Shaina Hayes Shares Video "Mud" and announces Debut LP

By way of her imaginative and polished country/folk musicality, Shaina Hayes emerges with her debut album, titled to coax a waltz. Today Shaina shares the first track, “Mud”. to coax a waltz is set for release on April 29th 2022.

Watch/Share: Shaina Hayes “Mud”

Born in a small farming and fishing village called Shigawake, Quebec, singer-songwriter Hayes’ intrinsic ties to her homeland and distinctive heritage, have forged an earnest and glimmering framework onto which her music takes shape. This is beautifully depicted in her first single “Mud”.

The video for “Mud” was created by Montréal duo Clara L’Heureux Garcia (director) and Laurent Schraenen (cinematographer). The video paints the picture of a typical November day for Hayes. “At this point in the year,” explains Hayes, “I begin to transition out of full-time farming and into full-time music. The days tend to be gray and cold and the farm tasks fairly grueling, but I am also full of gratitude for the season that is drawing to a close and excitement for my upcoming creative ventures. These sentiments are echoed by the moody yet striking beauty of the shots that Garcia and Shraenen captured in the video.

“The lyrics depict the struggle of attaining clear and open communication in a relationship,” explains Hayes. “The verses of the song are made up of the speaker’s analysis and articulations of their own feelings, while the chorus “You’re a soft slipping mud in my hands when I get to talking like that”, implies that this divulgence is falling on deaf ears...While the verses are peppered with self-deprecation and apology, the bridge is a playful plea to inspire the distant partner back to a state where the two might be able to connect once again”.

After studying jazz voice at Montreal’s Vanier College, Hayes proceeded to build a musical career performing and recording with multiple groups, most notably Montreal's Thanya Iyer. Hayes has also been an active and integral player both musically and in the organization of the annual Shigawake Agricultural Fair and Music Festival since its inception in 2009. Alongside her musical career, she has maintained her roots in farming, spearheading horticultural projects both in Shigawake and near Montréal, where she now resides.

In February 2021, Shaina brought a small team of Montreal-based artists to Shigawake to arrange and record to coax a waltz. The team comprised of Shaina (vocalist/guitarist), recording-engineer and drummer, Francis Ledoux (drummer for Helena Deland, zouz, Jesse Mac Cormack), guitarist, and David Marchand (guitarist/vocalist for zouz, Mon Doux Saigneur, Alex Burger, Laurence Anne). to coax a waltz is set for release April 29th 2022.