by alex grainger
photo by hunter cohen
Caleb Hearn dropped his latest single “Friend Right Now” on July 7th, 2022. The catchy indie-pop single follows the experience and emotions of being friend-zoned. The release of “Friend Right Now’ is accompanied by the announcement of Hearn’s upcoming EP We’re Getting Older dropping September 30th. The EP is a strikingly vulnerable story of heartbreak to self-growth Hearn has dealt with over the past year. Caleb hopes listeners will know him as a good friend upon listening to We’re Getting Older as the EP carries a conversational tone, one of talking to an old and trusted friend. Read more about “Friend Right Now,” We’re Getting Older, and Caleb Hearn below!
Can you tell us what “Friend Right Now” is about?
Caleb: “‘Friend Right Now’ is about a time when I was friend-zoned, but instead of dwelling on it, I learned to accept it. I want listeners to understand that it’s okay when someone needs a friend instead of something more.”
What was the creative process behind “Friend Right Now?” TikTok has been such a huge platform for your music, where you post snippets of songs you’ve written, but did this song originate as a TikTok snippet, or separate from the app?
Caleb: “This song was unique since it didn’t originate from TikTok like many of my other songs. I actually wrote ‘Friend Right Now’ during a writing trip in LA after I brought up my experience of being friend-zoned during a session.”
Is there a message you are sending to listeners of “Friend Right Now?”
Caleb: “I want listeners to remember that it’s okay if things don’t work out with someone! It says nothing about who they are as a person, and things will get better.”
Do you have a favorite lyric in “Friend Right Now” that you feel is especially powerful or meaningful?
Caleb: “There’s a line in the song that goes, ‘usually, I’m not the type to be an open book, but I let you read through every page.’ I like this line because it’s a creative way to showcase how much of myself I gave to this person.”
You’re dropping a music video to accompany “Friend Right Now.” What was the creative process behind it? How was it translating your song into a visual piece?
Caleb: “I really liked translating ‘Friend Right Now’ into a visual piece because it lets me capture the song in a very lighthearted and almost corny way. The video shows listeners how being friend-zoned can be an opportunity to work on yourself and still have fun.”
What was your reaction to seeing the finished music video?
Caleb: “I was excited when I saw the finished video since it felt so random but also had a storyline behind it at the same time. I also was thrilled to see how energetic and fun the video was.”
You just announced you’re releasing your EP We’re Getting Older on September 30th. Can you tell us what the EP is about? Are you telling a story through We’re Getting Older?
Caleb: “The EP takes listeners through different scenarios I’ve dealt with in the past year. It tells a story from top to bottom of being heartbroken to trying to move on to learning to accept things out of my control. Overall, the EP is about growth and learning to accept the way things are meant to be.”
How would you describe your sound? How has it developed throughout your music career to now upon the release of “Friend Right Now” and We’re Getting Older?
Caleb: “My sound has always been very organic, but I’ve been working on making my music very conversational and vulnerable so listeners can easily connect with it.”
How have you grown through the process of creating We’re Getting Older?
Caleb: “Throughout creating We’re Getting Older, I’ve learned to let things happen on their own and be more of a go-with-the-flow type of person. Instead of trying to micromanage my own life, I realized it’s better to let everything work out the way it is going to.”
photo by hunter cohen
You mentioned how through your music you want listeners to know you as a good friend. Why is this so important for you?
Caleb: “I listened to NF a lot while growing up, and because of how vulnerable he was with his music, I felt like I got to know him. Feeling so connected to NF and his music helped me find comfort throughout a lot of things I went through that he did as well. Knowing that someone I felt connected to had gone through something similar made healing much easier for me. I want to create this same connection with my listeners so I can help them through whatever they’re going through with my music.”
We’re Getting Older you note is similar to a conversation with an old friend, someone you trust. How have you been able to express such a level of vulnerability in your songwriting and throughout the EP? How have you found the courage to be so honest?
Caleb: “I’ve been able to be so vulnerable in my songwriting because I see the impact it has on listeners. If I wasn’t as raw in my lyrics, my music would not have the same effect on people. I’ve realized that it is much easier to express vulnerability through songs than through conversation, so songwriting is how I like to express my feelings.”
What are you most proud of upon the release of We’re Getting Older?
Caleb: “This EP is the first time I’ve put out a project that feels complete and tells a story. It is very personal to my experiences, and each song has a big piece of me, so the whole EP feels very true to who I am and who I’m becoming.”