Video and Photos by Jordan Edwards

Like many of his peers in the LA music scene, Haiden is unashamedly pop. While he's gained a fair share of streams, his music is unpredictable, touching on the last three decades of rock. It helps that his voice is versatile, as evident from his TikTok, where he consistently teases new songs and posts covers straight to camera with no microphone.

Haiden by Jordan Edwards for Popdust

Haiden by Jordan Edwards for Popdust

Raised in Ojai, Calif., and educated at USC, he released his debut EP Good Grief! last fall. He speaks like a college professor (a cool one), records songs that last longer than three minutes, and dares not to stylize his name in all caps.

From the layered production to the vivid lyrics, it's clear he makes music meant to last, not just trending sounds. A good example is his latest single "flight attendant," an epic ballad with echos of Silverchair.

Watch Haiden talk about his favorite songs by Eminem, Arctic Monkeys, and more for 5 Tracks That Inspired Me, and stream "flight attendant" below.

5 Tracks That Inspired Haiden


For more from Haiden, follow him on Instagram and TikTok.

Coachella has always been the mecca of music festivals. Yes, it’s known for its celeb spottings and boho-chic crochet outfits. But it’s also a bucketlist festival for artists. It’s a capstone show that many performers use to flex their best stuff — whether it be unreleased music or a surprise guest. Why wouldn’t you? The crowd of 100,000 people per weekend is sometimes the biggest stage these artists have seen.

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MUSIC

Surfaces Want Us All to Have a "Good Day"

The indie pop duo sat down with Popdust for an exclusive interview.

Surfaces

Capturing the sentimentality of summer is imperative for indie-pop duo Surfaces.

Surfaces - Good Day (Official Video)www.youtube.com

"Sunny days bring out some of the most positive aspects of life," the duo said in an exclusive interview with Popdust. "Summer always brings new experiences and encapsulates happy nostalgia." Perhaps that's what makes the irony of "Good Day" so endearing. "No more school, no more rules" lead singer Forest Frank croons over snapping fingers and a light strum of the guitar. The single wasn't released until October, and with school very much back in session and the weather shifting into the grey of winter, "Good Day's" bubbly persona hits listeners in a tender spot this time of year. The video, which finds Frank and guitarist Colin Padalecki relaxing near the pool, further captures the song's bright essence. We chatted more with the band about their first tour, their new album, and how they got into feel-good pop music.

How did you get into music?

C: "I was never formally taught any instrument growing up but I had a natural fascination about the music creation process. Being an avid music listener (like most people) I just had to know what was going on behind the curtain. I've always enjoyed writing, but weaving in music production seemed to give words a whole new purpose for me."

F: "My family had a piano in our living room that always caught my attention. I feel like I could sit at it for hours and never get bored. I loved coming up with melodies and discovering new chord structures. When I was around 17 I saw someone making beats on YouTube and instantly wanted to give it a shot. Once I started I didn't want to stop. Colin and I met up a few years later and the rest is history."

Tell me about "Good Day." What was the creative process like?

C: "Good Day is kind of a functional song in the way that it could be anyone's soundtrack to having a good time outside. The bossa nova chords and laid back drums are supposed to support the lax mood. It's one of the least intricate tracks we've released, which helps it to come across as an easy listen."

F: "We went 'big production' for our previous videos, so we wanted to try something more minimal. We wanted it to feel like the viewer was watching us chill in the back yard of a house…nothing special. Also, we wanted to match the minimalism of our artwork/brand in a way we hadn't done before."

Surfaces

How is tour life? Tell me about your upcoming tour?

C: "We wrapped up a summer tour a few months ago that was actually our first tour ever. It was awesome to see our fans singing the lyrics and genuinely enjoying themselves. Living in the positive environment we had been trying to create all along was such an amazing feeling. We are looking forward to keeping the same energy and intimacy on a bigger scale across the country. We hope every person who is able to make it to this next tour walks away feeling like a better version of themselves. That has always been the goal!"

What can we expect from your new album?

