Interview: Kid Hastings
By Sophie Minello
After a year long hiatus, Kid Hastings is back with "Call Me Up”, the lead single of his upcoming EP. Jake McEvoy, the lead of this project, embraces identity through this release which is accompanied by a fluid, beautiful, and dark music video. Learn more about McEvoy and his inspiration with our interview below!
By Eddie Mandell and Aamir Khuller
What was your inspiration when writing “Call Me Up”?
After the end of my first real relationship of two years (and the entire inspiration for my first musical project) I found myself in a very intense rebound relationship shortly after. It only lasted a week until they left - I fell in love hard only to have it end almost immediately. This song was a plea to return to that brief flicker of happiness but also a testament to my confusion at the time. Its jarring and raw at points, but then floats into a more lush, ethereal sound in others
The music video portrays two versions of yourself. Can you explain to us these different versions?
In my confusion, I was having a bit of an identity crisis - I didn’t know what I wanted or why I was so torn up about a week-long relationship. I had a strong internal conflict that seemed to start manifesting itself as two different people - one more cold and unfeeling, the other warmer and more vulnerable. Ava and I wanted to put these characters at odds with one another in an absurd, intimate situation and let their dynamic and movement tell the story.
Above all else though, these characters were a way for me to express myself in a way I haven’t been able to or felt comfortable enough to do before; in a sense, being stuck inside without the gaze of anyone else gave me the courage to take that step outside my boundaries.
The idea of artistic movement was portrayed through the music video. To you, what is the importance of this movement?
Movement and dance has been a medium that I’ve always been fascinated by but never had the chance to experiment with. In "Call Me Up," Ava and I wanted to tell the story almost entirely through movement - we felt it was the most effective way to convey the intimacy and conflict between the identities. To me, there was no greater way of emphasizing the tension and passion between 1st character and the older woman than through dance.
What can fans expect from your upcoming EP?
Music to dance to but also be sad to. Hopefully I’ll be the soundtrack of one of those Tik Tok sunset videos.
Do you think the circumstances of quarantine and your hiatus pushed your writing in a direction it wouldn’t have gone otherwise?
I took a pretty long break from writing starting in May or so - I reflected a lot more on myself, took some time to experiment through other mediums and tried to help lift up other artists. I think it's good to take a big step back sometimes and recalibrate.
What were you able to learn about yourself while taking a break?
I learned that what I need to be happy is found through trust and love for those around me. You get back from the world the kind of energy you put into it, so I’m trying to be a better person on all fronts.
Was there something you had that was essential to getting through 2020?
Reading, Mk.gee’s newest EP, Charles Mingus, Chess, The Sopranos and my homies got me through 2020.
What can fans expect from you for 2021?
New music, weird visuals, a lot of dancing and a Tik Tok presence that no one asked for.