On ‘Eighteen’ Hayley finds herself yearning for a past she was once so desperate to escape. She recounts, “I was on a road trip in LA, driving a Mustang, when ‘When You Were Young’ by The Killers came on. Suddenly, I felt nostalgic for my youth. Then I realised—I was living the dream my 18-year-old self had, driving a Mustang through America. It’s ironic to long for a past I wanted to escape.” This sense of haunting nostalgia is symbolised in the accompanying video directed by Sami Swilks, where Hayley is attacked by her vampire boyfriend, Heartbreak High star Chapman-Paris, and becomes trapped as an eighteen-year-old vampire for eternity.

Hayley fleshed out the song in her Aunt’s kitchen in Vegas and brought it back to Sydney to work with The Jezabels producer Lachlan Mitchell. The production shines with new-wave synth-pop balanced with an unsettling gothic edge, including interpolations of the Dead Or Alive 80s mega-hit ‘You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)’ and samples of Mario Caiano’s 1965 horror film, Nightmare Castle.

Produced by Hayley and Mitchell, with co-production from Johnny Took of DMA’s and Lewis Stephenson (The Belligerents, Moses Gunn Collective), Hayley’s debut solo album, Roman XS, traverses the territory of iconic 80s divas such as Annie Lennox and Kate Bush, infused with moments reminiscent of The Killers, The Cure, and Arctic Monkeys, with the gritty dance beats of The Chemical Brothers or New Order. Featuring ‘Eighteen’, alongside singles ‘The Lonely One’, ‘One Last Drag‘, ‘The Ballad of Ruby Wednesday’ and ‘Primordial Afterglow’, the forthcoming album showcases Hayley’s capacity for writing cathartic pop songs with lyrics as deep as the ancient ruins.

Hayley Mary found her footing in the original era of indie-slease with Sydney band The Jezabels, who found their early success with their emotive, new-wave sound and quickly gained recognition as an enigmatic frontwoman. After a few years of international success and touring, the band went into hiatus, leading Hayley to pursue a solo career of her own making.

Following a stint collaborating with various musicians across the UK, Hayley returned to Sydney and her guitar rock roots to release three pop rock solo EPs The Piss, The Perfume, The Drip and Fall In Love, including the anthemic single ‘Like A Woman Should’, which boomed in popularity through the TV series ‘Maid’. Working with producer Scott Horscroft (Silverchair, The Presets) and co-producers Johnny Took and Oscar Dawson (Holy Holy), these combined her trademark quirky, provocative, romantic lyricism with a more aggressive classic-rock/singer-songwriter style, receiving praise from NME, Pilerats, Life Without Andy, Sydney Morning Herald and Tone Deaf. The releases lead her support for the likes of DMA’S, Liam Gallagher, and Tim Finn, as well as festival offers, including the UK’s Great Escape.

With the release of her debut album Roman XS, Hayley Mary will embark on a national tour of Australia in October. The album will be followed by a double A-Side release Roman XS – Extensio on November 11.