Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew (Aether) Hayes (Haze).
Hi Andrew (Aether), thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I, Andrew Hayes (Aether Haze), 28 years old, was born February 20th, 1997 and raised in Wyoming, Minnesota. I started my musical journey at a young age of seven or so. I began attending piano and eventually guitar lessons at Music Connection in Forest Lake, MN. I stayed in guitar from my middle to high school years. I had my first band experience there as well; consisting of at least five members who played guitar, bass, sax, drums and vocals. Surprisingly, I was too shy to sing in front of others then. I played the guitar to some Beatles, Red Hot Chili Peppers and I want to say Nirvana. Guitar never quite felt like my strong suit but a great art to learn and enjoy. I spent a lot of time with classic rock, grunge, blues and jazz.
Growing up I was mostly trying to write poetry and freestyle instead of riffs, licks and key melodies. I think it first started happening when I bought my own CD’s and would read and recite the lyric books that would sometimes be inserted. I eventually heard or bought some rap and hip hop albums by artists such as Notorious Big and Tech N9ne. I fell in love with the word play, rhyme schemes and delivery so much I wanted to do more than just rap or sing along. I wanted to create my own version. So I would write and recite when I would be alone at home with no one to disturb as I was insecure of my talent but I also didn’t want to be distracted by others. After writing some rough drafts I eventually started recording myself on my phone and one birthday, probably my 14th, I asked my dad for an interface, mic and daw bundle.
I didn’t have my own computer at the time so I would try to use the home computer or find a friend with a pc willing to learn the equipment with me. That never quite happened. But during my senior year, my high school offered a tour at McNally Music College and the Institute of Production and Recording (IPR). I took that opportunity and went. On the tour we got to hear an instrumental a producer was currently working on and asked if anyone would like to record their voice for fun. I said yes and dropped some explicit freestyle; expecting to get suspended after but was instead rewarded with dropped jaws and applause from my teacher and peers. The biggest and shortest reward after was getting to hear myself at a quality I couldn’t currently get myself. I left happy but hungry for more.
After graduating and being told music college was too expensive I got a laptop with my graduation gift money and downloaded a free Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) and the interface driver software to the interface I got on my fourteenth birthday. That’s when I started to convert YouTube beats to mp3s and record raw vocals over them. I never taught myself how to mix but it helped me hear my general ideas and delivery. It was a full circle for me because when I would freestyle or show my friends written material in school they would applaud but I couldn’t give myself a full reflection or appreciation until I was able to press the play button on my own work. I worked on multiple instrumentals during my few years in college but didn’t finish a final draft until 2017.
Once I had recorded a final draft I began to show my recording band friends who then said I should try an open mic. So I attended an open mic in 2017 at “Fifth Element”, which was the official Rhymesayers store in Minneapolis. I performed the song horribly but again, left hungry for more. I returned to another open mic but this time one of my recording band friends joined me on a song. It helped give me more confidence vocally performing a song with a friend who had performance experience but not particularly from hiphop and rap. So I genuinely didn’t know how the outcome was going to turn out. The outcome was I killed my part and he stumbled his. I couldn’t believe it but we still stood tall and got an applause. That was the last time I performed a public open mic but I knew that wouldn’t be my last taste of public performance. I knew I would come back stronger.
With time, I made more music with this friend and eventually he got referred by a friend to two younger guys that produced, recorded and posted hiphop and rap on SoundCloud in Wyoming, MN. These two younger guys I later found out to be a couple of talented high school youngin’s who went by the names of DJ Minnett and Kyszac. From here, I made an experimental EP with my previous band friend and DJ Minnett. We posted it and got some feedback but eventually decided to take it down as my friend wanted to pursue other things and I wanted to still pursue music so I continued working with DJ Minnett and Kyszac on solo material trying to develop my sound. At the near end of 2017 I created my soundcloud account and began releasing solo material there and on Kyszac and DJ Minnett’s teamshared soundcloud account that at the time was named “Minnesota Misfits”.
On this page you could find their productions with many of friends they grew up with but one stood out the most. That artist was $tevo. I eventually met $tevo and he invited me on a song. He releases it and later invites me to join the “Minnesota Misfits”. I accepted and in return I got to work on endless projects with these guys. We even expanded and worked with a couple other collectives. I also found a connection to a show promotion company through a different recording band friend around this time after he told me I need to start selling some tickets to earn slots at shows in town. Since I was so involved with Minnesota Misfits at the time, we decided it was a good opportunity to begin presenting the public with live performances as the collective. I won’t go into anyone else but it was an experience as I transcended into becoming a studio head and performing nut from 2018-2019 all around MN. I still work with that show promotion company to this day. They go by Leo Presents and I couldn’t thank them enough for all the opportunities they have presented me in my hometown.
