We linked up with London and Napoli-based alt-pop prodigy HĒIR (aka Patricia Manfield) to catch up ahead of the release of her summer anthem “Sentimento”, which takes her ethereal vocals and bold synths on a journey into her new era. Here’s what went down.
Whilst HĒIR is split between London and L.A. nowadays, she spent plenty of time in Naples, Italy growing up, and “Sentimento” stands out in her discography because it's her first track to feature a chorus in full Italian. When we asked how it came about that this was the song she debuted a chorus in her native language on, HĒIR explained, “honestly, it just kind of happened."
“My producer that I worked with on the record, Michael Percy, started making up some sort of vague Spanish lyrics to the melody and then was like: ‘dude, you’re totally Italian, you should write this in Italian!’ And, I did, and it sounded really good!”
HĒIR might be known for her music, but she’s no stranger to the fashion world, having worked with a ton of high fashion brands throughout her career. When we asked what it's like dancing between both industries, she said: “I think working in fashion and working in music can be very similar because both require a lot of time and mood boards and… knowing what you want. They’re two different art forms, but they really do stick together.”
Having been dressed for red carpets and fashion shows alike, we asked what was the one outfit that will always stand out to her, and HĒIR said “My favourite look I’ve ever worn has to be my very first red carpet [look]. It was a very sheer dress and I had a nip-slip and was crying the whole time at the Venice Film Festival. I was in tears at the premiere being like ‘oh my gosh, the pictures are out and my nipple is out! I'm on all these websites!’ But it taught me a lot: like, don’t ever, ever wear that type of dress without tape. Don’t do that.”
Discussing her fans, and how she would describe them she said, “an HĒIR fan [would] wear a lot of statement coats, big jackets, prints, any type of texture. And [they’re probably] a Gemini or some messed up Scorpio.” She also said that if her fans were an animal they’d be a pigeon. Why? As HĒIR puts it “they just see everything, they’re always around, you don’t really know much about them, they’re kind of mysterious, and they can fly.”
If they were a movie, they’d be The Beach, the same movie that HĒIR said she’d love to make a soundtrack for. When we asked her why, she said “I’m a big Danny Boyle fan first of all, and second of all just the visuals are so soundtrack-y. Movies influence me a lot; I always think about whether a song is good or not [based on] if I can imagine visuals. Otherwise it’s just a no.”
Whilst HĒIR’s new single “Sentimento” might make you feel like dancing on a beach with a drink in your hand (and is meant to), the meaning behind the track is deeper than a lot of other summer anthems. As HĒIR told us, “[“Sentimento”] is a very interesting concept because it comes from Neapolitan [and] it basically means ‘it’s beautiful, but does it dance?’
“And so, I kind of started applying that concept to love, and [asking] like ‘is it actually healthy?’ Like, is it real love if it dances - if it’s up and down - or is it actually bad that you’ve got butterflies in your stomach? It’s an open question; the song is an open question. It’s about how you define love, I guess. What makes you feel alive.”
Hit up our YouTube to watch the full interview with HĒIR.
Stylist: Jordan Kelsey @jordannkelsey
Assistants: @zohaak Zoha Khan @orlashley Orla Peppett
Photographer - Quinn Lovero @quinnlovero
1st Assistant - Lourice J Ramos @louricejramos
Lighting - Bella Galliano-Hale
DigiOp - Dan Jose
Image Credit: Quinn Lovero for Culted ©
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