Shaina Hayes

Once through the dreariness of the pandemic, Shaina Hayes realised that it would take a real effort to rediscover her joy and playfulness. It was during this period that the initial theme of Kindergarten Heart - the rebirth of youthful wonder - began to take shape. Over the course of the album's development, however, the theme evolved to encompass memory more broadly, and not just childhood memory. In its final form, the album unfolds as an exercise in retrospection, as a means of nourishing the present moment, or simply as a way of honouring those memories and the people they contain.

Originally from Shigawake in the Gaspé, Hayes grew up listening to singer-songwriters like Feist, Joni Mitchell and Regina Spektor, traditional country artists like Hank Williams and Dolly Parton, and more modern artists like Shania Twain and The Chicks. After studying agricultural sciences at McGill University, she returned to her native village and recorded and co-produced her first opus, to coax a waltz, which was released in April 2022.

Shortly afterwards, she began recording new songs. At the same time, live performances became an increasingly important part of her daily routine, as she toured across the province and supported bands such as The War on Drugs and The Barr Brothers. Although she continues to be involved in farming, Shaina Hayes has decided to devote herself entirely to music, ahead of the release of her second album, Kindergarten Heart, released in February 2024.

"Her country-folk is imbued with a quiet beauty, sung very slowly, with a haunting, melancholy tone (...) Talk about a very accomplished first album (...) You're always lulled, caressed... enchanted. It's a blessing in disguise. Sylvain Cormier, Le Devoir

The performance is made possible by the Quebec government's Plan de relance économique du milieu culturel.