Gemma Hayes - “High & Low”

Joining us from Ireland is singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes and her latest single, “High & Low.” It’s been nine years since she gave the world the LP, Bones & Longing, but we assure you that she’s still got what it takes to make a splash in this endless sea of new releases.

“High & Low” enters your ears with some of the most elegantly plucked acoustic guitar that the folk genre has to offer. And before you’ve had a chance to fully absorb this heavenly tone, Hayes begins delivering the lyrics with her warm, breathy, and tender voice. Being that we’re likely the world’s largest Fiona Apple fans, we are very pleased to say that you will find hints of Apple’s emotional contralto and vibrato here, which is what sold us on this track in the first place.

The song remains extremely raw and sparse for most of its duration and when the vocal harmonies join on the refrain, it is seriously otherworldly– one merely needs to hold their headphones a bit closer in order to feel as though they are in the same room that the song is being performed. There is no trickery or modern production tactics being utilized here– it is quite simply an artist with a melody and her truth.

Just past midpoint, the gentle percussion and additional layers of vocals will likely be one of the many reasons you play this song in a loop. In under four minutes, Hayes manages to add some strength to anyone’s wounded spirit, “longing for a person who is gone, leaving a ghostly feeling of not fully being alive because of their departure.” And perhaps it’s because we are damaged that “High & Low” has resonated so deeply within us, but we are very grateful for having found it amidst our stack of submissions.

-TM