Australian indie-folk singer-songwriter discusses newest album and his first headline tour in a pre-show interview
BOSTON – Always the bridesmaid and never the bride—that’s how Hazlett felt before starting his first headline tour in North America last month. The Australian indie-folk singer has been making music since 2016 and has seen an increase in popularity with the release of his first album “Bloom Mountain” in 2023 and the trending single “Blame The Moon”, which has over 33 million streams on Spotify.
Hazlett’s headline tour kicked off in Los Angeles on Sept. 17 and ended in Denver two weeks later; he then joined John Vincent III, another rising folk star, for “The Road Trip” tour, where they played at Boston’s Royale on Wednesday, Oct.9.
“America’s great because you’re doing the classic cliche American road trip and putting in hours on the road,” he said. “You’re doing these rites of passage that you grew up learning about, like Bruce Springsteen and the Eagles and all these old-school artists, so it’s really cool.”
Hazlett’s Boston set featured “Shiver” and “Bones Shake” from his latest EP “Goodbye to the Valley Low–Side B”, “Missionary Feelings”, “Blame the Moon” and “Stolen Seasons” from “Side A” and “Please Don’t Be” from his album “Bloom Mountain”. He did an acoustic cover of “Song 2” from Blur.
Alone on the stage with his guitar and soundboard, Hazlett captivated the audience with his melancholy acoustics and deeply personal lyrics. Silently mouthing the lyrics, multiple audience members had tears in their eyes during Hazlett’s final two songs, “Missionary Feelings” and “Blame the Moon”, which are both about feelings of heartbreak and isolation.
Mirroring his pensive discography, Hazlett has shared personal stories about his life and mental health on social media. His Instagram posts serve as a tour “diary” and give fans a glimpse into his life as both an artist and person.
“I think this kind of music lends to that sincerity a bit more as well,” Hazlett said. “It’s a genre that I think a lot more people are open to hearing vulnerable and genuine thoughts from the artist.”
The indie-folk genre is on the rise—Vermont native Noah Kahan’s 2022 album “Stick Season” catapulted him from being an opener at Brighton Music Hall to playing two sold-out shows at Fenway Park. A self-described pessimist, Hazlett hopes the trend will last.
“Like anything that becomes super popular I feel like there’s going to be a downfall at some point,” he said. “I feel like it’s one of those genres that never really goes away, so fingers crossed that’s the case now.”
Hazlett will play his last show on his North America tour in Nashville on Oct. 20. He’s not sure what will happen the next time he jumps back into the studio—while “Bloom Mountain” was a product of two years of work, the singer said “Goodbye to the Valley Low” took just a few weeks to put together.
“I always tell myself something before I go into it and it never comes out the way I thought. It’s nice breaking out the new songs and hearing that people like them as well.”
A testament to his own rising popularity, Hazlett has gained over half a million Spotify listeners in the past few months and sold out his entire debut headline tour.
“I feel like I’ve found what I really enjoy doing and also what I enjoy writing,” he said. “It’s great that people are listening to the music and it’s my job to keep finding more music, not trying to force anything. I’m scared it’ll go away but I will keep working right now while it happens.”
Hazlett is an Australian-born, Swedish-based indie-folk artist. He released his first single “Lowdown, Lay It On” in 2016 and has produced five EPs and one studio album since. His music can be found on Spotify.
This article was produced for HorizonMass, the independent, student-driven, news outlet of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism, and is syndicated by BINJ’s MassWire news service.
