Catalan Connection: The Story Behind Hayley Reardon and Judit Neddermann’s Cross-Cultural, Bilingual Track ‘Changes’
In 2020, during the pandemic-induced quarantine, American singer and songwriter Hayley Reardon came across a song with words she couldn’t understand, but that ultimately impacted the trajectory of her life and her music. At the time, Reardon had never been to Barcelona and didn’t know Catalan was a language. But when she first heard Vinc d'un Poble by Judit Neddermann, something about the voice and melody struck a chord deep inside. She listened to the track over and over again while walking along the streets of her coastal hometown north of Boston, Massachusetts.
It wasn’t until months later that Reardon learned what that striking voice was singing about. “Vinc d'un Poble vora el mar” translates to “I come from a town by the sea.” When Reardon finally traveled to Barcelona after the borders opened in 2021 to record her latest full release, ‘In the Good Light,’ she was greeted by Neddermann in a surprise trip to the very seaside town described in the song. “We were instant friends,” said Reardon, “and this collaboration on ‘Changes’ over a year later feels like a celebration of that cross-cultural connection and friendship born through the power of song.”
The track was produced by Pau Figueres, one of Spain’s premiere guitarists, and engineered by Aniol Bestit Collellmir at The Sound of Wood Studio in Corbera de Llobregat, Spain. The lyrics are half in Catalan, half in English, exploring the mysterious and nuanced process of becoming who we are. The track was released on June 15, 2023 along with a music video. ‘Changes’ is also the title track of Reardon’s latest EP, released in its entirety July 20, 2023. Neddermann appears on ‘Changes’ courtesy of Universal Music Spain.
"Creating this song with Judit was a deeply nourishing and soulful experience,” said Reardon. “I knew her heart and depth through her music before we came to know each other in person. What a unique gift it has been to explore our shared sensibility through the lens of our two different cultures and languages. ‘Changes’ to me is deeply feminine in sentiment. It honors growth, connection and the bravery required to surrender to life's unfolding."
"Collaborating with Hayley on this song felt like turning a hug into music,” said Nedderman, who appears on the track courtesy of Universal Spain. “Despite being born in two places so far apart (and so close at the same time), we share a vision of music and life. I'm particularly excited to combine English and Catalan, two languages that I've grown up singing and listening to, but have never before combined. 'Changes' encourages us to make changes, or rather to trust the changes, whether they are our own decisions or imposed. They happen for a reason and the sum of all of them defines us in the present moment. It is a song of hope and courage!"
“Judit’s songs touched me before I knew what language she was even singing in,” explained Reardon. “The resonance of her voice and the heart with which she gives her gift had a profound effect on me. My time with Judit has actually changed me and expanded the way I perceive my own musical offering, deepening my relationship to song in a realm beyond the safety of craft-oriented, lyrical nuance and the scaffolding of narrative storytelling. This process has solidified my determination to be a voice of hope, and I believe that is less related to what one sings about and more related to the place one sings from.”
ABOUT HAYLEY REARDON
A critically acclaimed folk pop artist and storyteller raised in Massachusetts, Reardon dove head first into music at the young age of 15 and has now been honing her craft for a full decade. Her songs serve as postcards from an artist brave enough to take the road less traveled. After three years in Nashville, Reardon spent the past six years carrying her songs and guitar all over the globe — including a recent six-month artist in residency stay in Dachau, Germany — gathering experiences, inspiration and soulful connections that are reflected in her music. Her raw artistry boasts a lyrical and melodic weight far beyond her years, being described as “brilliantly moving folk/pop with a lyrical depth and soul” (Performer Magazine) and “a melancholy little masterpiece” (American Songwriter Magazine).
Rearden made a splash with her 2021 single, Losing From Within, grabbing the attention of Spotify Editorial Playlists like Fresh Folk, Folk Pop, Morning Coffee and Today’s Singer/Songwriters. Her 2022 EP, In The Good Light, and forthcoming EP, Changes, were both recorded in Barcelona with Catalan collaborators Pau Figueres (one of Spain’s finest guitarists) and recording engineer Aniol Bestit Collellmir at The Sound of Wood Studio. Reardon has over 10,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and has shared the stage with renowned artists including Lori McKenna, Rodney Crowell and Anaïs Mitchell, among others.
https://www.hayleyreardon.com/
ABOUT JUDIT NEDDERMANN
Based in Barcelona, Neddermann is an accomplished singer and composer of music in the Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese and English languages, with five solo albums and one joint album with her sister, Meritxell Neddermann. She grew up in Vilassar de Mar, in a family of musicians who have always supported one another. Neddermann’s music has received critical acclaim and she has been awarded a Max Award, an Armchair Award, two Enderrock Awards, the Miquel Martí i Pol Award and a Discovery Award.
She has collaborated on recordings or shared the stage with artists such as Joan Manuel Serrat, Alejandro Sanz, Pedro Guerra, MARO, Noa, Jorge Drexler, Andrés Suárez, Rozalén, Miguel Poveda, Macaco, and many more. She composed the music for the play Canto jo i la muntanya balla, based on the novel by Irene Solá. For ten years, she was the singer of The Gramophone Allstars, led by Genís Bou, with whom she recorded five albums. She also has a long and close collaboration with pianist Clara Peya, as well as a joint project with the Brossa Quartet called Winter Journey, and has worked with Coetus, the first Iberian Percussion Orchestra.