Spotlight: Hayden James Brings House Music Back to Life Debuting Latest Project ‘LIFTED’ at Coachella

 

☆ BY Steph Dunlop ☆

Taken By Sophie Gragg at Coachella for The Luna Collective

 
 

INFUSING THE ESSENCE OF THE WARMER MONTHS INTO EVERY ASPECT OF THE PROJECT — LIFTED is Hayden James’ latest gift to the house music scene. Intended to soundtrack the upcoming summer, the Sydney-born artist’s sophomore album is perfect for blasting in the car with the windows down, for pulsing through headphones by the poolside, or for playing in the background while connecting with friends. A collaboration between James and artists like Elderbrook, SIDEPIECE, and Jem Cooke, the project combines elements of piano house and melodic house with an eclectic range of luscious and vivacious vocals.

“Every collaborator brings out something different in me that I might not have discovered,” James comments on this exciting merging of talent. “Working with lots of different people from different backgrounds makes me feel like a stronger artist.”

Inspired by James’ own upcoming tour, LIFTED is a fusion of movement and spirit; it is an immersive collection of tracks designed to reunite live music with its former effervescence and vibrancy. “As an artist on stage, I wanted more energy, and that definitely shaped the current album,” James explains on the inspiration behind the project. In late 2020, early in its development during a time of isolation and solitude, LIFTED was created to connect people, friends, and audiences. Channelling the animated world of concerts and gigs, the album was both influenced by and created for live music — an ode to an experience we all had been deprived of. Passionate and motivated by bringing this world to his music, James ended up with an extremely large project of dance-inspired songs.

“I spent a lot of time working on this album — I wrote 30-plus sounds for the project and then whittled it down to nine to form the story I wanted to tell in the way that made sense to me,” he shares. “I hope everyone listens to every song because each record is very special to me.” 

Excited for the return of Coachella, James is debuting his latest album in a space best suited to explore the influence behind it. Immersed in a lively crowd of music lovers under a warm California sun, Coachella offers the perfect listening experience for LIFTED. “It’s going to be really exciting being on the ground, performing, and watching some of my favorite artists perform,” James shares, hopeful for the return of both live music and the famed music festival. 

Each track on the album tells its own touching tale. “Hold Tight” — the only song on the album that doesn’t see James in collaboration with another artist — perfectly encapsulates LIFTED’s essence on a single track. A euphoric blend of house with classical piano chords weaved throughout, the track encourages fans to clasp onto the one they love and return to doing what they love most. The rest of the project is equally as positive and hopeful, combining introspection with connection atop optimistic synths and beats.

The final track on the album, “I Won’t Let You Down,” which features poignant vocals from UK-based singer Jem Cooke, is one that James is most looking forward to performing in front of an audience. “This has got more of an emotive energy, and I’m really excited to see how people feel when I play that record,” he says.

While remaining true to its roots in house and dance music, “I Won’t Let You Down” is a much more mellow take on the genre, providing a beautiful tribute to the passing of a close friend of James’. Describing the creation of the song as “a journey,” it sees James at his most emotional and vulnerable. Where he prefers to focus more on the melodic creation behind his tracks, “I Won’t Let You Down” allowed him to explore the more intuitive and visceral side of music creation. 

Following Coachella, James’ trail of excitement and liveliness will continue across North America as he embarks on his LIFTED tour from May through June of this year. Later in the summer, he looks forward to performing throughout Europe and Australia, taking on his largest Australian tour yet. The tour provides a physical manifestation of that which James channelled back in 2020 when creating the album: the spirit of live music and the exciting energy of the warm summer months. 

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