Interview: Hailey Ezzell Talks About Her Upcoming Album, Queen of the Airwaves and Musical Mission

Interview by Rachel Cholko

If your rock and roll spirit needs a breath of fresh fascination, let me introduce you to Hailey Ezzell: the new face of the old soul. Ezzell has been radiating her retroactive passion and determined musicianship across south Florida for several years, and is here to claim her rightful throne as Queen of the Airwaves— the title of her long-awaited debut album. In anticipation of the November 21st drop date, I sat down with Ezzell to unveil the story of her regal release, as well as what her musical mission is all about.

R.C.: First of all, Hailey, you're getting shown off to an unfamiliar crowd right now. I know you well, but introduce yourself to the Rock DNA readers! Where are you based? What do you play? Who do you play with?

H.E.: Hi! Thank you so much for having me! I am based in South Florida, around Fort Lauderdale. I am a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. I play what I call New 80s Rock, and I also am in several groups locally, most notably my original band, the Hailey Ezzell Band, and my cover band, Stone Lace.

R.C.: I've often seen you labeled as "the new face of the old soul", and since you play what you refer to as "new 80's rock", that label seems to be super fitting for your corner of fame! How else would you describe your solo music to someone who hasn't heard it? What kind of influences or comparisons do you like to call upon when explaining what you create?

H.E.: Yeah! I would describe my music as piano-driven rock music. It's straightforward, with a lyrical focus and bangin' guitar solos. There's also a healthy amount of piano ballads, as I am very sappy at the core (laughs). I'm very heavily influenced by the women in rock who paved the way, such as Heart, Pat Benatar, Stevie Nicks, Evanescence, and Halestorm. I am also incredibly influenced by the likes of Styx, Steely Dan, Barenaked Ladies, Night Ranger, and Journey, among others.

R.C.: I'm so glad you were interested in doing an interview for Rock DNA, because from all those influences alone, you're exactly the kind of rocker who fits in here! Is there a specific demographic you aim for?

H.E.: I try to aim for anyone who loves rock music! I have a ton of fans in the 40s-60s age range who have always supported me throughout my growing career, and I also have a devoted group of 20-somethings who seem to love me! So, I'm really just aiming to vibe with anyone who loves good, honest rock and roll!

R.C.: "Good, honest rock and roll" is truly all that matters, isn't it? Speaking of rock and roll, how long have you considered yourself a musician? How long have you been in the live music scene?

H.E.: Well, I've been singing since I could talk, and I started piano at 8 years old, however I'd say my career started with my first paid gig at 15 years old. Ever since then, I have been working and striving to put myself out there as a musician and as a creative.

R.C.: What would you say has been the most rewarding moment of your career so far (or what do you think will be that moment)?

H.E.: Honestly, so far, the most rewarding moment has been announcing this album! Everyone has been so supportive and I am just so excited for everyone to finally hear this project that I've put so many years of work into!

R.C.: I know I'm very proud and very excited for Queen of the Airwaves! The hype is high and I hope I get that hype across to the readers! When did you realize it was time to put out an album?

H.E.: It has been my goal this whole time, actually! As a huge fan of 70s/80s music, and a collector of vinyl records, my first objective as an artist was to release an album. In this age of EPs and endless singles, I really wanted to prove that I could put out an album. Will I shift to EPs and singles at some point? Possibly, but I have always loved the appeal of a full album.

R.C.: That's completely incredible to me that you've been working towards this right from the very start, especially as a solo artist in the modern day. When did production of this album officially begin? Did you ever set a deadline for yourself?

H.E.: If I recall correctly, I really started working on songs for this album in about 2021/2022. Every year, I had the goal of getting it out "by the end of the year" and never could quite land it (laughs). Life would happen. I was in college at the time, and working an on-campus job, in addition to playing with Stone Lace on the weekends, so I was extremely busy. But, like they always say, good things take time. I'm really glad I didn't rush this project.

R.C.: A well-done album needs time to cook, right?! (laughs)

H.E.: Definitely! (laughs)

R.C.: I also feel like life needs time to happen in order for something to come to its truest form. Do you think the listener can feel your own personal journey within this record?

H.E.: I like to think so. While this album is not necessarily in a chronological order, I feel like a path or story of sorts can be gathered through listening. These songs were all definitely influenced by significant points in my life, and I hope that they can accompany my listeners on journeys through their own lives as well.

R.C.: Back to influence and inspiration— what inspired the concept behind the title track?

H.E.: So, the title track, "Queen of the Airwaves", is about a parasocial relationship. I'm very interested in interpersonal relationships, and one aspect of that is parasocial relationships. So, the track explores a parasocial relationship with a musician gone to the extreme. With how we, as fans, can often view musicians as our friends, it can be difficult to realize that we are simply not connected in that way. So, I thought it would be interesting to explore that idea of feeling friendship, or even love, with a famous musician and seeing how that could quickly go down a dark path.

R.C.: You’ve got a music video for that song coming out as well, correct?

H.E.: Yep! It's been a really cool project so far! We have our last shoot day coming up, so I'm hoping we can get it together for release shortly after the album.

R.C.: Are there any spoilers you can give us about the video? Any parts of the process you're very excited about?

