When we first met Haiden Henderson two years ago, he was just starting his music career. Now, it’s taking off. The LA-based singer-songwriter just released tension (heightened), a deluxe version of the EP he dropped in August.

Henderson has been busy playing shows since the EP’s release. He started with a U.S. headline tour and just wrapped up a series of European dates.

We met up with him in Los Angeles for a photoshoot and conversation about music, fashion, and life on the road.

You’ve been touring a lot lately. It looks like your European shows were pretty wild. How would you describe the tour?
The tour was a complete whirlwind. Every show was loud, steamy, and electric. I couldn’t believe they were my shows.

Now that you’ve had the chance to play songs from “tension” live, has a fan favorite emerged?
Interestingly, ‘lips’ and ‘one track mind’ set people off every night. It made me so happy to see my favorites resonate with people the way they did.

Which song from the EP do you like performing most?
Hmmm. I didn’t really expect it but ‘lips’ quickly became my favorite to play from this project. That song becomes so bouncy and fun with live drums and electric guitar behind it.

Speaking of tension, the cover art is crazy. Tell us about the photo and inspiration behind the design?
I was initially inspired by one of my favorite paintings of all time called “The Kiss” by artist Gustav Klimt. And then one of my favorite photos of all time was used for an ad for the brand 55DSL in 2006 and is known as “The Kiss of Death” by Stefan Ruiz. I wanted to combine the intimacy and gentleness of my favorite painting with the death defying stakes of my favorite photo.

One of the new track on the deluxe edition is “Parasite,” a collab with MICO. How did you end up on that track, and what was it like to record?
MICO had written a rough version of the song a year and sat on it because he didn’t feel like it was in his world enough to release. He threw a clip of it on his close friend’s story on Instagram and it felt like something I would sing so I texted him. We’ve known each other for years so working together was something that our fans have been asking for. I went in with him, and we rewrote most of the song together using two experiences that we were going through. I recorded it a few days later and just a few days before I left for the Tension Tour.

You went to music school at USC. What did you get out of it, and how valuable was that experience for your career?
Well, my first three years in college were studying aerospace engineering and I was secretly posting the 10 or so songs I had written on TikTok. Once one of them blew up, I switched into the music business major for my last couple semesters. I honestly didn’t go to class much and had to teach myself about the music industry faster than the curriculum was able to. It introduced me to a lot of people that have been doing this their whole lives though and I did learn some through that exposure. I still feel like the new kid in this industry because I started writing songs just a few years ago.

When we first met a couple years ago, you shied away from your past as a model. Now you’re embracing high fashion and working on brand collabs. What changed?
I didn’t want anyone to look at me for any reason besides my music. I wanted to be respected for a specific reason and didn’t want anyone to doubt that I could do this the right way. Once I signed my record deal, I knew it was time to bring it back into my life and incorporate my editorial experience into my music.

Who are your favorite designers?
I feel like I tend to pay attention to creative directors a bit more than designers because of their overall involvement in the brand’s image and design. I think what Anthony Vaccarello has done for YSL in the past decade has been incredible. I feel the same way about what Virgil Abloh and now Pharrell Williams have done with Louis Vuitton. These brands were completely transformed by these creative geniuses.

Are you constantly writing songs, or do you write in waves?
I absolutely write in waves. I need to be deeply compelled to say something when I’m writing, otherwise I don’t really like it.

Will we get new music from you soon?
Yes, I have one more song coming out as part of tension (heightened) which is just the last couple songs that fit into the world of this project. This last song is called “chemicals.”