Jessica Louise Dye, frontwoman for NYC surf-pop combo High Waisted, steps out with grace and poise on her new solo venture Hello Lightfoot. With her kitty meowing in the background, she sat down with us to shed some insight on her new confessional, off-shoot endeavor.
Upon moving to New York City to start her solo project, Dye realized she didn’t possess the confidence to make the record she wanted to make. Dave, one of her best friends during this time, who in a support role steadfastly pushed her to believe in herself and her talents. Forming High Waisted, Dye learned to challenge herself within the confines of a band, but after Dave’s passing in March she knew it was time to let the sun in the room and revisit some earlier, brushed-aside songs.
Referring to Hello Lightfoot as her “self-care project,” she went through the many stages of grief and says that “having something to feel inspired by is one of the only things that can really help you when it’s so hard to put the energy into yourself. Even though I did a lot of the recording on my own, having this project was a good reason to reach out to people when it came to mixing or photos. It gave me a reason not to hide, and the connection part is enormously important.”
Looking at old songs with fresh eyes was an organic process, like a living creature that grows and changes through the years of emotional experiences, Dye says. At their inception, the songs’ melody and vocals were influenced by Metric and Feist, but in this new era she finds herself drawn to other diverse, strong women such as Robyn, Lykke Li, and Billie Eilish, for inspiration.
The first single “Twenty Seven” from Hello Lightfoot’s forthcoming album (expected in stores this February) is centered around the illusions of fairy tales and how they seduce us in relationships. “In terms of saving a relationship,” Dye says, “it’s like Ariel from The Little Mermaid or Goldilocks—I’ll give up my voice or trade every bed, but eventually it’s not gonna work.” In the video for “Twenty Seven” which was shot in Las Vegas, the fantasy lives on with an Elvis impersonator mirroring the nascent stages of a relationship and all its suspicions: is this a real connection or just a dream on a pedestal?
After Dye’s entire vinyl collection was wiped clean by an ex-lover when she returned home from tour, she’s been diligently building it back up, even acquiring a chunk of notable East Village rockabilly DJ Jukebox Jodi’s collection. Featured in Nylon, GQ, and a feature on a Record Store Day compilation alongside Bikini Kill and Lenny Kaye, follow Hello Lightfoot on social media for updates on live shows, all things High Waisted, and where to catch her in NYC finally spinning all of those records.