E.H.: I mean, it's been a pretty hush-hush process so far... but I'll just say I'm looking forward to getting "chloroformed" in my next shoot… Overall, this process has been extremely fun. So far, the company I've worked with, Fusion Filming (run by my former college roommate and her partner), has been instrumental in making my vision come to life, especially with the help of our director, my good friend, Wil DiPetrillo.

R.C.: Okay, now I’m EXTREMELY excited for this video! In addition to your highlights of the music video, what did you enjoy most about the recording/mixing process of the record itself? Did you face any challenges you wanna talk about?

H.E.: I really enjoyed working with my dad. My dad, Jim, was the producer and engineer for my album, so we had a lot of fun arguing- I mean, talking about the specifics of the album (laughs). He taught himself a lot about mixing through this process and he did a great job. I'm really proud of him, so it was great getting to work with him during this.

H.E.: Regarding challenges, let's see... I broke my knee, I was in college, my bass player moved due to health issues, I graduated college, I got a job, I quit that job, I got a different job, I moved, we had to build a new studio... Generally, I had some challenges and dealt with some internal strife, but overall I was very fortunate throughout the writing, recording, and general production of the album.

R.C.: A family effort plus several examples of art being pain? I think you've got all the bases covered! (laughs)

H.E.: Literally! (laughs)

R.C.: So I was going to ask you if there's a track on Queen of the Airwaves that you're most proud of, but I think I have a better way to phrase it: In addition to being a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, you also have a degree in Writing and are a published author. It’s my understanding that a song on the new album is inspired by your (killer) debut novel Ghost Writers?

H.E.: Yes, indeed! One track, "Keep Coming Back", is directly inspired by my novel Ghost Writers. It was directly quoted in the book, even prior to me writing it, and is tattooed on my main character. In the plot of the book, this song would have been written by the fictional 80s band, Stadium, so I worked really hard with my guys to try and get this song to sound particularly 80s- even more so than the other tracks (laughs).

R.C.: You know what, I DO remember this song in the book! Oh my god, I LOVE when artists create a concept in multiple forms of media! The worldbuilding is so enticing! 

H.E.: Thanks! Yeah, one of my goals with releasing the book was to have at least one song that coincided with it, so this was very fulfilling for me.

R.C.: Was there any sort of vision for the art direction of this record? I love the literal regality of the cover art!

H.E.: Well, once you come up with a title like "Queen of the Airwaves", it kinda paints its own picture, (laughs). I could immediately envision myself on the throne with the dress and the crown. I knew I wanted to do a version of the crown jewels and all, so I came up with the mic in the place of the scepter, and it just all came together.

R.C.: The only correct vibe with a title like that! What vibe or message do you hope people take away from this album?

H.E.: I really hope this album serves as a way to help people deal with large emotions. I feel like it's sometimes difficult to fully sort out emotions like rage, longing, and love, and, as a songwriter, it really helps me to write songs. I hope that people can get even a fraction of the resolution in those situations from listening that I got from writing.

R.C.: The album is dropping less than a month from now, and I know you have a release party coming up. What can fans expect from your forthcoming shows/album release event(s)?

H.E.: Right now, we are working tirelessly to put together a killer show for the release party. It's going to be a collaboration between my cover band, Stone Lace, and my original band. We will be playing the whole album from start to finish, in addition to covers everyone knows and loves. 

H.E.: I'm hoping to arrange some joint dates with other local artists, and perhaps some less-local artists, to spread the good word about what we're doing over here in Hailey World. But as of right now, I'm focusing a lot of energy into the release party, which is going to be 11/21 from 9PM to 1AM at JDs Bar and Lounge in Coral Springs, Florida. I plan to film the show as well so my fans from everywhere can watch it after the fact.

R.C.: Sounds like a hell of a great time! Wish I was going, but I'm stuck in Pennsylvania Land. Any southeast Floridian readers should totally head out to this celebration!

R.C.: As I bring this interview to a close, I gotta say, you've laid down some pretty high ground work. How do you see your career and your music evolving in the future?

H.E.: Thank you! I'm hoping to just keep growing and learning. It's my goal to always keep bettering myself as an artist. I also hope to spread my music to new groups of people and get my music in front of people who are willing to take a chance with trying to find their new favorite artist!

R.C.: Finding new, wonderful music is endless, and I'm more than happy to pass on the word of yours! Is there anything else you'd like the Rock DNA readers to know about you or your debut album?

H.E.: I really just want to thank you and the readers for taking this time to get to know me and hear about my music. I appreciate it greatly, and I hope you enjoy the album! I will be selling CDs and vinyl records of the album through my album website, QueenOfTheAirwaves.com, which will go live on the release date, 11/21.

R.C.: What more can I say? You closed out this interview perfectly. I'm so hyped for this record! Thanks so much for enlightening us with a fresh, new rock and roll spirit!

H.E.: Thank you for having me!

Queen of the Airwaves is the debut album by Hailey Ezzell, due to release physically and digitally on 11/21/25. Visit queenoftheairwaves.com for more info about the album as it is released. Check out Hailey Ezzell right now on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Youtube. You can also follow Hailey Ezzell on Instagram and Facebook (@haileyezzell_musician, Hailey Ezzell - Musician).