Haley Heynderickx: A night to remember at the Shrine Social Club Ballroom

Photo by Evan Benally Atwood

Indie folk singer-songwriter Haley Heynderickx is no stranger to the Boise area. Heynderickx played Treefort Music Festival in both 2018 and 2021 and opened for Lucy Dacus’ Home Video Tour at The Egyptian Theatre in 2022. 

As an attendee of the 2022 Lucy Dacus show, I immediately fell in love with Haley Heynderickx’s work. Her music is cathartic, genuine and sonically introspective.

In anticipation of her newest album “Seed of a Seed”, Haley Heynderickx has returned to Boise, Idaho, once again to play El Korah Shrine’s Ballroom.

Boise-based singer-songwriter Nick Delffs opened the show in full swing with a set that left the entire crowd dancing. “Without a good audience, what is there to do?” Delffs said to the audience before closing with a performance of “Song for Aja” from his 2017 debut album “Redesign”. 

Delffs introduced the folk dance track “Song for Aja” as a dedication to his son.

“Goodbye sun, hello moon / Say farewell to the afternoon / Work is done, it’s time to play / Say so long to a terrible day.”

Shortly after Nick Delffs’ set, Heynderickx and her band entered the Korah Shrine stage with a bubbling energy. As Heynderickx introduced herself, she apologized for hosting a concert late on Monday night. 


Boise, Idaho, is the sixth stop on Haley Heynderickx’s self-titled tour. “We just drove six hours directly from Sisters, Oregon, so I may be a bit loopy,” Heynderickx said to the crowd. “I’m so happy you’re here.” 

This tour is unique compared to the typical album roll out. A little under a week before the show, Heynderickx posted an announcement on Instagram.


“Finally the time has come,” Heynderickx wrote on Instagram. “I am allowed to say it. Album is around the corner and will be released November 1st – but today I get to share a special tune with you.”

Heynderickx explained that despite her label delaying the album release, she was excited to share her new music from “Seed of a Seed” with the crowd. “It’s a great honor to play shows and do art in real life,” Heynderickx said.

Beginning with the opening track “Gemini”, Heynderickx opens up about her inner thought process and regrets.

“There’s a woman in my bathroom claiming she has all the answers to my bad news / Then she kissed me on the forehead / And then she crawls into my mouth / She says ‘we’ll all just figure it out’ / She is me, if I am her, It’s just a process.”

After playing two more tracks, Heynderickx took a break to introduce her bandmates. 

With Matthew Holmes on bass, Daniel Rossi on drums and William Marsh on guitar, there is an obvious chemistry between the band members and Heynderickx. The crew exchanged banter that kept the audience laughing all night. 

Haley Heynderickx’s choice to work with a band for this album was striking. The addition of layered instrumentals alongside her varied vocals create a unique and interesting sonic landscape

Track four, “Mouth of a Flower” was one of my favorite performances of the night. Heynderickx describes this song as coming from “a simple place of gratitude.” 

With the repetition of the lyrics, “And we take / and we take / and we take,” Heynderickx explores the realities of nature and the impact we leave on our environment.

“Seed of a Seed” was another stand out performance. As the title track of the upcoming album, it perfectly captures the feelings of whimsy Haley Heynderickx is trying to create on this record.

On the track, Heynderickx questions what it means to “know better” than to make the wrong choices.

“If we don’t know better / Well, did my parents know better? / No, but they tried.”

“Swoop” was the final track Heynderickx played from the new album. The heartfelt song is dedicated to the women in her life — her mother and grandmother. 

Before playing the track, Heynderickx described the song as “very dear” to her. “There’s an artistry to going away,” Heynderickx sings in the chorus. “There’s an artistry in the day to day to day.” 

To close out the show, Heynderickx played three tracks she liked to describe as “oldies” from her debut studio album “I Need to Start a Garden”: “The Bug Collector”, “No Face” and “Oom Sha La La”. 

Overall, this concert felt like one of the most intimate listening parties one could possibly attend. Haley Heynderickx’s show at El Korah Shrine’s ballroom is a testament to her capability as an artist to create brilliant and meaningful folk music.

After experiencing the record live, with fresh ears and a fresh heart, I am looking forward to Heynderickx’s upcoming sophomore album “Seed of a Seed”, and am confident it will be her best body of work yet. 

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