21 DATE HEADLINING TOUR RUNS FEBRUARY 7 TO APRIL 12
TICKETS ON SALE FOR BC & ALBERTA DATES NOW
TICKETS ON SALE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TOUR ON JANUARY 19
SOPHOMORE LP, WISECRACK, OUT NOW VIA ARTS & CRAFTS
WATCH / SHARE “BODY”(MUSIC VIDEO) HERE
“Wisecrack finds Blais winningly pushing herself into new territory ... her songs spiked with left-field moments of jagged majesty.” The Georgia Straight
“Vancouver indie darling Haley Blais returns with a sophomore album that’s nostalgic for the past and uncertain about the future. The 11-track record unravels themes of conscience, morality and the superego.” The Toronto Star
"a profound work that is existential and confessional—and, though deeply personal to Blais’ own life, also broadly relatable to the human experience." RANGE Magazine
"Vancouver’s Haley Blais has tenderly plucked the ukulele on YouTube and she has sung opera too. These days, she dedicates herself to the kind of jangled, sure-footed indie pop found on her sophomore album, Wisecrack" The Globe and Mail
"The album, which focuses on nostalgia, innocence and shifting family dynamics, is her most personal record. On Wisecrack Blais has achieved both lyrical and sonic cohesion" Exclaim!
“It’s gorgeous, vibrant, and finds Blais seemingly at her most self-assured and her most vulnerable at the same time” Cups N Cakes
Photo Credit : Mackenzie Walker // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
A few short months ago, Haley Blais released her acclaimed sophomore album Wisecrack via Arts & Crafts. Across the eleven tracks of Wisecrack, produced with David Vertesi, Haley explores concepts concerned with conscience, morality, and the superego. The album is textured and wryly poetic, oscillating somewhere between a cherished childhood memory and the creation of a new self.
Haley recently hit the road to support Tommy Lefroy for a run of dates in North America prior to a string of headline shows in Europe and the UK including sets at Pitchfork London, Pitchfork Paris, and Iceland Airwaves. Now the Vancouver based songwriter prepares to head out for a 21 date tour beginning February 7. All upcoming performance dates are listed below and ticket information is HERE.
Alongside the album's release, Haley shared the video for the single "Body". Directed by Bertie Gilbert, the video sees dancer Laurie Case traverse through neighbourhood streets into a playground and across a field with captivating contemporary dance movements. About the sonics of "Body", Haley reflects, "I wanted this song to be my 'Sister' by Angel Olsen moment, with a huge instrumental outro building towards a crescendo of guitars. I think Dave kind of mellowed it out, it has this swagger to it. There’s still the huge swell, but it feels more like a sigh of relief than a big emotional moment."
WATCH / SHARE “BODY” MUSIC VIDEO) HERE
MORE ABOUT WISECRACK
On Wisecrack, Haley is more confessional, focused, and explorative of darker tones than on anything she has yet produced. For Haley, the purpose of looking backwards was never just for nostalgia’s sake, it’s to come to terms with the past in an effort to push herself forward. Not only is the sophomore effort sonically mature, but its themes are also concerned with maturing. Within the creases of Wisecrack, Haley dives into the existential, everyday worries we all contain but rarely share and lays them bare, performing them exquisitely with profundity, grace, and humour. Wisecrack includes the recently shared track "The Cabin", which arrived with a video directed by Zia Kalyan, "Baby Teeth", which was paired with a video directed by Vancouver VFX artist Shea Oracheski, and "Matchmaker" along with the 2022 singles, "Coolest fucking bitch in town" and "Survivor's Guilt".
WATCH / SHARE “BABY TEETH” (MUSIC VIDEO) HERE
WATCH / SHARE “MATCHMAKER” (MUSIC VIDEO) HERE
WATCH / SHARE “THE CABIN” (MUSIC VIDEO) HERE
MORE ABOUT HALEY BLAIS
About a decade ago, Haley started developing a community and fanbase as a teenager with her diaristic YouTube videos and tender ukulele covers. Since then, Haley, who sang classical opera for ten years, traded in the solo ukulele for a guitar and a five-piece band. In 2020, she released a debut full-length album of jangly pop anthems, Below the Salt, produced with indie staples Tennis and Louise Burns, featuring the vocally powerful, complex slow-burn favourite “Be Your Own Muse.” Below the Salt amassed millions of streams and avid support from publications like NPR, NYLON, and i-D and led to a North American tour with Peach Pit. Ahead of the Wisecrack release, Haley signed with iconic indie label Arts & Crafts.
LISTEN / SHARE “THE COOLEST FUCKING BITCH IN TOWN” HERE
LISTEN / SHARE “SURVIVOR’S GUILT” HERE
BUY / STREAM WISECRACK HERE
HALEY BLAIS NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
February 7 - Kelowna, BC - Revelry *
February 8 - Nelson, BC - The Royal *
February 10 - Calgary, AB - Commonwealth *
February 11 - Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room *
February 12 - Red Deer, AB - Bo’s Bar and Stage *
March 21 - Healdsburg, CA - Little Saint
March 23 - Santa Ana, CA - Constellation Room
March 24 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar
March 26 - Austin, TX - The Mohawk
March 27 - Fort Worth, TX - Tulips
March 29 - Nashville, TN - The Blue Room @ Third Man Records
March 30 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Purgatory)
April 2 - Boston, MA - The Red Room @ Cafe 939
April 3 - Philadelphia, PA - The Lounge @ World Cafe Live
April 5 - Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere: Zone One
April 6 - Ottawa, ON - National Arts Centre Forth Stage
April 7 - Montreal, QC - Bar le Ritz
April 8 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace
April 9 - Hamilton, ON - Mills Hardware
April 10 - Kingston, ON - The Broom Factory
April 12 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen
* support from young friend
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WISECRACK TRACKLIST
1. Soft spot for monarchs
2. Survivor's Guilt
3. Coolest fucking bitch in town
4. Rest button
5. Matchmaker
6. Concrete
7. The Cabin
8. Baby Teeth
9. Body
10. Winner
11. Beginner's guide to birdwatching
HALEY BLAIS ONLINE
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