Haley Blais

Haley Blais started putting out music in Los Angeles around the early 2010s. Her song 'Be Your Own Muse' got some attention for its straightforward take on self-reliance. She's mentioned Alanis Morissette and Fiona Apple as influences, which makes sense given the directness in her writing.

Her first album was called 'The Silence,' followed by 'Brave.' The songs tend to work with pop and folk shapes, like 'On a Weekend' or 'So Funny,' where the melodies are clear and the arrangements stay pretty lean. She's played with musicians like drummer Chris Bee and bassist Eric Holden, but the focus usually stays on the songs themselves.

Blais writes about personal stuff without much decoration, which gives tracks like 'Best Thing' or 'Firestarter' their plain-spoken quality. There's not a lot of production fuss getting in the way. The music feels like it comes from someone working things out in real time rather than trying to fit a particular sound.