Hayley McKay

Hayley McKay's new single 'The Bottom of My Heart' draws on inspiration and clarity after a painful period. Here, the singer shares with Maverick the instruments and influences that make up a gripping Country composition.

Tell me about your new single and the theme behind it?

The song is called ‘The Bottom of My Heart’. It begins with the iconic Transporter Bridge in the background of an industrial site in Middlesbrough, so it looks quite gritty at the start. The song is about not giving up on something - sometimes you’ve got to get through the pain to get to the good stuff. It’s quite an uplifting, motivating song, but it has drive to it with a country vibe. I write most of my material, but we got sent through some songs and this one really stood out for me. I thought I could definitely collaborate on it. It came from Nashville, but the song was produced here in England by Matt Parisi and mastered by the legendary Geoff Pesche at Abbey Road. We’ve given it a British vibe and it rocks it up a little bit. So yeah, I’m really pleased with it!

So when it comes to the video’s industrial theme… why did you choose the North-east and Middlesbrough?

I’m from the North-east myself - born in Durham - and I just wanted to make the video real. So we brought some people I know into the video and it was a home-grown video that I helped direct. We are all living in our own little bubbles and we are all trying to do something in our lives. It’s just that reminder that you have to keep going. So, for instance, in the video we open with a guy at work in the factory welding. But as the video moves on I’m walking in the countryside, up a hill, and that hill turns into me going on the stage. So yeah, I think it’s quite reflective of what I am doing as well as what other people are doing. Does that make sense?

Absolutely! What did you think of directing?