Now poised to release her next EP in early 2023 one single at a time, Don’t Mess with Mama, Haley is returning to her roots with a heartfelt country-Americana collection inspired by her life as an artist, mother, and modern woman. “When it’s hard to write, I go back to the beginning, to when I knew how to pour out my heart. My songs come from a vulnerable, very raw place. But I had to re-learn how to be patient and trust that the songs will come. I had to get out of the way and make room for them.” Don’t Mess with Mama is fueled by Haley’s years of songwriting in Music City as well as her personal progression into the next phase of her life. “I wrote some of the tracks after an ugly divorce, and some while falling in love with my current husband,” she says.

Recorded at RCA Studios, distributed by Sony Orchard, and produced by David Spencer, Don’t Mess with Mama showcases Haley’s knack for narrative songwriting with a country twist, in the vein of acts like Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town. Lyrically, the 5 song EP covers bold emotional and physical shifts—changes of heart as well as changes in circumstance—with graceful, accessible language. Acoustic, laid-back, and emotionally striking, it’s a compelling example of what Haley does best: revealing what it feels like to be human.

“I hope people see themselves in my songs,” she says. “Being a writer means being vulnerable and willing to share who you are with an audience. If that audience can empathize, then you’ve achieved the goal. Nothing feels better than pouring your heartache into a song.”