[Ed note: this piece is an updated version of a previously released article in Street called Hey Day's On A High. The band, which has since run into a bit of legal hot water, prompting a name change. Meet: The HeyDaze.]
Locate the closest rehab. We here at 34th Street have gone on a bit of a HeyDaze bender. Penn’s ‘accessible rock’ band has been involved in a number of musical projects over the past two months, and members Jesse Fink, Andrew Spelman, and Andrew Underberg are thrilled with the reception their music is getting.
For starters, the group has captured the attention of other artists across the country. California-based musician Taylor Alderson (a.k.a. T&A Brigade) released his remix of The HeyDaze’s debut single, “Little Bandit,” earlier this April. Electronic producer and Seattle native Brian Perrett made a cover of the song as well, which he tweeted at The HeyDaze last week. So far, the band has been very impressed with these new interpretations. “It's awesome to see musicians of other genres messing around with our music,” says Fink. “We hope to see a lot more [covers] because if people are taking the time to learn or work with our tracks, it shows their passion for the music and means a lot to us.”
There’s no doubt that The HeyDaze will see even more covers of their newest single, “Adderall,” which reached 4,000 plays on SoundCloud only three hours after it was released. Fink affirms that the overall reception to the song has been really strong. “Given the content of the song, the fact that we dropped it during Finals probably helped,” he jokes.
It seems only fitting that the idea for “Adderall” came to Fink while he was studying for exams last year. “I was in Van Pelt, when all of a sudden I got a burst of inspiration and told Andrew [Spelman] to meet me in the staircase,” he remembers. “I told him I had this amazing idea for a lyric about a girl who you like, so you're looking ‘adderall’ (‘at her all’) the time. He told me to shut up and go back to studying. I left Van Pelt, went back to my guitar and wrote most of the lyrics that night.” Almost a full year later, The HeyDaze recorded what would become their next best single. The group then contacted North Dakota drummer and graphic designer Taylor Enzminger to design the song’s lyric video, which, presently, has 16,780 hits on YouTube.
Musically, “Adderall” is very much like “Little Bandit” in its foundation: an acoustic guitar sets the rhythm and the melody, and some upbeat produced percussion drives the overall song. Fink notes that the key difference is that “Adderall” has more of a laid-back vibe. “They're both pop, but this song has a dash of Cali to it.” With its clever lyrics and catchy tune, it’s no wonder that “Adderall” has been dubbed by several reviews as this year’s summer anthem. That is, until The HeyDaze’s next single comes along. Fink has confirmed that the recording and filming for the band’s upcoming song, “City Girl,” is complete and ready for release this week.
It is clear, however, that The HeyDaze has put tremendous amounts of work into their music, and the results are paying off. The band recently signed with Paradigm Talent Agency in New York, and they continue to attract more and more fans each day. To put it in their own words, The HeyDaze has stimulated every corner of our minds…and ears for that matter.
