The Artist Explains: Hayley Mary - 'Like A Woman Should'
Hayley Mary speaks to us about her brilliant vintage indie rock single and performance video, ‘Like A Woman Should,’ which visually explores a contemporary take on nostalgic aesthetics.
Where was the video for 'Like a Woman Should' filmed?
In various locations in Sydney city including St James train station, Hyde Park, The State Theatre, and legendary Harry’s Cafe De Wheel a shitty hotel that hasn’t been changed since the 60’s.
How does the video connect with the song?
The director, Tyson Perkins and I just wanted to make a simple performance video that allowed me to dress up to get my personality across, which is really quite conflicted. I suppose that conflict is reflected in the video by the fact that it’s a contemporary take on a nostalgic aesthetic. That aesthetic and the the vintage sound of the music contrast with lyrics that talk about wanting to be born in the future.
Do you have any behind the scenes stories you could share with us?
Not so much a story but a big thanks to Tyson who really went above and beyond to make this video the best it could be. We shot so much more than even makes it into this video because he really wanted to know that everything would be beautiful and it taught me a lot about the importance of location and camera work, for which i will ever be grateful.
Can you tell us about the ideas/themes/imagery used?
I think a lot of the imagery/themes come about by accidental fusion between location, extras and outfits. Tyson and I wanted to allude to figures of women of different ages, which is why a little girl and some teenagers figure, and in some ways I am dressed like a grandmother in some of the shots, but we never discussed this overtly, I think we were just both trying to get a sense of beauty and timelessness in everything we in front of the camera.
Is there a message the video is trying to convey?
Tyson and I never talked about message. He may have had some in mind, but he didn’t share them. I jus gave him a few songs and he chose this one as the one he wanted make a video for. Just as when I wrote the song, it really just started coming out. I thought it was a love song, but people decipher messages from it that weren’t totally intended. Thats fine, but I was just trying to make a bunch of words and melodies sound beautiful with the help of people around me. I think the video is the visual version of that.
Interview by Karla Harris
‘Like A Woman Should’ is taken from Hayley Mary’s o debut EP ‘The Piss, The Perfume’ which i out now on I OH YOU.