Exclusive Interview with 'HAZEL' | Illustrate Magazine

Hazel is a London-based alternative pop artist. She is a multi-cultural artist with a Turkish father and a Danish mother. She was born and raised in Switzerland before relocating to the UK. She makes an effort to reflect the diversity of her upbringing in her music, with each experience giving her artistic vision a vivid new color.
Billie Eilish, Holly Humberstone, and Lorde are some of the musicians who have influenced her work. She draws inspiration from these musicians’ fresh and modern takes on pop music. She aims to demonstrate that feelings are healthy and that, whether you’re struggling with depression or anxiety, you’re not alone. After a few trying months of battling her own depression and loneliness, her debut song Scream was born. She became more aware of her need for support, love, and appreciation after spending more time with her family and friends. She made use of these opportunities to mold herself into the artist she is today.
During one session with her producer and co-writer Alex Rigueiro, it began with two sentences and was expanded upon. Scream highlights the sadness and desperation that come with feeling alone, excluded, unheard, and misunderstood by those around you. It’s for all of us who experience the negative effects of being surrounded by too many people while going unheard. Check out the song and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

HAZEL: I’m a singer/songwriter based in the UK. I lived most of my life in Switzerland and I am half Turkish and Danish. I committed to music full time in 2020 when I started my master’s at BIMM London.

I have been performing ever since I was a kid. I went to singing classes, music camps and performed in musicals. It was always a passion of mine. I never really thought I had what it took to make it. But now I think otherwise!

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

HAZEL: I first started singing with my music teacher back in school. I then found a singing teacher and I have been practising with one ever since. I think that singing is like a sport, you must train to achieve your goals. I am still working very hard to get where I want to be.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘HAZEL’?

HAZEL: I was really drawn, from a very young age to artists such as Amy Winehouse and Adele. I find them incredible, and I thrive to have such range and vocal capabilities. In terms of broader musical influences, I have quite an “old school” music taste. When my friends were listening to contemporary artists, I was listening to Fleetwood Mac, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Beatles, and Cat Stevens. My parents were always playing these records around the house when I was growing up and I just loved the music they loved!

Now my influences vary, so many new incredible artists are discovered every day. I think it’s hard to pinpoint one influence. I get a lot of influences from artists such as Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Lorde, Holly Humberstone and many others.

My middle name is Hazel. It’s as simple as that. I was trying to find a name that linked back to my background and Hazel is the name most of my Turkish relatives call me, so I thought it was perfect. I didn’t think about it too much, it just feels right!

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

HAZEL: I make honest music that comes from the heart and is produced simply. It’s just me and my producer so it makes it very authentic. What you hear is what we both envisioned. When it comes to my sound, I would say it’s a mix between straight pop and indie/dark/alternative pop. Prominent synths and a good beat. We LOVE a good beat.

6. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

HAZEL:

That varies on the song really. Most of my songs I just play around with a few chords, have an idea of what I want to write about and just go from there. I usually have a lot of the lyrics written and melody in mind then go to my producer who helps me with the lyrics and then the whole production.

Sometimes I just write lyrics and then a melody will come to mind, and sometimes when the melody is just not there but I like the lyrics I will go to my producer, and we work something out depending on the mood or reference I have for the song.

Other times, my producer has a tune or a beat that he created and comes to me with the idea. I then write on top of that if I feel drawn to it.

For Scream on the other hand, I only had two sentences and a melody that followed. We just played around in the studio and came up with the rest of the song that same day. It had to be the fastest song we had ever written.

7. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

HAZEL:

I have been and always will be very frank and open about my struggles with anxiety and depression. Starting a career in music is not easy and can be very overwhelming. Although I love what I do, I think that whatever your level and your commitment, it’s easy to be stressed and overwhelmed by this kind of career. It’s very important to have a good circle of people around you. Thankfully I have received such incredible support from my family and my team, so that really helped.

8. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

HAZEL:

I am mainly proud of the achievements I have overcome considering what I have been struggling with! Putting my song out and fearing the judgments of others was super stressful. To add to that the music video, the production behind it, filming it, and releasing it, that was something totally new. I am super proud of what we have achieved, I would have never believed it until it finally happened.

9. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?

HAZEL: I am more of a work in the studio kind of artist. Scream was a product of me and my producer jamming around after a long session, so I have to say the studio does help me with my creativity. I book the studio often even when I don’t have a song ready, it just helps us get the ideas running!

10. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?

HAZEL: I think that as an artist you cannot expect your listeners to completely relate to your own meaning of a song, so they might have to interpret it in the way that makes the most sense for them at that moment. I listen to many songs and probably don’t get the intended meaning, but I usually interpret it and make it my own. I wrote Scream after a difficult period in my life, and I made my struggles public. A lot of people came back to me saying that the lyrics of the song really touched them and they felt like they could relate to it.