Emerging from the aspen-yellow mountains of Utah, Hazelmead is carving out her own corner of bedroom folk.
Hazelmead’s latest single, Enchanted, is less a song than a spell, a VHS fairytale that blurs the lines between romance and horror.
With roots in both Australia and America, Hazelmead’s sound drifts between gothic melancholy and whimsical light, always steeped in nostalgia.
We caught up with her to talk Enchanted, dual identities, and why David Lynch tops her dream collab list.
HAPPY: What have you been up to today?
HAZELMEAD: I had to return some video tapes.
HAPPY: Tell us a little about where you’re from, and what you love about it!
HAZELMEAD: My more formative years were nestled in the orange groves and friesian fields of the Harvey Region, WA, where I was continually steeped in nature’s abundance and beauty. It was an imaginative place, garnering a childhood of mud potions and tall grass and barebacking ponies.
HAPPY: How would you describe your musical style to someone who’s never heard your music before?
HAZELMEAD: God this question is my Achilles heel–I’m pretty sure I say something different every time because I consistently struggle to articulate it!
I guess my sound incorporates both whimsical and gothic elements. I aim for emotive and atmospheric poetry, which usually transmutes into a sound that is melancholic, dark, and romanticised.
HAPPY: What inspires your songwriting the most—poetry, films, personal experiences, or something else?
HAZELMEAD: Honestly, nostalgia is the omnipotent force behind most of my songs; nostalgia from my own life, as well as periods in history. Some may say I am also a chronic cinephile, so the two seamlessly unite when I conjure a feeling into art.
HAPPY: Being both Australian and American, how do those cultural influences shape your sound?
HAZELMEAD: My current sound is really a reflection of the complicated relationship I have with both countries. The American mythos has always held my fascination, for its allure is irresistible—especially from afar. Then you live there and you realise it actually is just like the movies, and seemingly everyone dreams of being the main character.
Comparatively, growing up in rural Australian culture instilled a healthy dose of realism that vignettes over any star-spangled ideology, which I believe evokes a tonal bittersweetness throughout my sound.
HAPPY: ‘Enchanted’ is described as a “VHS fairytale”—what was the visual or emotional inspiration behind it?
HAZELMEAD: Enchanted is kind of a budding romance taking shape amidst a horror plot. Being truly enraptured (or rather, enchanted) by someone feels akin to the moment of bliss right before the pig’s blood is dumped all over you.
HAPPY: How does Enchanted fit into the larger project you’re releasing in late 2025?
HAZELMEAD: It feels like a slight shift of perspective, where melancholy momentarily steps back-stage in favour of a honeyed optimism. Not a love song per se, but it is definitely the most romantic track on the project.
HAPPY: ‘Cherry Pie’ tackled perfectionism. Do you find songwriting therapeutic or more challenging when exploring personal themes?
HAZELMEAD: Songwriting and poetry has always been my catharsis, so in that sense it’s both therapeutic and challenging. I find myself circling from the outside in, characterising darker aspects of my psyche almost as separate flowery entities before walking them back to myself to be dismantled. I don’t listen to my old music out of respect for the growth I underwent in creating them.
HAPPY: If you could collaborate with any artist (living or dead) on a dream track, who would it be and why?
HAZELMEAD: David Lynch. No explanation needed.
HAPPY: Lastly, what makes you happy?
HAZELMEAD: Learning, creating, and appreciating beauty wherever possible.