Learn more about Hayley Renae

Hayley's Music History:
Hayley’s musical journey began in her early years as a toddler, before she could even speak; her father, also a self-taught guitarist and songwriter, showed her how to keep a steady beat, which set the foundation for her rhythm-based acoustic guitar playing she has now. She started singing as soon as she was able to say words. She was in her Monastery pre-school choir and was given many solo opportunities at the ages 3-5. She has been singing along to music ever since she can remember and has always enjoyed making up songs about what she is doing in that moment, improv lyrics and melody.

At age 9 she found the keyboard and immediately had the ability to pick out any song by ear and play it on the keyboard using her sonic memory. (Fun fact - she has a terrible memory but has a superpower of remembering music: including, but not limited to, every layer, every little detail, the lyrics, and the setting in which she heard it.) One day at around age 10, in the keyboard section of Best Buy, her elementary school music teacher followed her ear and found Hayley playing their school song that the teacher wrote, even using both hands to include the bass melody, and the teacher did not once show her how to play this song. Her music teacher invited her to play the song in the school talent show. Even though Hayley was not interested in "competing" using her passion for music, she agreed to play it on the basis that the teacher was just so proud. Around this time Hayley also started writing songs on the keyboard, both with lyrics and fully instrumental. She would entertain family and friends every day and even taught some of her friends what she knew.

At age 12, her father gifted her an acoustic guitar and she fell in love with it. She first used her ear to learn, but after hearing a cover of "A Day in the Life" by another lady guitarist, she fell in love with the Beatles and decided to research online how to play the song just like the record. From there, she picked up how to read chord charts and tabs online and sky-rocketed musically, learning over 50 covers in less than a year, some of which are forever engrained in her memory.

By the age of 14, Hayley was gifted an electric guitar. Being an adolescent in the mid-to-late 2000's, she was heavily into metal, death metal, hardcore, and pop-punk music and took a deep dive into that style of electric guitar playing. She would play this style with fellow musician friends and took enjoyment out of jamming on electric guitar, having full melodic freedom without having to worry about lyrics or singing.

In her mid-to-late teens, her father gifted her a knock-off (Epiphone Version) of the Paul McCartney Viola Bass that he's famously known for using in many of the Beatles' live performances. Paul McCartney being one of her greatest inspirations, she learned how to play the bass almost instantly. She and her father would jam together a couple times a week for years, interchanging between who would play bass and guitar. She solidified the dynamics of playing with others by jamming with her father often and also her best friend and acoustic guitar buddy from middle school, Jarred, playing guitar almost every day after school for years in her teens.

In her early 20's, she began seriously writing songs and recording them in her home studio. She started collecting many different guitars and other instruments to record the sounds she was hearing in her head. She is a multi-instrumentalist to the core, playing and recording every instrument needed to make her songs complete. She focused on the instruments and sounds first and foremost. Then, after she moved from Orlando to Asheville in 2021, age 27, she started really cleaning up those songs and then fast-tracked writing more songs.

After working up her repertoire of original music, she learned how to use a loop pedal and started busking on the streets of Asheville with the Boss RC-1. Focused on working on her singing tone and finessing her overall sound, she was inspired by the great Asheville looping violinists and songwriters Alex Travers and Timothy Kelley, as they seamlessly played beautiful layers on the spot and effortlessly emulated the sound of a full band. After years of busking in downtown Asheville, Hayley felt more comfortable and prouder of her musicianship and decided to start playing out. 

Today, Hayley has a duo project with UCNA Graduate and Jazz guitarist Miguel Schwiderke, who is also her devoted partner, called Hayley & Miguel, where they both play guitar while she sings, and Miguel switches between guitar and bass. She also plays electric guitar as lead guitarist in the local Asheville band Julianna Jade & the Wild, Miguel as their bassist. Rhythm, melodies, and good tone are always heavily apparent in her music stylings, and she continues to grow as a musician every day - she is constantly playing shows in both projects and is always happy to keep her schedule packed with music opportunities. The early rhythm and composition training, combined with her talent for crafting whimsical melodies, defines her distinctive style. With her songs, heavily inspired by her love of nature and animals, Hayley aims to spread positivity through her lyrics and melodies in every performance.

Personal Life:
Originally from Orlando, FL, Hayley always felt that the bustling Disney scene wasn't her true calling. Her dream was to live in a place surrounded by nature and among like-minded people who shared her love for the arts. In 2021, she turned that dream into reality. After visiting the Smoky Mountains with her ex-in laws every year of the previous decade, Hayley decided to make the move to Asheville, NC—the perfect arts haven she had longed for.

To stay updated on where Hayley will be performing next, you can visit the Shows page, subscribe to our e-mailing newsletter, and follow her on social media. For booking inquiries, please use the contact form on the Contact page. Thank you for your support, we look forward to sharing her music with you!