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Apr 24, 2020 By Mark Redfern (with Lily Guthrie) Photography by Marguerite Marcella Mannix Hazel English

My Firsts is our email interview series where we ask musicians to tell us about their first life experiences, be it early childhood ones (first word, first concert, etc.) or their first tastes of being a musician (first band, first tour, etc.). For this My Firsts we talk to Hazel English.

The Australian-born/Los Angeles-based jangle pop singer/songwriter has released her debut album, Wake UP!, today via Polyvinyl/Marathon Artists. It follows her 2017 EP Just Give In/Never Going Home. Wake UP! was produced by Justin Raisen (Angel Olsen, Charli XCX) in Los Angeles and Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Glass Animals, The Big Moon) in Atlanta and confronts capitalism, power struggles, and the dynamics of relationships. “Sometimes I feel like we’re just sleepwalking through our lives,” said English in a press release in regards to the album’s title. She added that she hopes Wake UP! helps “make people become more aware and mindful.”

Read on as English divulges the details of first romances, early social media fads, and other simple joys of being young.

First instrument?

My first instrument was actually the euphonium, which I started playing in fourth grade for the school band. I had desperately wanted to learn the trombone, but alas, my arms were too short.

First actor or actress you had a crush on?

I remember having posters in my room of Josh Hartnett—definitely one of my first celeb crushes.

First favorite band?

Spice Girls! I even had a Spice Girls party, where everyone dressed up. I was Sporty Spice.

First time your heart was broken?

When I asked my crush to dance at the grade six disco and he said no.

First concert you went to?

I remember one of my first concerts was Usher, I was probably around 11 or 12. I went with my mum and at one point in the show, he dropped his pants so he was just in his underwear and I was covering my eyes because it was too much for me!

First person you kissed?

My first kiss was at a Story of the Year concert (remember that band?!). I was 16 and had just gotten my braces off about a week prior. It was with a guy named Josh, and although we didn’t become a couple, we still remained close friends after that. Sadly, Josh ended up passing away a few years later from cancer so I feel a little nostalgic when I think about my first kiss.

First time you got drunk?

The first time I got drunk was when I was in Greece on a holiday with my family. I was 16 and since there’s basically no age limit there, I snuck out to go dancing at some club, and I remember still feeling dizzy the next day when we went out to breakfast.

First job you had?

My first job was as a waitress at a seaside when I was 14. Honestly as far as first jobs go, it wasn’t so bad.

First computer?

We had a pretty clunky old Apple desktop when I was a kid. I remember the old logo with the rainbow apple. I was obsessed with Sims and Neopets, and burning CDs was the most exciting thing at the time. Oh, and webcams! Remember webcams?

First social media account?

Myspace of course. I remember spending hours decorating my page with all these crazy moving graphics and of course taking tons of terrible selfies. I feel like that was the start of the selfie era.

www.hazelenglish.com

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