Everybody Say Hey Rel: An interview!
Written by Jamilla Philson
Hey Rel is the songwriting project of Ariel Hirschhorn (aka Rel). Based in Providence, Rhode Island, Hey Rel is reminiscent of late 90s indie nostalgic groups and icons such as Stereolab and Liz Phair. On March 7th, Hey Rel is releasing their debut EP titled Big Try, produced with Chaimes Parker (Horse Jumper of Love, Nova One) at Big Nice Studio. Inspired by the artists and community found in Providence, Big Try reflects on Rel taking a big chance in a Small state. Self-described as “collage-pop,” Big Try is influenced by Rel’s modge podge of eclectic experiences in their new environment. I got to chat with them about the making of the EP as well as their creative process, inspirations, and desires for the future.
Q1: Tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from, and how you got into making music?
A: Hey Dreamworldgirl, I’m Rel of Hey Rel! I’m releasing my debut EP, Big Try, on March 7. I’m a Providence, RI-based artist originally from the Boston suburbs. I grew up in a kooky family that embraced my artistic endeavors. My brother and I made videos together, and I wrote jingles about the family cat when I was young that my parents still sing to this day.
I also grew up within the Reform Judaism movement. Although I struggle with some of my experiences in that space, the music really stuck with me. The song leaders and rabbis had the most insane guitar skills, absolutely shredding on Hinei Mah Tov. Debbie Friedman’s music subconsciously influenced my sound- I hear a lot of her chord progressions in what I write today.
I began taking myself seriously as a songwriter at Young Writers Workshop, a summer program through the University of Virginia. As a teenager, it meant a lot to have my work considered and critiqued. The program also encouraged us to experiment and collaborate. Jazz poetry night was one of my favorite activities. A group of local musicians improvised as we performed our original poetry. I remember feeling so totally free there.
Q2: What can we expect from your upcoming EP? What inspired you to make it?
A:“ Big Try” is a 5-song EP, an eclectic collage of older and more recent work. I would describe it as a pop record with some rock, punk, and folk influence. This record feels like taking a first step in spite of my fear or anxieties. That’s why it’s called Big Try!
As a songwriter, I aim to tell a story- the words, melody, and instrumentation are all in service of that goal. I’m also a pop music enthusiast, so I wanted to make these songs as hooky as possible.
I recorded it at Big Nice Studio with Chaimes Parker in Lincoln, RI, with a team of collaborators, including Catherine Noa Ashley, Sage Ua Sole, Hannah Jocelyn, and my parents! My brother, Sam Hirschhorn, also created an amazing lyric video for “Off Your Lips.” We’re still collaborating as adults :)
I’ve always wanted to put out a record, but my move to Providence set that plan into motion. I originally moved here for work, and I’ve been so lucky to fall into an incredible creative community. Seeing my friends make art, play shows, and write gave me the confidence to pursue my own project. Big Try is also a fulfillment of teenage Rel’s dreams. I’ve been wanting to release an EP for as long as I knew what an EP was. It was only until now that I felt I had the necessary support to actually do it. Community is everything!
Q3: How do you tap into your creativity?
A: The initial spark for a song never happens when I’m at my desk with a notebook open. I have a really loud internal monologue—I’m always in a one-person conversation. I’ll usually get the inspiration for a song on a walk, a hook coming to me as I reflect on a situation. Once I have a line, I’ll use the rhythm of my footsteps to repeat the line in my head over and over, which helps me discover a melody or feel for a song. I’ll pull out a notebook as soon as I can. I never delete or throw out anything, though- sometimes a lyric from years ago sparks a whole new song!
Later, I’ll sit down with a guitar, pen, and notebook and try to piece together a chorus or verse. New lines will come to me as I write. I use rhyme to help me get from one line to the next. That’s the great thing about writing songs- they can withstand a little cheesiness. I’ll also play around on guitar. When I’m stuck, I’ll modify a progression or riff I like and make something new with that.
Bringing lyrics and music together always feels like setting up two friends on a date. Sometimes, the pair you thought would totally hit it off have nothing to talk about. And sometimes, the right introduction of two people, each with complementing differences, makes magic.
Once I have a full song, I’ll send over a shoddy demo to a collection of my least judgemental friends. From there, I’ll tweak, and eventually bring it to other musicians who take the song from a sketch to a complete work. I had a wonderful conversation with my friend Sage, who told me that a song is a living entity, always changing. And it’s through sharing it with others that we give it a life outside of our internal world.