F: "This next project is basically a culmination of everything we've made so far. There really is something for everyone. It can't really be described by genre, but it feels cohesive. To us it sounds like the wholesome/positive energy of oldies music packaged in a more modern mix. There are a few songs that hit what our fans would expect, and others that are entirely new flavors. We are always trying to find new ways to express ourselves, which always keeps things interesting."

Louis Tomlinson, previously of One Direction fame, just released his new single "We Made It."

The pop star announced his debut solo album, entitled Walls and dropping January 31, 2020, the day before releasing the song. The music video follows a young couple through the formation of their relationship and the eventual hardships they face, as Tomlinson sort of just looks on and narrates like a creepy, British fairy godmother. It seems as if maybe Tomlinson could only be bothered to go to one day of filming, so they shot the video without him and then just inserted shots of him singing with his hands in his pockets in front of vaguely similar scenery.

But the video aside, it's a song so wholly unremarkable that every time you read the name you may find yourself singing the far superior "Love It If We Made It" by The 1975 in your head—even if you're still literally listening to Tomlinson's song. It offers a repetitive, almost NSYNC-like rhythm and rhyming scheme, with lyrics that a robot could have written in its spare time. Unfortunately, it seems Tomlinson has taken his love of early 2000's British rock and channeled it into the creation of tepid, noncommittal music that sounds like someone trying to imitate The Wombats trying to imitate The Arctic Monkeys. It's so many levels removed from the kind of edgy, punch-you-in-the-face, British rock it's desperately trying to be that it ends up sounding like nothing at all.

MUSIC

Louis Tomlinson Wants to Be in Oasis So Bad

"Kill My Mind" is an Oasis rip off in the least flattering way.

Louis Tomlinson wants us to know that he's been listening to rock music.

Louis Tomlinson - Kill My Mind (Official Lyric Video)www.youtube.com

In an awkward 2017 profile with The Guardian, the former One Direction member described himself as "forgettable" and endorsed the idea that he was the "lowliest" member of the group, citing the fact that he never had a single vocal solo during his time with the band. "I'm trying to work out why it is that I'm [doing this]," he said, as a few offerings off his upcoming solo album played in the background. So he did what any uninspired artist would do: he went back to his "roots" and listened to the music he grew up with. "I grew up loving bands," Tomlinson told MTV. "Because I'm from the north of England naturally everyone's obsessed with Oasis and Arctic Monkeys." Consequently, Tomlinson's new single, "Kill My Mind," sounds like a mediocre tribute to early aughts British rock.

"Kill My Mind" is melodically reminiscent of a 2006 Arctic Monkeys B-side, while lyrics like, "kept me living from the last time, from a prison of a past life," attempt to carry the metaphorical significance of an Oasis record, but mostly just don't make any sense. Tomlinson's attempt at a low nasally growl when he sings, "and you hate me, and I want more," just sounds like Liam Gallagher mimicry. Thematically, Tomlinson's wish-washy narrative makes it sound like he's trying to appear more prolific and rock-and-roll-esque than he actually is. Even the lyric video shows a cartoon Tomlinson directly copying the outfit and stance of Liam Gallagher during an Oasis performance. All of it feels fraudulent, none of it is compelling, and all of it suggests Tomlinson would rather be a third Gallagher brother than himself.

Interviews

Interview | Miles Kane

Miles Kane of The Last Shadow Puppets discusses his new solo album, Coup De Grace

Miles Kane - LA Five Four (309)

"Being on stage is my favorite thing ever. [It's] where I come alive."

When he's not playing in The Last Shadow Puppets with Alex Turner, Miles Kane pursues his own truth, blending rock and roll nostalgia with the coiled, fuzzed-out severity of today's lo-fi garage rock movement. With the release of his third solo album, he's exploring new sounds but focusing on the same thing; namely, producing good music and cutting out the fluff. Coup De Grace makes a rare double move, in that it deviates from Kane's prior work but is still uniquely his. We were lucky enough to catch him before he embarks on a European tour and talked with him about his new musical direction, his influences, and his creative process during this Popdust exclusive interview.

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