Q&A: Fox Haynes Discovers Beauty in the Mundane on New Single “wow!”
WRITTEN BY FAITH LUEVANOS
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Fox Haynes is no stranger to change. On his latest single, “wow!” Haynes embraces the changes that are happening around him, finding joy in the freedom of being a solo artist. His solo project is more than just an outlet for him to experiment and create; it also allows him to create with intention, prioritizing authenticity over commercial success.
As Haynes continues to break away from industry trends, his fans have gravitated toward his level of authenticity and desire to forge interpersonal connections through his music. “I want people to never know exactly what the next song will sound like, but I always want my fans to know that it will feel genuine. Spiritually, I hope my music reminds people that they're not alone in whatever they're experiencing,” shared Haynes.
“Wow!” is an electronic dreamscape that encourages listeners to slow down once in a while to appreciate the beauty around them and to not let the best moments slip away.
Life on Jupiter caught up with Fox Haynes to discuss the making of “wow!,” his goal to make music that makes people feel human again, his visual identity, and more. Read the full interview below.
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LIFE ON JUPITER: As you embark on your solo journey, what factors led to this, and how does this experience contrast with one within a band?
FOX HAYNES: I've loved every chapter of making music in my life, including being in bands, and as I evolve as an artist, I realize that every artistic side of myself deserves just as much of my effort and energy as the others, regardless of its commercial success. So with my solo journey, I'm just trying to carve time out of my human experience to share more of my mind and artistic intentions with the world. It's not a commonly shared sentiment within the music industry because, as artists get larger, they need to remain easily understood by mass audiences to remain popular, but just like every individual on the planet, there are so many different sides to my mind. And taking time to go solo allows me to chase every instinct, even if it means switching sounds or exposing unseen sides of my art. I would like to leave a legacy behind for other aspiring artists to discover that same sentiment, that you are the only person who has the right to decide what your art identifies as or how it looks/sounds.
Congratulations on the release of "wow!" Can you walk us through the creative process behind the track?
HAYNES: "Wow!" started from this feeling I was dealing with that we spend so much of our lives waiting for something extraordinary to happen that we stop noticing how incredible it already is to be alive. I wanted the song to feel playful and huge while still carrying that weight underneath, so the lyrics and ideas of the song travel a lot between concepts and storylines. I always want to encourage my fans to dive into the lyrics on their own and try to create their own narratives for the songs, so I'll keep this answer a bit restricted and leave room for the fans to dive into it together and try to decode it.
I love the line "I'll help you find your place." For you, where do you think your place within music is, either artistically or spiritually?
HAYNES: I think my place in music is somewhere between honesty and experimentation. I want people to never know exactly what the next song will sound like, but I always want my fans to know that it will feel genuine. Spiritually, I hope my music reminds people that they're not alone in whatever they're experiencing.
Authenticity is a core component of your music. How does this weave your identity and artistry together?
HAYNES: I play around with creating characters, aliases, and different identities for every aspect of my art, but I always try to keep them tied to my philosophy that I can remain authentic. So it's never about creating a character that I am not, or pretending to be someone I am not. The music changes, the visuals change, the genres change, but the perspective stays the same. If people spend enough time listening, I hope they feel like they actually know me - not because I've told them everything but because I'm honest in that fluidity and in the experiences I share.
One of your goals with your music is to create something that makes people feel human again. Can you dive deeper into this concept?
HAYNES: I think we're constantly being encouraged to optimize ourselves, compare ourselves, or turn our lives into digital media. Music is one of the few things that can interrupt that. If someone hears one of my songs and remembers what it feels like to be present, to grieve, to laugh, or to hope without overthinking it, then I feel like I've done my job as an artist.
What's something that has made you say "Wow!" recently?
HAYNES: Watching people in parts of the world I've never been to connect with my music. Every time I get a DM from a fan telling me my song found them at the right time, or when I see people sharing the songs on social media by singing the songs or posting fit pics with it, whatever it is. It resets my perspective, that's something I'll probably never stop being amazed by.
Trends shape a lot of the music that we hear nowadays. How do you break away from that?
HAYNES: I actually love watching where culture is going, but I never want trends to decide what I make. My goal is to just follow my creative instincts rather than an algorithm. Algorithms are designed to be optimized and calculated, and there is nothing optimized or calculated about the way humans feel. So, for me, when sitting down to make music, I go into it with complete openness, and I'm willing to accept whatever song the universe wants to offer me for the day. Sometimes that means writing a pop song, sometimes it means freestyling over beats, sometimes it means just singing over my guitar. I am a very emotional person, and I try to lead with that in whatever song I'm making. Sometimes, I'll be freestyling about money and cars, and then I'll switch to start rapping about how much I love my cats and miss my grandma, and just start crying (laughs). It's a beautiful thing.
It's been really cool seeing the visuals that you've been posting on social media, and how they all contain real-life moments. What calls to you the most when you're making visuals for your music?
HAYNES: I love things that feel lived in, be it visuals or even fashion. Imperfect moments usually tell a more interesting story than perfectly staged ones. Whether it's a blurry or out-of-focus moment, or a camcorder clip, I'm definitely always chasing visuals that feel like memories instead of advertisements.
What’s next for you?
HAYNES: I'm building towards my debut album, which is probably the most complete expression of who I am as an artist so far. I'm also putting a lot of energy into creating an experience around the music - not just songs but stories, visuals, little details people can discover over time. I have a Discord server where I'm always sharing puzzles and clues that lead to unreleased music, and I'm planning on making some really special merch surrounding the album that I've never seen any other artist do. So I'm super excited about the rollout and the future of the Fox Haynes universe.