The act of starting a garden is akin to healing. Catharsis, and the process of tilling your emotional beds, is not finite. The momentary respite, and allowing oneself to be absorbed in the act, is a salve. But winter comes, the garden shifts, and you begin anew. Haley Heynderickx’s debut album, I Need to Start a Garden, is a translation of this unabating flux of life.

For Heynderickx, reasons abound for seeking understanding through songwriting. Growing up in a religious household in Oregon while closely identifying with her Filipino roots, she embodies multiple cultural identities and the paradoxes inherent therein. Now residing in Portland, her faith is not overt, but her introspection and continued struggle for self-actualization are at the forefront of her accessible, poignant songs.

I Need to Start a Garden is relatable in how it speaks to the odious realities we attempt to confront daily, accompanied by a heavy dose of self-reflection. Heynderickx knows your pain -- she speaks to it in no uncertain terms through her personal expositions, entwining her healing process with yours. The album will be released March 2nd, 2018 from Mama Bird Recording Co.

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