indie-pop, while maintaining Hayes' signature tender, folky charm.

Hayes says, “‘Sun and Time' was written for a dear friend who I used to run a vegetable farm with. It describes the intense lows that we would both feel in the winter when we'd begin to get stir-crazy waiting for the next growing season to begin. The song is a plea for her to remember the beautiful things that we were able to accomplish together, the strength of her character, and the fact that, at the very least, there's always another summer somewhere around the corner!”

The track is accompanied by a video created by Flavie Lemée and Charles-David Dubé using stunning footage captured during Shaina Hayes' 2023 summer tour of Québec. It's a nostalgic nod to sunshine and summertime.

Kindergarten Heart is Shaina Hayes' follow-up to to coax a waltz, released independently in 2022. On both albums, the singer-songwriter worked with Francis Ledoux and David Marchand (zouz) who co-produced the record. Together, the three worked to gently weave elements of nostalgia, wonder, and lightheartedness into the collection of songs. The result is a sophomore album which is both whimsical and earnest, and whose soothing charm is reflected in the design of the record.

After the gray monotony of the pandemic, Hayes realized that it was going to take a focused effort for her to be able to tap back into joy and play. During this period, the initial theme of Kindergarten Heart began to take shape: the rekindling of childlike wonder. During the making of the album though, the theme evolved to encompass all memory, not simply of childhood. In its final form, the album is about the act of looking back, either through an active lens to inform the current moment, or through a more passive lens, as a means of honoring these memories and the people they contain.

About Shaina Hayes

Raised on a farm in a tiny town called Shigawake on the Gaspé coast of Quebec, Hayes grew up listening to singer-songwriters like Feist, Joni Mitchell and Regina Spektor, traditional country artists like Hank Williams and Dolly Parton, and modern country stars including Shania Twain and The Chicks. After studying agricultural sciences at McGill University in Montreal, she returned to her rural hometown to record and co-produce her self-released debut album, to coax a waltz, which came out in April 2022.

Following the release of her album, she started recording new songs while also performing across Quebec and opening for bands like The War on Drugs and The Barr Brothers. While she still maintains some engagement with her farming endeavors, Shaina Hayes has made the shift to devote herself fully to her music, and 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

To post a comment, you must register and login.