Chicago Artist Jackie Hayes Releases “omg” Ahead of New EP and Riot Fest Debut

If you’re a pessimist like me (I’d like to think most people are pessimists?), you probably have the mindset that regardless of how content you may be in the moment, there’s always going to be something else to ruin it. This sentiment has been echoed in songs since the beginning of time, one I most recently pinpoint in Kacey Musgraves’ “Happy & Sad,”—one that I personally feels universally relatable. 

I’d like to think that 19-year-old Waukegan grown artist Jackie Hayes agrees with me on that, especially in new single “omg,” out today. “omg” comes ahead of her new EP, There’s Always Going to Be Something, out in August of this year (see what I did there?). There comes a time in everybody’s lives where we realize that there’s a lot more to adulthood than any of us could have prepared for (why doesn’t anyone teach us how to get car insurance as children?!) and the anxiety that comes with the realization that “it’s just not as fun as they advertised.”

Hayes’ unique voice correlates with the angst of the song: one with a deep vibrato that’s recently absent in the indie pop/rock space, pairing with a muddy guitar line. Upon hearing this track, Hayes’ vocal performance instantly reminded me of Marina Diamandis’ voice (Marina & The Diamonds), and the edginess of the subject matter, though different, also draws similar parallels. 

There’s Always Going To Be Something was created with Hayes’ longtime collaborator Billy Lemos, an EP described as “depicting the woes of a jaded soul in a young person’s body.” Thanks to Hayes’ work over the last years releasing her work independently after moving to Chicago to pursue music in the city’s bustling DIY scene, Hayes was able to deliver her debut EP, take it, leave it, in 2020, after performing at shows with artists like Claud, Role Model, and the Japanese House. 

There’s Always Going To Be Something drops on August 13. You can see Jackie Hayes perform at Riot Fest this year: see the full lineup here.