With an art form as embarrassing as songwriting, I’ve found that it’s important to show it to two groups of people- friends that will cheerlead and friends that will critique. Without the cheerleaders, I would never have the courage to write. Without the critics, I wouldn’t know if anything I wrote was any good.
Q4: What about the process of making music makes you feel the most passionate and the most understood?
A: Songwriting to me is all about having agency over the story you want to tell. To say something exactly how you want for as long as you like, in as dramatic or subdued a fashion as you want. There’s also something magical about songwriting. To write a line that gets stuck in people’s heads, that’s powerful! Other people’s songs come like messages from my unconscious. They keep me company when I need comfort or reassurance. To have my music be that for someone else—to provide a moment of recognition or joy—that’s a connective power that stretches across time and space.
Q5: Who are some of your biggest influences in your sound and vision?
A: I’m typically drawn to artists with a pop sensibility, sharp lyricism, and an openness to experimentation. I like work that has something musically unusual about it that never comes at the expense of a catchy hook. Stereolab is a major reference point for this: Dots and Loops is one of my favorite albums of all time. The lush orchestration, unusual chord progressions, impressionistic lyrics, and powerful melodies keep me coming back to this record. One of the songs on the EP is a modification of a Stereolab progression I love.
I’m also drawn to artists who embrace both minimalism and maximalism. Nilüfer Yanya can write a killer song with just her voice and guitar or a full band backing her. Her song Baby Luv got me back into songwriting after a hiatus. Just the rawness of it, the way her voice bends around that guitar riff.
My full(er) list goes as follows: B-52s, Sidney Gish, Indigo Girls, Kate Bush, Phoebe Snow, Liz Phair, Talking Heads, Hemlocke springs, Mannequin Pussy, Sufjan Stevens, Hotline TNT, Alvvays, Tracy Chapman, Judee Sill, Le Tigre, My Bloody Valentine, Taylor Swift.
I also want to shout out some local Providence acts that I love: Dogs on Shady Lane, Wooll, and Breachway.
Q6: What do you want the world to understand about you with this project?
A: This record came about through the love and support of my friends and family, and I feel that love whenever I listen to the EP. My community touched every part of this EP: editing early lyrics, coming up with basslines, giving feedback on mixes, creating visuals. It is never too early or too late to start making music. At the beginning of this process, I felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount I didn’t know. If you gather up a group of generous and creative people, they can help fill in some of the gaps.
Especially to the femme people out there, do not let some man who happens to be able to shred stop you from making music. Your unique voice as an artist, regardless of your level of experience, is incredibly valuable. In these dark times, where everything that gives us life is being stripped away, we need more art in the face of that, not less. Art is community, art is magic! We need you.
Q7: What is your favorite song off the EP and why?
A: That’s like picking a favorite child! Okay, maybe I have some secret favorites...My favorite one to produce was“ Off Your Lips”. That song makes me laugh whenever I hear it. I had a lot of fun being goofy into the mic. I also got my parents in the studio for some handclaps and gang vocals. My mom nailed a killer ad-lib on the first take. I think they had a great time.
Q8: If you could come up with a new genre to describe the sound and vibe of your EP, what would it be?
A: This is a tough one...maybe collage-pop? The album art is a collage, so that’s where I’m drawing [the name] from. Each song sounds different from the next one, like ephemera from magazines or books, but it all works together to create a new image.
Q9: Were there any creative breakthroughs or realizations you had about making music while constructing this EP?
A: I’ve always felt insecure about my guitar playing—that it’s too amateurish or messy. But I realized that it was important not to wait. If I waited until I was“ good enough”, I would never release anything. I also have learned to take a longer view of my musicianship. I wrote the first song on the EP in high school. Creative projects take time! I’m way better than I was five years ago, and who can imagine where I’ll be in the next five?
Q10: Do you have any special plans for the release? What is next for you in terms of music and your career?
A: Yes! Anyone in the Providence/Boston area should come through to the release show- it’s at AS220 on 3/14, tickets here! I’ll be playing with two friends, Daniel Sohn and Matt Zucconi of Hundred Acre Cove. There will also be a limited run of cassette tapes. After this release, I want to write a full-length record, and keep collaborating and experimenting. I’d love to work with new musicians and new instruments. If anyone is interested in collaborating, please reach out! I’d love to hear from you.
