Southland-born, Catlins-based musician LACHIE HAYES releases a splendid sophomore effort with SUBSATELLITE, his Delaney Davidson produced eleven-track musical commentary that takes you through a myriad journey of colourful losers, drunken brawlers and romantic crooners.

SUBSATELLITE features the well-received roll-out singles that kicked off this absorbing musical voyage, from the haunting and melancholic vibe of ‘This River’, to the richly evocative story-telling of ‘S.O.B.’, and the warm, rockabilly-swamp blues of title-track ‘Subsatellite’. The album continues to deliver with stand-out tracks such as ‘Fire In My Heart’ FEAT. Kayla Mahon, ‘Easy To Fall For You’ FEAT. Oscar Ladell, ‘Woman That Tamed The Devil’ and many more.

From the deepest of the deep south, where the winds sculpt both landscape and character, emerges Lachie Hayes, an artist whose unique musical landscape is forged through a generational collision of place and story; a talented musician unafraid to explore and blend genres and styles; a classic story-teller whose musicianship merges a rich blend of rural blues, alt-folk-country and soul rock to deliver a new wave of alt-country.

Lachie says: “The stories that are told on the album are varied, but involve ordinary people and people of certain times and places. Some of the characters that are sung about are heroes, some are evil, others are just somewhere in between – and the rest are people that are not good or bad. They just are.”

A non-conformist philosophy underlies Lachie's approach to music production, where he seeks to strip back layers of sound to uncover the raw, unfiltered essence of each song.

With this ethos in mind, Hayes recorded his new album at MASSAV Studios, Invercargill, under the keen guidance of BLAIR SAVORY, deftly recorded by TAHNE BROWN, and with revered music luminary DELANEY DAVIDSON at the helm producing. On hearing these recordings, Southland label MASSAV Records was launched to sign Hayes as the first artist on their roster, marking an exciting achievement for this award-winning songwriter.

“It was a truly great experience. Blair is passionate about local music and made the whole thing happen. Having Delaney on board was cool as he brought his distinctive Lyttleton sound to the studio, which created a cohesion through the various places and themes within the songs themselves,” enthuses Lachie.

With SUBSATELLITE, Hayes explores and ponders on the wider landscape of the local and international music world, and how your placement on that global map does not signify the value or importance of creative output.

Lachie Hayes: “A subsatellite is an undiscovered, yet theoretically possible, celestial object, a small world that orbits a moon instead of a sun or a planet. It’s not at the centre of the solar system, it’s not a big, shining body close to a superstar, and it’s not even a satellite of a main player. It exists on the fringes of the fringes, far from the brightest and the biggest.

But that doesn’t mean it’s insignificant. Sometimes, here in the deep south of New Zealand, I find myself in a similar position. We’re not big players like in Hollywood, New York, or London. We’re not the smaller planets of Australia, or even a well-known satellite like Auckland. We’re the outskirts of the outskirts, frequently underestimated and easily labelled.

It’s simple to look at a small, distant world and say there’s nothing there, that it’s a barren place with nothing to offer. But we know better. We may be far from the bright lights, a small spot on the map, but it’s filled with character, creativity, and a unique soul.

This whole album, came from that feeling. I am a subsatellite, but I have wheels within wheels, I am more than meets the eye. This album tells the story of how small towns are more than barren worlds. We’re alive, we’re ambitious, and we’re ready to prove it.”

In Lachie Hayes we find a sound that has been simmering below the surface, now rising to unveil a musician, story-teller and performer who embodies the rhythm, grit and nuance that captivates audiences. With SUBSATELLITE we see an ascending star emerging, ready to shine.

Look out for Lachie Hayes touring later this year.

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