our feature for today’s Just The Crust is the brand new single from one of our favourites Hayden J Barlow “INAMORATA“!
we’ve been massive fans of Hayden’s music for a while now, his album last year was absolutely sensational and this continues yet another strong output of singles – his unique style and drive to create something that truly stands out is inspirational.
this new tune starts off calm and collected, exposing his feelings through his lyricism but then opens up massively into the chorus, with a gorgeous sub-bass under the track, holding together the staggered rhythm section and synth lines that give a real sense of energy under his vocal, which sounds super clear and shows off his ability super well. the production is on point for this one too, keeping the track interesting and fresh all the way through – we’re huge fans of this one.
our feature for today’s Just The Crust is the incredible new single from Hayden J Barlow “COZENAGE“! 💥
we’ve covered Hayden’s music a whole bunch recently and his album last year was bloody fantastic. a real unique artist with a sound that he’s done so well to define his own stamp on it and call it his own 🤘
this new tune “COZENAGE” only continues in his trend of quality releases, expanding out on his signature sound with the familiar aspects of his music, with his trip-hop influenced beats, hyperpop and soul elements throughout and gorgeous vocal synthesis. 🙌
it starts off lovely and mellow, only to build and build to a calm before the storm that progresses so well to create such a crazy wall of sound and atmosphere that really shows off the progress he’s made in production and beatmaking – a real testament to his talent. there’s such a groove behind this track too, with chopped and sliced drums throughout giving such an interesting backdrop for his vocal and lyricism to sit above. definitely one that’s gonna go far! 👊
in case you missed it, our last Knead to Know feature with Hayden J Barlow last week was beltin
it was great to chat with him about his new release “Stockholm Syndrome“, plus about his inspirations, creative processes and more! the new tune sounds incredible as well, another in a long list of bangers from the hyper-soul songwriter.
we’ve got our next Knead To Know interview for you all, with the supremely talented singer-songwriter Hayden J Barlow! 🥖
Hayden’s been making waves on the scene over the past year or so, putting out a slew of releases and singles like there’s no tomorrow, performing across the North and we’ve even had him play a bunch for us – his live performances are so well-honed and intricate, it’s a joy to catch him play. we’ve been massive fans of his music for a while now and his new single “Stockholm Syndrome” is yet another in a long line of incredible tunes from him!
find the full interview below! ⬇️
Hey mate, nice one for doing this interview here with us! Tell us a bit more about yourself.
Hey bud! You’re absolutely welcome. I’m Hayden! I make video game boss music and then sing on it.
We’re massive fans of the new single “Stockholm Syndrome” – give us a bit more of a lowdown on the track!
‘Stockholm Syndrome’ is a tune I wrote a while ago about how much I both love and resent having a career in music. It takes a huge toll on me at times despite how much I love doing what I do. This song is an expression of that.
How did you start doing music?
I started singing and writing my own songs at about 10. It’s just something that has always existed simultaneously alongside my life. It’s only around 16 that I actually considered it to be a possible career. At about 22, I actually started actively chasing that. It’s had its ups and downs but it’s been pretty sick so far.
What are the processes involved in creating your music? Do you home record, or use a studio?
Everything I record is done all at home with a minimal home studio. It’s how I get that ‘D.I.Y’, glitchy sound that I’m starting to become known for.
We already know you produce your music yourself – what led you into self-production?
Honestly? Stubbornness. I am mad difficult to work with (trust me, I do it all the time) because of how unbelievably stubborn I can be when it comes to the sound of my music.
What are your main inspirations for your songs? What artists influence your sound?
It’s an eclectic bunch. James Blake is a big one production wise. In terms of writing, Kings of Leon are a big one as I grew up on them.
When you’re writing, do you focus on a melody first or is it lyrics, or some other way?
I don’t have a set approach, I tend to just go with my gut.
Over the past few years, how have you been spending your time musically? (recording, writing etc)
I’ve been heavily focused on recording these last few years. It’s become one of my biggest passions. Production is a whole other beast and I’ve learned a whole lot by using very little. I’ve had a lot of absolute beginners who have no idea what they’re talking about critique my recording methods. I’ve been honing it for years and these dudes with one set of cheap HS-5s and an ego think they can comment on it. One of my biggest motivations has been sticking it to them by proving you can make high quality, successful records with minimal equipment.
We’ve seen that you’ve been covered on radio a bunch of times now, how are you finding your music is being received?
It’s very validating. We’re slowly but surely getting there.
How are your gigs going? What kinda set up do you take to them nowadays?
To be honest, it’s not my biggest focus these days! I get the most dopamine from recording and making records. If I’m gigging, I want it to be a spectacle or a celebratory, wholesome event. Quality over quantity.
When you’re performing live, what do you enjoy the most about it?
