Fish Eyes

Released in early 2016, Fish Eyes serves as the debut EP and formal introduction of Portland-based songwriter Haley Heynderickx. While her later work on 'I Need to Start a Garden' would expand into chamber folk and more eccentric lyrical territory, Fish Eyes is a more focused, skeletal affair. The recording is characterized by its extreme intimacy; the listener can hear the slide of fingers on metal strings and the intake of breath between phrases. This lo-fi, bedroom-adjacent production style highlights her technical proficiency as a guitarist, particularly her use of open tunings and syncopated thumb patterns. Critically, the EP established her as a rising voice in the indie folk scene, drawing early comparisons to artists like Vashti Bunyan or a more grounded Joanna Newsom. It remains a cult favorite among fans for its unadorned emotional honesty and its role as the foundational blueprint for her sonic identity.