Somewhere along the way from here I decided I had created enough material to piece my first solo album together that I would release not only on my SoundCloud but all other main platforms. I even paid for a full physical CD design and only had one made for myself then lost it. Someday I would still like to mass produce it. Anyways, I then discovered Distrokid and bought a record label bundle. From there I compiled two works of art I wanted to release in 2020 under my own self-owned record label that I today call “Grime Records”. Those works on Grime Records are titled, “When Skies Are Grey” (WSAG), which is a 17 track LP and “Feel That Fright” (FTF) which is a 9 track collaborative EP.
On (WSAG) I end the album with a song titled “Midnight Shades” which consists of myself playing a little acoustic guitar string and percussion with the help of DJ Minnett, raw vocals from myself and Kyszac on the live maraca, clap and drum kick. It was such a simple song but I felt like it really displayed how much peace had come into my life by making music with these guys at night after we all got off work. Even with a title such as (WSAG), no matter what type of headspace I was negatively in, I knew making music with these guys gave me a new purpose and passion for life that I was always unconsciously searching for, “using my voice and soul” to remind me it’s okay even if it’s not okay. I think that is the general message I want people to think when they hear my name. Even if life right now is filled with Haze, you can still navigate through it and find your Aether (a synonym for heaven; with the Greek mythological definition of the clear upper region in the sky above the clouds).
Furthermore, in 2022 I released two 9 track collaboration album EPs titled, “Mob Montra” with Cory Cooper and “God’s Honor” with $tevo on Grime Records. Those projects then lead listeners to a 14 track LP titled, “When Waves Won’t Wake” (WWWW). I was sitting on the EPs for a long time so they were a bit outdated in terms of where we were at in musical quality and content at the time behind the scenes but I still felt they told important stories of our artistry. The LP (WWWW), is my sequel to (WSAG). With the addition of better production and storytelling, I felt like it really showcased a great amount of self reflection of where I was currently at in life and what I want to do in my future. Which is continuing to find different ways to impact people’s lives through my connection in music and life.
Lastly, I released a single on the 26th of April in 2024, almost a year ago, titled, “Carry On”. Initially I portrayed it as the debut single to my next LP, “aethernet”. But now, what it has become is a stand alone single that presents my next step into my next era. On the cover is the shadow of a man at a computer desk working. The text says “Aether Haze, Carry On, AetherNet”. You can also see a variant of my “Grime Records” logo I had a friend bring to life in the bottom right corner. I also had another friend make the cover as a whole but what I’m trying to portray is that we only have one life on earth to live that we know of, so why don’t we try doing it the way we like? Be scared, feel that fright and push through it because the outcome will often be rewarding and worthy in the end.
For me, especially over the past year and more, I’ve kept a lot to myself. It’s been healing and much needed but I need to become more great and strong again. I must share this journey. That journey will be told through my next three projects of work. They will be titled, “AetherLAN(d)”, “aethernet” and “International Sunday”. I won’t go into any detail on them right now but I hope that it can excite any current or new listeners and influence them to dive further into the already released material as they have just as much to offer. Thanks for letting me tell a piece of my story today and I hope you can visit my linktree and follow what you like. I have a show coming up as well that I will be selling tickets for in my home town of Minneapolis at the Green Room on June 15th. The headliner will be Merkules and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of such an event. I hope to see you there as it will be my first show in 2025, I’m very amped to hit the stage again.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, I still work a 9-5 job. Consistency and realizing I need to develop a support/business/street team. Keeping up with the modern consumption habits of the average listener/viewer/follower and communicating with them. I struggle with creating micro-contents and other short bursts of information even though I have the tools. I also don’t have my own website or web store yet, though I have plenty of artist friends that would love to make designs for me and help me get it printed. I also have experience in working ship station and running warehouse operations so the biggest hassle is not having extra money and space for merch inventory. One reason why I have considered drop shipping. My biggest fear if I go into that is loosing control of customer service, product quality and just not making that much. But then my listeners get merchandise and I save on time for being a creator. I am recently beginning to think that’s what I may need to do to start complimenting my releases during their release window to further promote my music and brand. To also just survive as an artist in this society by paying my rent and other living expenses, I have to keep my 9-5 until I actually have some sort of monthly or bi-weekly income off music. I don’t see that happening until I make a web store and start doing my own pop-up performances, make more content and keep in contact with the people that help me make it all happen.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I grew up learning I needed to work hard for what I want in life. That meant I always had to be in school or have a job since I legally could if I was going to live under someone else’s roof. Rewards often didn’t come naturally to me for free. Whenever I wanted that next piece of technology, equipment, food, cloth, shelter or entertainment, I had to get sweaty and dirty. At times, bloody if I got a bruise, cut, or scrap. I think a lot of youth don’t have that type of work ethic anymore and I think it slows them down in the long run when they move out on their own.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Creating and experiencing music, entertainment and art. It helps me express myself in a world that often can seem unfair, misunderstood or ugly. Creating and experiencing helps take myself out of that perspective and in to something greater. Whether the piece is mine or someone else’s it reminds me I’m not alone and we all have stories to tell to help someone else write theirs.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aetherhaze/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AetherHaze/
- Twitter: https://x.com/aether_haze
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aetherhaze
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/aetherhazeofficial
- Other: https://linktr.ee/aetherhaze
