Featured Photo Credit: Jade Florence
“Maturing and growing up can be scary but embracing the human you are becoming makes it a lot easier to be at peace with,” says artist will hyde.
This deep and raw sentiment is captured in hyde’s new coming-of-age single “boy.”
Amidst plucky guitar, hyde questions his younger self, “if that boy were to meet me, I don’t think that he’d like me,” while also forgiving himself of any faults.
The single is accompanied by a nostalgic home-video visual that begins with hyde’s first day of school in 2005 and journeys through those years and moments that changed the trajectory of his life.
We chatted with the Melbourne artist about the inspiration for the single, his upcoming sophomore EP, and more!
What inspired your new single “boy.“?
My new song “boy.’ was inspired by the thought of how much I have changed over the past few years. it’s me saying – some of the things I used to do I probably wouldn’t approve of & vice versa if the kid version of me was looking at who I am now. The thing is, that’s totally okay because changing how I see the world, how I dress and how I think is a positive thing. Growing up and maturing is something to embrace.
Did you learn anything about yourself, or life through writing the song?
I think through writing it with Cyrus, I realized that it’s something other people are going through too. We created an honest space where we shared what we had been struggling with and that really set the tone for the whole song. Personally, I usually only write songs when I have sat with a situation for a while. I don’t really write music to vent. I like to reflect on how I’m feeling, then enter the studio when I’m in less of an emotionally turbulent state.
For me, this song more than anything pointed out that other people are going through this too. I’ll send a song to my manager and be like, ‘do other people experience this feeling too?’ and he will be like ‘yes Will, they do!’ In that sense, the COVID virus has taught me to reach out and seek comfort in the people around me, rather than thinking they won’t understand what I’m going through.
Ever since your 6-track EP ‘with u in mind,’ you’ve been open and honest in your writing. Why is vulnerability like that important to you?
Yes! I think I’ve learned that my BIGGEST strength is being myself. There’s only one of me, just as there is only one of you! There is not one other person that is identical to me that exists on this planet (only in a parallel universe ;)).
Vulnerability is also important to me because I’ve learned through my struggles what I want to try and do for others. I want to be the light in people’s journeys where they are like – “if he can get through this, I can too.”. I was in a really dark place and was searching for someone to look up to a few years ago – I found no one. So I just decided I would try and take on that role.
The music video features some of your childhood home videos. What was it like going through those videos?
YES! It was super emotional honestly. Something about watching the kid version of me, so innocent and happy and pure, made me tear up.
Some of the videos I dug up to use were very personal moments and I was like “do I want to share this?”, whenever I’m in that place I know I need to.
If you could go back and talk to yourself in those early home videos, what would you tell yourself?
Man. I feel a lot of emotion coming up thinking about that. I would say – Hey little man. You’re beautiful. so incredible. You’re gonna change the world someday, just like you have always wanted to. Stay patient. Work hard. Be kind to others. You’re going to have some tough times that will help you enjoy all the great ones. Reach out to the people around you, you are supported throughout this whole thing.
How do you hope people feel after listening to “boy.“?
I think that if people can take a moment to reflect on their journey over the last few years, that would be amazing. In this world, we are thrown into a cycle of constantly digesting new content. We are watching what everyone else is doing, outside of ourselves.
My biggest hope is people can think about what the kid version of them would say if they met face to face. Would they be happy if they looked at who you have become? If the answer is yes, amazing! If it’s a hesitant one, then maybe think about what you could do to continue to grow as a person?
If you could set fans up in the perfect environment to listen to “boy.,” what do you imagine it looking like?
Definitely with meditation music on (I am listening to it right now while I do this), a journal and writing down some very honest reflections, whilst playing ‘boy.’ on loop of course 😉 !
What can fans look forward to next?
ANGELS! I have so much I have been working on. These next 6 months are gonna be very exciting. I’m so eager to get everything out. I have lots of new music, lots of visual content to come. It’s going to come together to form something special at the end of the year.
Then, I also have some cool stuff happening with the mental health IG Lives I have been doing, so watch out for more conversations about mental health on my Instagram with Harrison Kennedy :).
What is one quote that you have heard or that you go by that you want to ECHO out to the world?
ooo, yes.
“your current situation is not your final destination…”
your journey is far from over so go & be the best version of yourself today, it’s a fresh start.
sending love to everyone reading this, thank you for having me ECHO!