HIRIE, the sweet and soulful vocalist from Hawaii, now based out of Southern CA, is hard at work on a new studio album, several headlining performances, and this year’s theme song for Cali-Roots. We recently spoke with HIRIE, who took some time from rehearsal to give us some insight into her upcoming projects.
New Studio Album
Since releasing her successful self-titled debut album in 2013, HIRIE has gone back to the drawing board in an attempt to put out an even stronger sophomore release. In doing this, HIRIE is trying to show the growth she’s had as an artist while maintaining some of the old qualities that brought her success.
“When I had written the first album, I didn’t have a live band back me, so I had released the first album with the help of my producer E.N. Young,” says HIRIE.
“Now [with my band] it’s been two years of constantly playing live and growing with a group of individuals, and we’ve kind of become our own entity. We’re bringing in all of our different styles to the music and so it’s 
the same, but it’s just so much more refined…also I’ve changed a little over the past two years, and my idea of what I want in an album and what I want to say has kind of changed too. It’s a little more conscious…Growing as an individual, and also as a seven-piece band over the past two years will definitely reflect in the music.”
According to HIRIE, she’s written thirty songs for the new album, and is projecting another ten before narrowing the track list down into an approximately ten-song album, which she speculates will be released by the end of 2015.
When asked why it’s taken two years to release a new album, HIRIE said, “This is really big for me. I feel like, as an artist, that if you want to be really successful, it has to happen with either your first or second album. I feel like this is my chance, like I really have to do it right, and that’s why I’ve written thirty songs. I’m not satisfied until I write ten singles. I really want to do it right.”
Hirie went on to explain the importance of taking her time to mature with the new material: “You have to keep that standard of musicianship and I think I learned that after my first album, not having have had a band or having really thought about the music when I wrote it. I had written most of the songs on that album within like two months, so for me it’s crucial to show that this takes time and a lot of effort, and I want that to translate when people pop in the album for the first time.”
The quality of work seems to be the biggest factor for taking her time with this album, but budget has also played a role in it’s delay. “We’ve had to be patient, being independent,” says HIRIE. “I don’t want [the album] to be homemade, I really want it to be done by professionals because in a sense, you get what you pay for, and I want to invest everything I have towards making sure that this is something that I can be proud of, and that reggae can be proud of as well.”
Despite the struggles, HIRIE has maintained a positive outlook throughout. “It’s worth it, you know? In the end, when you can own your own music, and you can stand by it, and your band can reap the benefits of all this. Now two years of no pay. That’s worth the trouble.”
Upcoming Performances – Summer 2015
In what’s becoming an annual tradition of sorts, HIRIE has been asked to create an anthem for Cali Roots, aptly titled “Cali Roots,” and is excited to debut it in the coming days.
“I was invited by Bulldog Media to do what KBong did last year, which is a theme song for Cali Roots, and I’m pretty stoked about it.”
When asked what kind of sound fans could expect from the anthem, HIRIE didn’t want to give too much away, but did say, “It’s gonna be really cool. I’m trying to see if I could do like a drum line section in there, something really fun. It’ll be kind of like a group effort.”
Along with a string of headlining performances leading up to Cali Roots, HIRIE will also be featured as a guest vocalist during several artists’ performances at Cali Roots, including KBong and Arise Roots. She’ll also be headlining Friday’s Cali Roots Late Night Sessions at Planet Gemini, so fans will have plenty of opportunities to see her perform.
In addition to her after-party performance at Cali-Roots, HIRIE will also be performing at the first ever Blaze N Glory festival, Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, as well as Reggae On The River in July. During her string of confirmed summer dates, HIRIE will share the stage with Ethan Tucker, Iration, Stephen Marley and The Expendables.
Find the dates and links below…
Related Links:
HIRIE Website
HIRIE Facebook
HIRIE Twitter
Article By: Andrew Aroche
Photo By: David Norris
Watch: HIRIE- “Sensi Boy”