I love translating my songs to a live setting. Whether that be to track, showing off my production skills or reinventing and rearranging my tracks for guitar.
Have you got anything else planned for the rest of the year?
I’ve a whole EP dropping in November! Then it’s onto planning the next batch of releases. Next year is going to be big.
it’s real lovely to put these interviews together and get a more personal and down-to-earth conversation with each artist, find out their motivations, inspirations and what their aims for the future are – seeing Hayden’s approach to music here is super uplifting, taking a much more DIY approach and focusing on the quality of his music is something that we can relate to here at the label. it’s well worth checking out his new tune, it sounds fantastic and if you enjoy it, his back catalogue is full of a bunch of gems as well! big love to him for participating in this and we hope you liked it as much as we did! 🍞
our feature for today’s Just The Crust is the brand new single from Hayden J Barlow “Night Combat” out this coming Thursday 1st Sept!
we’ve covered plenty of Hayden’s music in the past and had him perform for us a bunch, an incredibly talented chap with so many tunes under his belt. it’s well worth catching him perform at a gig, his guitar work is incredible and with such a fantastic voice on him too.
this new single has him delving into more punchy, rock-driven music yet with the lovely electronic production that we saw on his earlier releases – following the feel and atmosphere of his previous two singles “Breakaway” and “persona non grata” of which we loved both of them! throughout the track the atmosphere is perfectly portrayed within his vocal delivery, really putting the listener in his shoes and relating so well.
the chorus is absolutely huge, with massive harmonies, distorted and autotuned backing vocals which only add to the massiveness of the track. a real testament to his production talent and musical ability – definitely one to check out, another in a long line of fantastic releases from him.
oh man we had an incredible one on Saturday over at the Grafton Arms for our monthly gig!
big love to Hayden J Barlow for headlining, his set was phenomenal – what a talent! his latest EP “rudimentary” is well worth a listen, he’s one of the finest musicians we know and it was a pleasure to host him! a big thank you to the amazing talents of Tom J Johnson MusicThomas Rennie and Ayanam Udoma Music for supporting too, what a night!
definitely worth checking out all of these talented chaps out. we’ll be back at the end of April with yet another gig – keep your eyes peeled for all the details!
we’re super stoked for tonight where we’ll be down at the Grafton Arms for our headline show with the amazing Hayden J Barlow
it’s gonna be a belter, Hayden’s just released his brand new EP “rudimentary” and we can’t wait to hear some of his fantastic tunes that he’s just released. it’s going to be a super soulful night, with support from the amazing Laila RomeroAyanam Udoma Music and Thomas Rennie!
come on down from 7:30pm tonight to catch all the action – fantastic drinks on offer, pizza + food served all day, and free entry! what more could you want?! find out more at our event Bread Records Present: Hayden J Barlow + Supports
only a week to go til we’re back over at the Grafton Arms for our headline show with the amazing Hayden J Barlow!
fresh from the release of his fantastic EP “rudimentary”, we’re sure this is gonna be a hell of a gig. Hayden’s talent is immense and we’re proper looking forward to it! you can find his EP on all streaming platforms, we highly recommend checking it out we’ve also got support from the amazing talents of Ayanam Udoma MusicLaila Romero and Thomas Rennie!
come on down next Saturday 26th March from 7:30pm, there’s quality pints on offer, food served all day and even free entry for the gig! gonna be a boss one. find out more at our event Bread Records Present: Hayden J Barlow + Supports
just an update for this gig – sadly Mike Nisbet isn’t able to make it which is a shame as we were proper looking forward to having him, but we’ve got the amazing Ayanam Udoma Music for you instead! we’re sure we’ll have Mike on again in the future!
we really can’t wait for this one, Hayden J Barlow is insanely talented and with Ayanam, Laila Romero and Thomas Rennie it’s sure to be one not to miss!
we’re super stoked to be able to announce this one! we’ve got the amazing talents of Hayden J Barlow headlining our next gig over at the Grafton Arms following the release of his EP “Rudimentary”!
we’ll be down there on the Saturday 26th of March, Hayden’s an absolutely fantastic musician and songwriter, really one to watch here in Manchester. we’ve been looking forward to announcing this one for a while now, and with support from Ayanam UdomaLaila Romero and Thomas Rennie, it’s going to be a proper fantastic one!
each of our gigs over at the Grafton have just been getting better and better, it’s brilliant to see such fantastic turnouts and so many people enjoying the tunes. super heartwarming stuff! make sure you don’t miss out on this one, it’s going to be well class. find out more at our event Bread Records Present: Hayden J Barlow + Supports
throughout the track the atmosphere is perfectly portrayed within his vocal delivery, really putting the listener in his shoes and relating so well. 
a big thank you to the amazing talents of 
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gonna be a boss one. find out more at our event 
Bread Records 