Tag: Hayden Calnin

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Feel Alright Listening to Hayden Calnin’s New Single

The gloomy pre-winter weather is the perfect backdrop for listening to “Alright Now,” the latest single from local multi-disciplinary artist Hayden Calnin. This gentle acoustic folk track is a bit like a big warm blanket or cup of tea. It just wraps around you and takes you to a place of serenity. It’s gorgeous.

“This song speaks to being okay with all the weirdness around you. Rather than avoiding it, I’ve found it’s often better to accept it and ride along with it,” Hayden said. “There’s also a realisation that you can’t talk to everyone about everything – stigma is a real thing and it exists around the globe on a range of topics, but it’s nice knowing that there’s a few people with whom I can talk to about the weirder side of life. It’s a gentle song, and hopefully it brings some calm to those who hear it.”

Hayden will support Canadian indie-folk artist Leif Vollebekk on his Australian tour, which kicks off on Tuesday. Both artists are so good; if you love gentle acoustic folk you won’t want to miss these shows:

6 May 2025 – Rechabite, Boorloo/Perth
8 May 2025 – Metro Theatre, Eora/Sydney
10 May 2025 – Crowbar, Meeanjin/Brisbane
11 May 2025 – The Croxton, Naarm/Melbourne

Photo credit: Christine Diefenbach

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hayden Calnin Announces Two Small Shows

Hayden Calnin’s one of those quiet, special musicians who gets under your skin with slow-burning, deeply personal songs. So it’s only fitting that he’ll showcase tunes from his latest EP Oh, Hunter with two intimate shows rather than big extravaganzas.

Hayden will delight hometown fans with a gig at Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club on May 3. He’ll then move on to Sydney’s Goodgod Small Club on May 9. He’ll be supported on both shows by the equally impressive Eliza Hull. Tickets are a steal at $15 plus booking fee. If you’re yet to snap up Oh, Hunter, you can purchase it with your tickets online.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hayden Calnin Impresses with “Comatose”


Hayden Calnin wowed me with “Coward,” the first single from Oh, Hunter last November. Now after many long months we finally get to hear another cut, which is a good thing too because the EP’s release is still a couple of weeks away.

“Comatose” is a little more sombre than “Coward,” but it resonated with me a lot more quickly. Hayden’s tone is just so beautiful, and this song is so perfectly crafted. It was also the last song written for the EP. I guess when you create something so exquisite, you know that you’re done.

“Comatose” is the second single lifted from Oh, Hunter, which hits stores on February 21. If you love it there’s good news, because you get a free download when you preorder the EP through iTunes or the Create/Control store.

Image used with permission from Create/Control

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Peninsula Picnic Sounds Incredible

I’m not really a festivals kind of person. I can’t think of anything worse than fighting through crowds, enduring a bunch of acts that only the cool kids like, and paying too much money for lukewarm beer. But the Peninsula Picnic has caught my attention. It sounds like my kind of festival, and I wish I was closer to the Mornington Peninsula so I could get along.

The Peninsula Picnic is all about three of my favorite things: good music, good food, and good wine. The musical line-up is stellar, with The Waifs, Paul Dempsey, The Pierce Brothers, Tinpan Orange, and Hayden Calnin all on the bill. Ian Curley, and the teams from Terre, Montalto, Pope Joan, The Long Table Restaurant, Dee’s Kitchen, DOC Mornington, and Terminus at Flinders Hotel will take care of the food.

The Peninsula Picnic hits the Mornington Racecourse on March 29. Tickets are on sale now from Ticketek.

Image used with permission from Secret Service Public Relations

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hayden Calnin Wins Me Over with “Coward”


I normally get a sense of whether I’ll like a song or not from the first 10 seconds or so. I promise myself that I’ll listen to a whole track before I decide whether to write about it or not, but it’s not often that I change my mind. However, Hayden Calnin managed to do just that with his new single “Coward.”

It started off a very minimalist electronic number which frankly bored me a bit. But it’s a slow burner that rewards any listener that sticks with it. It builds beautifully. It’s so clever the way Hayden’s melded electronic and folk influences. It’s got such a raw emotional core that I couldn’t help but be won over.

“Coward” is our first taste of Hayden’s forthcoming sophomore EP. He’ll launch it with a pair of shows in the major capitals. See him play The Workers Club in Melbourne on December 6 or FBi Social in Sydney on December 13.

Image used with permission from Create Control