Young love can be difficult to navigate, especially when it ends… Canadian singer/songwriter Hayley Wallis captures this raw vulnerability and longing ache in the aftermath of a breakup in her new single, “Think Of You” – Check it out on YouTube now: https://youtu.be/RxYhmbS-ROo
With an emphasis on the craft of storytelling, “Think Of You” taps into Wallis’ own experiences intertwined with those of friends to create a heartfelt, soulful, and melodic journey through trying to let go of someone you once loved. From lyrics like “I wish you stayed” to “I have so many, many questions,” the song’s aim is, ultimately, to get over the hurt.
Co-written with producer David Hodges, the two aimed to pen an emotional heartbreak story that was universal and relatable. “My personal experience with this song was losing someone you aren’t ready to let go of after building a ‘codependency,’ which a lot of people experience with young love,” Wallis says. “In the moment, it feels as though you’re never going to let them go and it feels like your heart will hurt forever and you’d do anything to win them back. I wanted this song to capture those feelings in the moment.”
Storytelling is deeply rooted in Wallis’ culture and bloodline, and she wanted to call on its healing properties to not only tend to her own wounds but to help others. “Storytelling is ceremony, it’s special and it’s powerful,” she explains. “We are taught that words are powerful, so you want to make sure that every lyric you’re writing down has good intention. With that being said, I really want to make every song and lyric in this upcoming EP count and hold meaning.”
Now based in Vancouver, Hayley Wallis began her musical journey at a young age singing for her family and community in a small, isolated island known as Klemtu, located in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia. Being part of the Kitasoo/Xais’xais Nation has ultimately shaped who Hayley is today and helped carve a path for where she is bravely steering her journey with her second single and her debut EP. Passionate about leaving a strong legacy, she sings for herself, her children, and her people, and hopes to set an example that will empower the young generation of her community to pursue their dreams.
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