If you haven’t already immersed yourself in BAD, the new single from Hattie Oates, stop what you’re doing and go listen to it now. The track is a dark, brooding, and endlessly charismatic piece of pop, and we’ve had it spinning on repeat ever since we first laid ears on it.
So fresh off the track’s release, we caught up with the artist herself to chat all about it, musical influences, and what the future holds.
With an incredible new single fresh under her belt, we caught up with Tamworth-based artist Hattie Oates to chat all about it.
HAPPY: Hey, how’s it going? What are you up to at the moment?
HATTIE: Hey Hey! It’s been such a hectic 7 days and I can’t thank everyone enough for all the incredible support I have received after releasing my new fresh track BAD. So far everyone has just rapped their arms around it and showed it some lovin… Hopefully, they continue to do so ;) And as if it wasn’t already bad enough, the compilation album I have been a part of with the amazing Gateway Records was released with a little funky cover of Michael Jackson’s Bad as well!
HAPPY: We’re loving BAD! How does it feel having the track out there in the world?
HATTIE: I’m so excited, I have had to be really patient with this release so I could make sure everything was right! I took a very different approach in terms of style and general vibe with BAD, I just really wanted to try something new, and I did! It feels amazing to keep hearing positive feedback as well. Thanks everyone!
HAPPY: Could you tell us a bit about the song?
HATTIE: I basically wrote this song about that undeniable feeling of temptation that takes over when you have two options, a good one, and a bad one. Almost like you have the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. It’s the compelling danger and mystery beneath that choice that makes you feel like you don’t have one. And before you know it… Oops you did something bad, yep you did!
HAPPY: How did you approach the writing/recording of this track differently to past material? If at all…
HATTIE: When recording my debut EP last year, I went in purely for experience and to create some really organic recordings. After having those experiences, whenever I was writing a song (especially BAD) I was thinking of the production before I even finished getting lyrics on a page. I really used that as inspiration to get the creative juices flowing. To answer your question, I think I just had a lot more direction in the studio which made it even more exciting seeing it come to life.
HAPPY: Is this new track going to be a stand-alone release? Or is it a taste of something bigger to come?
HATTIE: Let’s just say it wasn’t the only song I recorded when I was in the studio earlier this year ;) At the moment I’m not working towards an album just yet, but working on consistent single releases. If all goes to plan, I should be dropping another track in a couple months from now! So, stay tuned!
HAPPY: Were there any particular artists you were listening to while writing/recording the track?
HATTIE: Yeah for sure! I’m always listening to such a wide variety of music but definitely some stand out artists would have been Billie Eilish and Lorde. Sub-consciously I think they were both in the forefront of my mind when writing BAD. So many people have related both artists to the overall vibe of the song as well. Other artists I was listening to at the time was King Princess and Childish Gambino. Looking back, I reckon that’s where the funky vibe of BAD was possibly triggered from.
HAPPY: Who else are you really loving right now?
HATTIE: Right now, I’m listening to so many people! Sometimes I go through phases when I get super obsessed with an artist, listen to them on repeated, and then move on. At the moment, just mix and match. Really loving Selena Gomez, definitely someone I would draw inspiration from in the future. Also listen to an Irish singer, Orla Gartland… check her out she is so cool! Other than that Lime Cordial, Fergus James, Shawn Mendes, Milky Chance, DMA’s, Guy Sebastian… the list goes on.
HAPPY: What’s next for Hattie Oates? Any other exciting plans in the works?
HATTIE: I may have kind of answered this one earlier, but this is definitely not the last your hearing from me. Soooo in saying that I highly recommend following my socials and my Spotify, SoundCloud, Triple J Unearthed etc. Come a couple of months from now I will be dropping something new for all you beautiful people to listen to… hint hint!
HAPPY: Cheers for the chat!
HATTIE: Always up for a chat, it’s something I’m kind of good at! Haha, cheers guys!
BAD is available now. Listen above.