About two years ago, Hunter Moreau was lying in bed, recovering from a life-threatening surgery. During this time, she was also facing the obstacles of growing up. Was she going to college to pursue Public Relations, like she had planned on doing? While calculating her next steps in the midst of healing, her first single, “Drive In,” came into fruition. The song was released to the public in 2019 with only the help of her parents, but quickly became part of why she then decided to pursue music full-time.
Although these experiences were the start of her professional music career, Moreau is no novice to performing. Growing up in a small town near Cape Cod, she was a part of the community’s singing troupe, Showstoppers. In the years of touring and performing, she learned the discipline of showbiz. “Showstoppers taught me how to be a performer, not just a singer. It taught me to keep working on my craft. We did performances at nursing homes, community service events, and fundraisers. At a very young age, it taught me how powerful music is, how to really connect with an audience, make them feel something,” she recalls.
Since her debut single’s release, Moreau has stepped into a new phase, and offers the first evidence of her evolution with “Hazy.” Leaving her hometown, she traveled to NYC and Nashville, soaking in creative cultures and cultivating her voice. “In this process, I’ve worked with producers, writers, and really been in so many collaborative settings. I’ve grown up a lot as a writer. Every time I’m in the studio, I’m learning how the industry works and meeting new people,” she tells Audiofemme.
Pivotal to her new team was producer Doug Schadt. When they both sat down to collaborate on her new single “Hazy,” one thing came to mind: happiness. In the opening verses, she sings, “You’re as close to Heaven as it gets/You and I could be anyone/So you want to disappear?” Not meant for anyone specific, Moreau connects with listeners on a metaphorical rooftop with a single as melodic, fuzzy, and poetic as its title suggests; although we are still in quarantine, the song is reminiscent of summer parties with friends. “The song revolves around old friends and meeting new people you won’t see again, but it doesn’t matter,” Moreau explains. “You’re not worried about the next step. Nothing is meant to be taken too seriously, just a summer night. The simplicity of that is so important. As simple as it is, it’s really about an important part of life: having fun.” Moreau wanted to release a feel-good atmospheric pop banger that takes us back to a forgotten happiness.
Moreau has always advocated for the mental health of young people everywhere. With “Drive In,” she encouraged listeners to discover who they are without outward pressure. Her new single focuses on letting go of stress, not only on a summer night, but for any phase in life – though it may be more light-hearted than her previous release, the underlying message remains the same.
With the year-long period of haze and darkness we’ve had, it’s easy to get lost in our tensions and anxieties, but Moreau wants us to know that we should not be afraid to ask for help. “Mental health should be talked about, and I want to spread that message through my music, pushing vulnerability and authenticity,” she says. “It is understanding that everyone has their own problems, and being okay with how you feel. I will continue pushing this message throughout my career, because I think everybody forgets that it’s okay to be yourself.”
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