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| Photo credit: Cory Podielski |
By ERIC SCHELKOPF
Ahead of Hayley and the Crushers upcoming show at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, the band has released "Jewel Case," the first single off its new album set for release later this year on Kitten Robot Records.
“I was inspired by a girl I took to a show once," frontwoman Hayley Cain said in talking about the song. "I turned around for two seconds, and she had consumed enough liquor to get herself sent to the ER by ambulance. I spent the night in that hospital bed next to her while she slept it off, and what struck me was how completely unapologetic she was. She couldn't wait to do it all over again. Everyone has that moment where they say, ‘Yeah, that's the line. I'm not crossing that one again.’ That's what this song is about. That moment.”
Hayley and the Crushers will open for Screeching Weasel along with The Queers at 8 p.m. April 17 at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are available at oshows.com.
I had the chance to talk to Hayley about the upcoming show:
Q – Great to talk to you. Of course, you are touring with Screeching Weasel along with The Queers. You also toured with Screeching Weasel last year. How was that experience?
Great. All the guys in Screeching Weasel are incredibly friendly and cool.
Jumping up to these bigger shows, opening for iconic pop punk bands, has taught us a lot about owning the stage and making the most of the spectacle.
Sure, we have been humbled a time or two, but the way we see it is this: we've been given this opportunity to do the Crushers on steroids, and so we really do our best to rise to the occasion with even more energy and even some new ridiculous stage moves like our lead guitarist jumping over our bass player.
It was funny, because once our bass player (Dr. Cain) was just kneeling down to get a dropped pick, our guitarist (Ryan Deliso), thought that was the cue to jump over him. Surprised that one didn't lead to a pile up!
I mean, when we're all feeding off of each other on stage, firing on all cylinders, anything can happen! There's a point in the set where I throw this big iridescent fan into the audience, and it's been cool to see later at the merch table whoever caught it.
It's just one more piece they can take away from the show. Being able to give that to these audiences, while opening for one of my all-time favorite bands, has been an education, a revelation and, well, very surreal at times!
Q – I understand that you started playing Screeching Weasel songs when you first started playing the guitar. What attracted you to their music? I know the band is originally from the Chicago suburb of Prospect Heights.
I loved oldies radio and 50s-60s music growing up, so I think my early slide into Bay Area Lookout-era pop punk and the Ramones was a natural evolution. When I first got into Screeching Weasel through the Lookout catalog, I had no idea they were not from California, which is funny.
I always connected to artists that weren't afraid to be larger than life, and I kind of saw myself as the class clown. Screeching Weasel covered all the bases: danceable, clever, melodic, with a singular point of view, yet didn't take itself too seriously.
Q – I am sure you have heard your band's music described in many ways. How would you describe the music of Hayley and the Crushers?
Poolside glitter trash. Just think of all the stuff you'd find at the bottom of the pool after a raging pool party.
Lipstick, lighters, a piece of pizza, confetti, someone's lost shoe. We're a grab bag of everything from every era, a little punk, surf, garage, pop – it's all in the mix.
Q – As far as calling yourself the Crushers, is there a meaning behind the name?
To crush means to destroy your enemies. It also means to be charmed by someone (to have a crush or infatuation). You do the math!
Q – Your husband, Reid Cain, is the band's bass player. I understand after you first met, you joined his country band, Red Eye Junction. Has playing alongside each other brought the both of you even closer together?
Yes absolutely. We have always had an incredibly special musical relationship.
I am more poetic and he is more literal. I am obsessed with song structure while he loves to break structure apart and integrate chaos into the mix.
We balance each other super well. You have to have both sides of the coin to create something interesting and true.
We've found a way to really let each other do what we do well. Plus, we really do get shit done together, averaging about one release a year for every year we've been together!
Q – Your husband also had owned a comic store in California as well, correct?
Yes, it was called Dr. Cain's Comics in San Luis Obispo, CA. It still exists, just owned by our friend Pat (hi Pat!). He sold it so we could tour more, and then the pandemic happened.
But now live music seems to be coming back and the risk paid off. He's obsessed with comic books and our house is filled with long boxes.
Between his comic book addiction and my love of vintage clothes, we are running out of space!
Q – You also have a podcast, Crusher Talk. What made you want to start the podcast?
Crusher Talk is a podcast I put out each Tuesday through my substack channel, Crusher Talk with Hayley. I think it's interesting for most people to witness the "behind the scenes stuff" of being in a band, and I like connecting to my listeners on a deeper level.
I also love verbal communication, just chatting with friends really crystalizes my ideas and feelings. I am a writer by trade, so doing a podcast feels like a big reprieve from sitting at a desk diligently writing something "perfect."
I can be more freewheeling and spontaneous on a podcast. It all started with my first one, Sparkle and Destroy Podcast, where I interviewed some big names like Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go's and Alice Bag (also Ben Weasel!).
That one is still up somewhere (updated off and on), and you can find it if you snoop around.
Q – I understand the band is working on a new album. What goals do you have for the new album?
The goal for the new album was to write with precision and be ruthless about "keeping it simple, stupid." This album has all the heart, just a lot less fat.
I challenged myself to write with a sense of urgency and to lean into clean power pop hooks. Our last album, "Modern Adult Kicks," was crafted meticulously over the pandemic.
I absolutely love that record and am so proud of what we were able to do over that period of time, but I think the band is ready to put out something that feels of the moment and punchy.
"Unsubscribe from the Underground" had that edge, but it was an EP. This new album is a continuation of our evolving "grit and glitz" ethos, recorded between Detroit and Los Angeles.
Q – Hayley and the Crushers is signed to Kitten Robot Records, which was co-founded by iconic musician Josie Cotton. Have you been influenced by her music?
I didn't discover her until my teens, and it was through Screeching Weasel's cover of "Johnny Are You Queer." So yes, she has in a roundabout way.
I think a lot of people have been influenced by Josie, yet might not know it or give her proper credit. When it comes to the household names of the 80s New Wave scene, Josie was a cut above.
And yet, she didn't really fit the mold of New Wave, punk or pop. I've heard her described as "80s Bubblegum," which feels close.
The intertwining of pop, '60s music, rockabilly and electronic tones in her music are just as fresh today as they were then. Her voice is absolutely singular – you know when you're listening to Josie – and I think that's a testament to why she continues to stand out.
While "Convertible Music" is the instant 80s-does-60s classic that everyone needs in their record collection, my favorite album of hers is "From the Hip." Being able to work with Josie's team and to feel supported by her means the world.
Hayley and the Crushers are also blending together different eras in a tongue-in-cheek way. We don't fit in any one crowd.
So that way, we are both sort of oddballs. That's what makes the Kitten Robot family so great. A bunch of weirdos!
