We caught up with Indie-rock rising talent Mazey Haze before the release of her latest single, I Feel Like A Child.

Today Amsterdam-based Mazey Haze (aka Nadine Appeldoorn) releases ‘I Feel Like a Child’ the second single from her forthcoming EP Back to the Start due out on 7th April 2023 via LUSTRE. In her new work, Mazey Haze roots herself to the earth and exhibits a little less perfectionism while dialling down the more ethereal, synthetic textures found on her debut EP. Her love of Italian film scores, organic, acoustic sounds, and 1960s psych-rock all contribute to the album's nostalgic undercurrent that transports listeners to an earlier time. On Back to the Start, Appeldoorn has regained her own narrative, centralising her own journey rather than serving as a simple footnote in someone else's. Retracing her previous steps while still driven by the will to advance, Mazey Haze is constantly picking up new knowledge, and we're excited to see where it takes her.

Can you tell us who you are, where you’re from, and something about the music you make? 

I’m Nadine, 22 years old and from a tiny city called Assen in the north of Holland. I make music to make sense of myself, my feelings and my surroundings. 

How did it all start?

I can’t really remember a certain starting point, I just remember having a really strong feeling towards music that sounded pretty to me when I was a tiny kid. It brought me to another beautiful world, but I couldn't really describe it. I was fascinated with this toy keyboard at my grandma’s when I was 5 or something. Maybe that was the starting point. Or when I was 9 I remember seeing Michael Jackson’s funeral on TV and because of that, buying 2 of his compilation CDs with my mom. That was the first time I was attracted to music that I’d found myself.

We love your new single, “I Feel Like A Child”. Can you tell us a bit more about how this single came about?

I had just bought a second hand keyboard; the GEM PX-3. It was summer, the weather was beautiful and when I sit behind a keyboard in my bedroom I have this nice window view. That view, and the sounds and drum loops in that keyboard really inspired me and I immediately made a full song with it which ended up being I Feel Like a Child. 

How do you produce your music?

It mostly starts in my bedroom. There I can quietly and undisturbed get into the deeper layers of myself where I come up with melodies, synth sounds, guitar parts, drum parts, anything actually. From there I sometimes finish a full song at once, or in a few days. I let it be for a while and come back to it later. Then I critically review the song and see if I can perfect it - for example the arrangement or drum sound, bass riffs, lyrics, different production elements. Sometimes I throw the whole song structure around when I feel like it’s necessary. When I feel I’ve done everything I can to make it the best version of itself I  go to another producer, send it to my band and will record and mix everything with my band and an external producer. I also use pretty demos from talented friends from time to time, which I finish, in that way they end up being songs of mine. 

What inspires your music?

Mostly my own emotional world. When I feel bad making a song comforts me. I just try to let anything roll out of me straight from my heart. Which sounds horribly cheesy but it also really feels that way.  I try to let my intuition lead the process in the most pure way. Also my surroundings inspire me, funny strangers, nature, animals and a-typical environments. European movies, mostly French and Italian, from the 60s and 70s with their scores also can really trigger my feelings and mind. And ofcourse music that I love inspires me like at the moment The Beach Boys, Francoise Hardy, The Everly Brothers, ABBA, Bernard Estardy, or Armando Trovajoli.

Do you have any go-to songs that you like to cover?

‘Please No More Sad Songs’ by The Idle Race.

What advice would you give anyone trying to achieve a similar sound to you?

Don’t be afraid to take risks, following your intuition is always the best choice. 

If your music were a film, TV show or book, which would it be?

Le Ballon Rouge from 1956 by Albert Lamorisse.

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s important to you?

‘The Album’ by ABBA. It reminds me of the warm parts of my childhood, when I was just vibing to the music with my mom in the car. Later when I started to try and build a music career, I listened to it in a different way and was very amazed by how beautiful, tasty, clever and detailed the melodies, arrangements and production are. So now it has an amazingly warm and inspiring feeling to me. 

What do you hate right now?

My period.

What do you love right now?

My alarm clock with built-in radio, I fall asleep and wake up with classical music nowadays.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever played?

I supported Paolo Nutini in Cirque Royal in Brussels beginning of october. We only found out the day before we could do this show. The venue was beautiful and almost everything was arranged very nicely. We didn’t rehearse but I had zero nerves and was just very present in the performance, music and venue. I loved it. 

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?

I went to see Parcels in september. That was crazy. 

What comes next in the Mazey Haze story?

Growth.

What upcoming 2022 music releases are you most excited about?

I don’t know. 

Is there any new music from 2022 you have been enjoying?

I like the new album from Melody’s Echo Chamber, Emotional Eternal!

We know you’re a fan of French New Wave Cinema. Do you have any film recommendations for our readers?

La Vie à L'envers from 1964 by Alain Jessua!!

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

If you’ve read this interview all the way until here you’re amazing.