“If it wasn't for Western Sydney, I'd be rapping about nothing.”
Station Hayds’ newest EP, Everything's Corny Until It's Not, is short, sweet and straight to the point. The Sydney artist is one of the newer voices in local hip-hop, performing with a rhythm and poetry of unpolished comfort and quotidian observations. Chatting to Ify on Up For It, Station Hayds ran through the creative process for the EP, which included creating the cover art on his phone, months before the bars came to fruition.
“It was inspired by this artwork called Pool Parlour by Jacob Lawrence …There's an interview with JME, he's talking about how everyone's stuck into the same room because of the internet…that's what I wanted to depict…everyone's in the same room doing their thing but there's no individualism, especially at a time when there's so much music and content being put out, it's hard to stand out.”
For Station Hayds, music is an outlet that “lets me escape everything,” an idea he awoke to early in life. It compels him to act on ideas with intent – this newest EP was created in just a month. What’s also important to him is earnest collaboration, platforming the community of peers amongst which he is cutting his teeth. Over the beats of young producers emjaysoul, Tahkoe and jomari, Station Hayds solidifies the authenticity and candid energy he champions. With lyrics full of reminiscence and contemplation, Station Hayds is rooted in the real.
Words by Joella Marcus