Haley Pharo is an up-and-coming pop singer and songwriter with a lot of talent. Her debut album has just come out, and it was produced by the Grammy-winning producer Andrew Dawson, who’s also produced Kanye West, fun. and Beyonce. Pharo herself has also worked with Ryan Cabrera and Demi Lovato, among many other stars. Last week, Kittysneezes posted her video for “Prisoner”, and now she’s agreed to sit down to do an interview with us about her debut album, country music and singing with Michael Jackson.
Part the First
KS: At this moment in time, what is your favorite song?
HP: Recently, I’ve been playing Sam Smith’s whole album on repeat.
KS: What’s your favorite band that you don’t think a lot of people would have heard of?
HP: I’ve been digging Tove Lo’s music.
KS: What, if anything, is on any particular wall (your choice) in your domicile?
HP: I have a picture in my bathroom of Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, and Christy Turlington drinking champagne in a bathtub. It’s one of my favorite pictures of all time.
KS: What’s the strangest thing you own?
HP: A plethora of onesies.
KS: Of the things you’ve done, what’s your all-time favorite (however you want to interpret that, be it artistic works, actions, whatever)?
HP: Travel. Travel. Travel. I love getting to experience other cultures.
KS: Who’s your favorite visual artist (excluding yourself)?
HP: Lana Del Rey. I love how cinematic she is.
KS: What are the five most recent films you’ve seen?
HP: Guardians of the Galaxy, The Other Woman, Bridesmaids, Mean Girls, Godzilla.
KS: What’re your top three movies?
HP: I love a good chick flick. I love Mean Girls, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and V for Vendetta.
KS: Do you own any original artwork, and if so, whose?
HP: I have an afrique! It’s all done out of 1 piece of string…it’s pretty incredible. My parents had it for years and I finally convinced them to pass it my way.
KS: What is your favorite game?
HP: I love games. My friends and I have lots of game nights. I love charades.
KS: If you could say one thing to David Byrne, what would it be?
HP: What is your best piece of advice for making music a lifetime career?
KS: What are your five most favorite books in the world?
HP: I love The Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and The Great Gatsby.
KS: What is the most boring thing you’ve ever experienced?
HP: The DMV.
KS: If you could name a child anything in the world, what would it be?
HP: For a boy Ryder, and for a girl I love the name Lyla.
KS: What is your favorite meal?
HP: Do cheese and crackers count as a meal? That’s my favorite thing!
KS: What is reality?
HP: Hmm…how reality tv portrays it to be…dead on.
Part the Second
KS: How did you hook up with Andrew Dawson to produce your first album?
HP: My manager, Graham Kurzner linked us together. We had creative chemistry pretty immediately and started working on getting the record together.
KS: What was it like working with King Logan?
HP: A blast. King is like family to me. Whenever we’re in the studio together it’s a creative explosion! It’s like Christmas and my birthday rolled together! There’s typically lots of tequila as well, haha!
KS:I read that you started out singing country songs as a child — what is your favorite country song?
HP: The first song I ever performed was “Why Haven’t I Heard from You” by Reba McEntire. That was has a long of sentimental value to me, but my favorite new country song is “Show You Off” by Dan + Shay.
KS: Are you still into country music?
HP: I am, I just recently started listening to is again over the past couple years.
KS: What was it like recording with Michael Jackson?
HP: Unreal. He’s one of my all time favorite artist so to have had the experience is pretty crazy. His attention to detail in music is unsurpassed.
KS: What’s the most surprising thing in your record collection?
HP: I love Edith Piaf. I think her music is so beautiful.
KS: If you could work with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
HP: I would love to sing with Celine Dion and I’d love to sing/write with John Lennon.
KS: Do you enjoy making music videos?
HP: I’ve just started to get my feet wet in that department. It’s still super exciting for me!
KS: Do you think they’re still a good promotional tool?
HP: I do, I think being able to show a visual story is really powerful.