INTERVIEW
Alice Gee | 16/10/2026
Haiden Henderson is done pretending. Entering his most honest chapter yet, one shaped by vulnerability and experimentation, Haiden is embracing the desire and freedom to leave perfection behind. For Haiden, it’s a chapter based on messy, loud, imperfect and deeply personal realisations whilst not claiming to have figured out who he quite is yet. Taking inspiration from Prince and Britney, Haiden is creating a sound that refuses to be defined or sit neatly inside a single genre, making you feel something before you even find the words to describe it. Fresh off the stage from supporting 5 Seconds of Summer, Haiden’s learned how to command a crowd, let go of nerves and in his own words, “just get up there and feel yourself”.
Alice: When thinking about where you've come to in your career, how would you describe the space you find yourself in? Do you feel it's the most accurate representation of who you are and your identity?
H: Honestly, it's the closest I've ever been. For a long time, I’ve felt like I am performing for people. Like my job was to read a room and become whatever it needed. Bleach is basically me admitting that out loud over the course of the tracklist. So, is it the most accurate version of me? It's the most honest one. I'm not claiming I've figured out who I am. I'm just done pretending I already had.
A: You've described this period of your career as becoming more yourself than ever. What does "being yourself" actually sound like to you now?
H: It sounds a little messy, a little freaky, a little loud.
A: When did music become a safe space where you felt not only you could be and speak freely but also that it was something you saw as your future?
H: The pick-me but honest answer is that music doesn’t feel like a safe space to me. It’s a place that I go to challenge myself. To push myself past what I know I can do and try something that makes me slightly uncomfortable. Pushing my limits is something that I’ve generally sought out since I was a little kid though.
A: Your songs often sit somewhere between pop, rock and something a little darker. Do you think about genre when you're writing, or do you let the song decide what it wants to be?
H: I didn’t grow up listening to pop or rock music, so I like to think that my interpretation of those things come from the perspective of an outsider. My favourite songs are ones that you can’t help but try to describe when you’re done listening to them. You stutter trying to find the right combination of adjectives to pin down what you just heard. The only definitive conclusion I want is whether you love it or hate it.
A: You've said you want the new music to feel "uglier" and more in-your-face. What does an "ugly" song mean to you?
H: My collaborator, Benny, told me that my last project sounded perfect, and I took it as a compliment. He rephrased and asked me if I'd ever made music that doesn't sound perfect. That stuck with me. Now I try to leave mistakes in and let songs feel like they were made by a young person that’s trying to find their way. Loud drums, imperfect vocals, and chopped up guitars are all colours on the palette.
Jacket, Jaded London @jadedldn . Jeans, Rock Revival @rockrevival . Bracelets, TATEOSSIAN @tateossian . Ring, VITALY @vitaly .
A: You've mentioned artists ranging from Daniel Caesar and Sam Fender to John Mayer, FINNEAS and Justin Timberlake as influences. What do you take from each of them that you want to bring into your own music?
H: I feel my tastes have homed in on artists like Prince and Britney because of how playful they are with their voices and points of view. Dancing between masculine and feminine, gliding between chest and falsetto registers. Ugh, they don’t make them like they used to.
A: Is there a lyric or a song you've written that you initially thought was too personal to release, but eventually decided to keep?
H: Hmmm there's a song on this album called, “kick my ass” that’s from the POV of a boy that isn’t as self-aware as he pretends to be. Then a female vocalist on the song calls him out for trying to deceive her. That one took a second for me because it’s not fun calling yourself out for your bad behaviour. And then another song called, “domino” is deeply personal for me.
A: You've worked through several different musical eras. How do you know when it's time to leave one version of Haiden behind and when to introduce other parts of yourself?
H: I kinda just run out of things to say. The story is over. And then I have to go live some life and find something else to talk about.
A: You've said that tension opened the door to being more vulnerable and admitting things you weren't necessarily proud of. What did making that record teach you about yourself?
H: That the parts of me I was embarrassed by weren't dealbreakers. Nobody ran away, they actually leaned in. That gave me permission to go further on bleach.
A: Looking back at tension now, is there a song that feels completely different to you than it did when you wrote it?
H: The title track was much more venomous when I wrote it. Every line was aimed at someone and intended to reveal the coldest truths that I could fit into a rhyme scheme. Now with separation, I don’t feel that boiling anger anymore. It’s just catchy.
A: You've built a passionate fan base, what do you think they relate to in your music, and have they ever shared their feelings or experiences with the music that has highlighted something to you, you hadn't realised or considered?
H: I’m not sure to be honest. I just write what I’m feeling and try to make things that get me excited. I think that I’ve just gotten close enough to my community that they seem excited about whatever I release. I talk to them a lot and releasing music is just part of the conversation.
Full Look, NUMB @numb.atelier . Jewelry, ELIBURCH @eliburchjewelry
A: What's inspired the personal sound and evolution of your music?
H: I swear staying curious is the most important part of the process. I just keep trying to find music that makes me excited. Rediscovering Prince was really big for me this past year. He was so fearless and sexy and playful and fluid. His confidence was infectious, and I want my album to feel that way.
A: How do you, if you do, separate Haiden the performer from Haiden the person when you come off stage?
H: They’re not that different, to be honest. I think I’m just more critical of myself than people would assume. We all are though. I just want to be great, and I want people to leave my shows high and giggling from the experience. Like the air in the room was filled with nitrous oxide.
A: Your fans clearly connect deeply with your vulnerability. Does knowing that your music helps other people feel less alone give you a different perspective on your own experiences?
H: I think most artists would say yes probably because they feel like they need to but I don’t really feel that way. I walk around my grocery store and feel like someone with my own personal problems and insecurities. I’m good at handling those sometimes and then I suck at it other times. I’m just a boy. The only time I feel like a superhero is when I’m on stage and we’re all singing the same songs together.
A: How has the experience of touring with 5SOS been? Has it done or taught you anything whether personally, in performance?
H: Something in my brain has permanently changed now that I’ve done an arena tour. I don’t know how I’m gonna go back to club rooms. I just know we’re gonna blow the ceilings off of them. I know how to have fun on stage no matter how many people are in front of me and that’s how you hold a crowd’s attention. Just get up there and feel yourself.
A: Performing to crowds so big, do you ever get nervous?
H: Nah, I haven’t gotten nervous for a show in a while. I feel worryingly relaxed up there. I could probably take a nap if I tried.
A: Five years from now, what would have to happen for you to look back and think, "Yeah, I really did it"?
H: I think about this a lot. I’m not sure if I know the answer. I’m not sure if it’ll ever be enough. Definitely gonna need more therapy before I get there.
Creative Alice S Gee @alicesgee
Photography Dylan Perlot @dylanperlot
Styling Irina Van Verseveld @wonderzuzu
Grooming Michaeline Becker @mickbeauty 3Plus Mgmt @3plusmgmt
Photography Assistant Sasha Adams @_sqshq__
Photography Assistant Shaqeh Movisisian @shaqehmovs
Custom Corset Top & Chainmail Accessories, SHAQUEH @shaqueofficial . Eco Leather Pants, THEO @theo.official
Studded Jacket, Bohemian Society @bohemian_society . Tank top, THEO @theo.official . Studded Pants, Jaded London @jadedldn . Boots, BAD Showroom @bad_showroom . Necklace, ELIBURCH @eliburchjewelry . Ring, Capsule Eleven @capsuleeleven .
