Rising Stars: Meet Hayley Smith (Hexli)

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hayley Smith (Hexli).

Hayley, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hi! My name is Hayley Smith, born and raised along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. I started showing interest in music and singing at a very young age. I remember always putting on a show for my family by singing or impersonating my favorite artists. As I got into elementary school, I joined the school choir and it really fired a passion inside of me. Later on into my middle school years, I became very fascinated with a freestyle rap, not realizing at the age of 14 that I would later create all my music by turning on beats and letting my mind flow. Around high school is when the passion really started burning inside me. At every party or event, you could always find me battling someone in a freestyle session, if I was with friends we were smoking and making songs from just our heads and a beat from youtube.

As the years passed of me using music as an outlet, I battled a lot of mental health problems, an unstable childhood and addiction, finding that was all I had in those dark times. Entering this dark period of my life, my style switched. I was no longer interested in rap, I was interested in expressing my emotions and making people feel seen with an emotional and vulnerable sound. I was 18 around the time I decided my name was “Hexli” and shortly after that I packed up my life, got sober & moved to Los Angeles during what seemed like the end of all of our lives, 2020. The first year was rough. I was scared, a little girl from the south in the biggest city she’s ever visited. I didn’t know anyone besides my boyfriend but I was truly more scared of failing than anything. It just seemed too cliche of a small-town girl from the south to give up on her dreams and run back home, so I stuck it out and as the longest year of our life came to and end things started picking up. I met a producer, started feeling creative again, got a job, made friends and started working on a project that would be the most vulnerable thing I’ve ever made.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Shortly after things started looking up, it got a little complicated as I battled feeling homesick almost every day, finding the right producer to execute my sound and learning that contracts are key in this industry. I had to learn that the only way you grow is when you’re uncomfortable. The process of finding the right people to work with was its own set of trials and tribulations but it’s all been a learning experience. I will always be thankful for the things I’ve been through and the life lessons that come with it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a singer/songwriter. I am always my most true self when creating. No judgment, just the music and me. When it comes to my art, I do not label it. If you were to shuffle my discography right now, you would find so many different genres and I think that’s my favorite part about my music, it’s not put in a box. I allow myself to create freely without worrying about whether or not the average listener will like it or if the people who are already fans of previous music I’ve released will vibe with it. There’s always someone out there waiting for new music of all sorts. I try to keep an open heart with my music by remembering that it’s not a job, it’s my passion and once was a crutch when I felt I had nothing. Since I’ve yet to perform, I am currently in the process of creating a set list, practicing live performances and getting ready to finally showcase ‘Hexli’ to the stage. It’s a scary process but we’re taking it day by day. I can’t wait to show people not only my art but my heart and personality as this journey continues.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
As most people know, I’m still a child at heart. So I would say I’m still in the process of making my favorite memories. It’s important to remember that we truly never really grow up, we just age physically. Being old is a mindset. I keep this in mind daily as I make more memories but if I had to label one it would probably be my release party for my EP, ‘Unfolding.’ Being able to take everything I’ve made out here and show it to the most important people in my life that I’ve grown with since day one will always be so big for me. I just want my friends and family to know that they are a part of this journey with me and I am forever grateful and appreciative for their support and love.

Contact Info:

• Website: linktr.ee/highashex
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/highashex?igshid=Zjc2ZTc4Nzk=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/highashex?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@Highashex
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ctWlwt2tBTcS4GVDQTyyO?si=D6xU0g0eTbWbHaINCbLPIw