Haley Heynderickx, most notable for her debut album “I Need to Start a Garden” which features her hit single “The Bug Collector,” released her second studio album titled “Seed of a Seed” on Nov. 1, 2024.
The album consists of 10 songs that range from tone and subject matter but are all unified with her unique vocals and instrumentation.
“Gemini” is the first song of the album, and it has a country rock tone to it that almost feels like Florence + the Machine meets Laufey. The song details how indecisive and confusing it feels to be in your 20s with no direction — a feeling that most college students resonate with.
“Foxglove,” track number two, is more indie and country than anything else, but has Heynderickx yearning for a simple existence instead of the bustling anxiety-inducing life she lives. She just wants to be introduced to nature again, but instead accepts that the daydream has died.
Being the titular song, “Seed of a Seed” speaks on the feeling of past generations influencing new generations and encapsulates the theme of the album — albeit by accident.
“‘Seed of a Seed’ is an incubation tune written in a pandemic rehearsal space — an accident song that you keep working on between others. I didn’t really care for it until Tré Burt said he liked it. It’s funny how some songs don’t hold weight until a friend points it out,” Heynderickx said on Bandcamp.
With a more mellow turn compared to the others, “Mouth of a Flower” is about the unfairness of the give and take of life. Heynderickx compares this concept to both nature and humans, drawing examples from how we share the same greed.
The final line has the repetitive phrase “Oh we take, and we take, take, take” that cements the almost chastise the listeners for taking apart of the greed.
“Spit in the Sink” is about the creative side that people have but that constantly gets squashed by the need to just survive in this world — the people are too tired to write. This song heavily relies on instrumentation and while the delivery is simple, it forces the audience to sit and think for just a moment.
Similar to “Foxglove,” “Redwoods (Anxious God)” is another ode to nature as Heynderickx sings about the yearn to be one with nature. She mentions how in unison humans used to be with nature but are now consumed by the notifications on their phone.
The chorus is filled with vocal and instrumental overlap and creates such a beautiful harmonization that represents the sounds of nature. The song finishes with how not even the bugs want to talk to humans anymore.
“Ayan’s Song” is a sweet tune with a heavy beat that speaks on how refreshing it is to be in the sun alone. The song ends with Heynderickx’s vocalization before the instruments stop.
Heynderickx appreciates the small details in her life with “Sorry Fahey” and realizes that makes her an adult. From being able to call her parents to her mischievous black cat, she is thankful for her life and everything that comes with it.
“Jerry’s Song” is a semi-love song that compares the subject to beautiful gifts. The singer is the opposite, however, and expresses how she feels she breaks down the subject. However, they’ll continue trying again, together.
“Swoop” is the final song of the album and is about Heynderickx’s grandmother. She brings up the grief of being at her grandmother’s grave and how to artistically capture that feeling, which she is doing so with this beautiful conclusion.
The album goes through a range of emotions and while each song is mellow, they all feel like they carry so much different weight to them. Some songs yearned for peace in nature while others spoke about grief. Of course, the two have to coexist and perfectly unifies this album to represent the human spirit.
