Haley
“Stop waiting for someone to tell you what kind of person you are.”
Haley is a trailblazing performer. She fronts a rock band, where she uses her position and her artistry as a tool to push the boundaries and challenge gender norms. On stage, Haley is completely free. She is a passionate musician who, quite literally, moves to the beat of her own drum. Meet Haley. This is her story.
P: Please introduce yourself!
H: Hi, I'm Haley Bowery. I am the singer and songwriter in a rock band called The Manimals, from Brooklyn, New York.
P: Describe or define yourself in your own words.
H: I'm an adventurer and magic seeker, and I'm passionate about creating art and experiences that can be cathartic and transformative. I love poetry and partying, in equal measure.
P: What is your favourite thing about yourself?
H: I'm always working really hard to grow and improve, and to figure myself (and everyone else) out. And while there are still plenty of things that scare me, I've always been really (recklessly?) brave with my heart, my writing, and laying it all out onstage.
P: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that has defined you or made you stronger?
H: I went to theatre school at NYU and kind of struggled to find my place. I learned so much about how to be human from studying acting and music, but the reality of that industry felt so limiting to me. I first found power again through directing, and then found even more power through creating my own material.
The first time I had to act as the frontperson of my own band in a rehearsal room - playing songs I'd written on acoustic guitar that now had pounding drums and loud riffs - was when I knew I was where I was supposed to be. I remember starting to jump around at practice while I sang, and having this feeling of being completely free.
P: What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
H: Stop waiting for someone to tell you what kind of person you are. Everything you're looking for is inside of you already. You can go as far as you imagined, and further. Also: you grow up to be someone who dances around in underwear onstage and pours fake blood on herself, and it's the best thing ever.
P: What does being a woman mean to you?
H: I've had a lot of privilege and encouragement to do the things that make me happy, but I'm also very aware that women are often expected to look and behave within a pretty limited spectrum. So, being a woman for me is all about subverting expectations and making the binary confusing. I like presenting as feminine - wearing big eyelashes and sparkles onstage, singing about my feelings - and then being as gross, loud, and scary as I can.
P: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to her if she were here now?
H: My mom, who is resilient, funny, thoughtful, and a wonderful visual artist. She's the person who takes all of the family photos, cooks all of the meals, and organized endless creative projects and field trips for my sister and I when we were kids. I'd apologize for swearing so much in my songs and thank her for always supporting me anyway.
Haley is lead vocals of The Manimals band. You can check out their Spotify here.