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CONCERT REVIEW

Haiden Henderson, Live at Mercury Lounge

Alyson Werts

Are you looking for your next favorite pop boy? Haiden Henderson of Lava Records is destined to take over your music library. I recently had the privilege of attending his set opening up for Chandler Leighton on August 21st at Mercury Lounge, “...an iconic indie venue due to its acoustics, its fostering and even launching of upcoming artists.”^[1] It's no wonder that this singer-songwriter from Los Angeles is hitting up venues known to launch careers of up-and-coming artists, with his career growing due to his infectious energy and effortless vocals.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Haiden in February at his first headline show at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn. I became a fan instantly. His potential has been clear from the beginning and continues to grow as he finds his sound and builds his fanbase. Not only is his music so fun to listen to, but he also holds a certain level of drive that you can see in artists before they break records in the industry. Henderson’s career grew over the pandemic in 2020, when he “...started making music for the first time and picked up a guitar for the first time.”^[2] Many of his songs have gone viral on social media and he has released numerous singles, 2 EP’s and an album since then.

It was clear from the second I walked in that Haiden would take over the stage. Fans were completely decked out in Haiden merch while holding posters and gifts for the artist. As he started his set, I was taken aback by how loud and responsive the crowd was to his music. For being the opener, I was super impressed. Every song was echoed back to him. Henderson isn’t afraid to hold space and makes the small stage completely his, jumping around every inch and even making his way into the crowd at times. His dedicated fans even knew all the words to the unreleased song he performed. Henderson has an incredible knack for crowd work and treats all his fans like they are his best friends!

Back in February, when asked about what music inspires him the most, Henderson answered that he comes “...back to really really funky pop songs. I find a melody to be like very, kind of, psychologically fascinating.”^[3] You can hear touches of classic pop songs throughout his music. Before performing his song “K.O.”, he said that he drew inspiration from the song “Beauty and a Beat” by Justin Bieber ft. Nicki Minaj. His latest EP, lover boy, is hit after hit. Although Henderson’s voice is often compared to other male singers, such as Shawn Mendes, he is offering a new sound that pairs with his quirky personality. He nails every style of song ranging from upbeat pop songs to sad acoustics. He truly is the pop boy that the industry is lacking right now. It’ll be no surprise to see the name “Haiden Henderson” in big lights soon enough. He is destined for a big stage!