R&B Singer Nikki Hayes Says Her Debut EP Is On The Way

Written by Vocalo Radio on June 26, 2020

The Chicago-born vocalist hopes to drop The Twelfth House this fall.

Nikki Hayes is known for her old-soul presence and larger-than-life vocals, all of which are packaged irrestiably in her 90’s inspired R&B tunes. After dropping three singles last year, she’s gearing up to release her first EP in a few months. She spoke to our Midday Host Bekoe about making the move from Chicago to Arizona, learning to flow with a new process, and what we can expect from the upcoming project.

Stream the full interview on our Spotify.

Moving To Arizona

The now-Arizonia-based singer was born and raised in Chicago. She said that moving was difficult at first, complete with culture shock, and she was not having it.

“My whole life is in Chicago. I spent the first 22 years of my life there, so my life was crumbling outside of my control.”

But, as she told Bekoe, she realized that there was one huge perk…being that much closer to Los Angeles. While it has been challenging for her to find other artists to work with in Arizona, being near LA has been a blessing for her and her music career.

Later on in the interview, she admits that the fast pace of the city has been good – from getting in multiple sessions a day to meeting new people and visiting new places. She also gushed about the people she’s worked with, saying:

“There was a lot of genuineness! Which is rare to find in any place, but especially in LA.”

Her Recording Process

Nikki said that this has, admittedly, varied considerably over the last year and a half. Between sessions in LA, writing on FaceTime, and working at home, there hasn’t been a set routine.

However, the same can not be said for her writing:

“For the most part my writing process, alone, has pretty much remained the same.”

She walked through her process of free-writing before transitioning over to the keyboard and beyond. Interestingly, she has found that moving to Arizona has meant a lot more alone-time while writing, before going into the studio to record.

An EP Is On The Way

While there’s no set date for the drop, Nikki could reveal that she’s hoping to get it out sometime this fall. Titled The Twelfth House for the twelve houses of the Zodiac, it will revolve around reflection and unlearning that comes from a journey of healing.

Nikki also said that most of The Twelfth House is about her own healing process from an abusive relationship and periods of being unkind to herself. When asked if she had any words to share for those who might need to get out of their own abusive relationships, she said:

“It’s definitely very very difficult but it’s okay to be happy again. It’s okay to love yourself again. It’s no straight trajectory from these types of situations.”

For every step forward, there might be a step back, she said. But you get back up and keep going.