Written and recorded remotely at the end of 2020, ‘Wavepool’ is a beautiful, uplifting collision of the creative bonds of Hailaker and S. Carey (from Bon Iver), two artists 4,000 miles apart.
The track certainly feels like one of those songs that will lift you up from your seat – like a breath of fresh air to the face, even if you were on the bus seemingly dazed from the mundanity of life.
Ambient, calming and almost quite nostalgic, Hailaker’s new track ‘Wavepool’ is a comforting, textural and sonically magical song that feels like ocean waves crashing against the bow of your heart as you look across the horizon with a sense of freedom and uncertainty. It is the mélange of both these sentiments that makes it so magical…
“If you’ll be the canyon, I’ll stick standing, I won’t last long before…” The song has its heartbreaking moments and I love it!
Listen to it here.
The idea of the track began when Ed Tullett of Hailaker contacted Carey at the start of lockdown to explore a collaboration. After working together sporadically for a few months, ‘Wavepool’ was the result.
Produced in isolation with the help of Ali Lacey aka Novo Amor and Tullett’s longtime collaborator, the track was crafted around a spiralling trumpet sample left-over from recording sessions of the pair’s debut album.
It was quickly brought to life, with Carey’s serene voice dovetailing with Jemima Coulter’s, falling over the duo’s slightly chaotic, yet blissfully varied production.
Hailaker (pronounced hay-ull-ache-err) is Jemima Coulter and Ed Tullett, who work between Bristol and Cardiff. Portland, Oregon-based collage artist Mike Roth handles artwork, and Lacey, amongst others, also contributes.
Seen by its current members as less of an artist or band than a fluid, open-ended project, Hailaker is also a made up word. To its members however, it holds a heavier significance because of that.
Coulter explains,
“Having a word with no defined meaning means the only association it could have is with the project. That’s so freeing because it’s completely open, and I think it’s led to us feeling infinitely free about what Hailaker is, who’s involved, what the music sounds and looks like, etc. It’s all Hailaker because it all feels like Hailaker.”
Hailaker constantly changes its shape, much like Hailaker the project, and the definition of Hailaker the word.
Through a growing friendship where the two learned to work together and enjoy each other’s company, their self-titled album Hailaker was born in 2019, followed by Holding the following year.
They are currently working on their third album.
Carey is the moniker of Wisconsin-based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sean Carey. Carey has cut his teeth for the last decade on his solo project and as the long-established drummer, keyboardist, and backing vocalist of Bon Iver. In celebration of a decade of music, S. Carey released a 10th anniversary deluxe edition of his much-heralded debut ‘All We Grow’ in December 2020.
Jemima Coulter is finishing her solo album, with singles arriving later in 2021.
Listen to more of Hailaker below.
