Hayloft (song)

"Hayloft", later re-released as "Hayloft I", is a 2008 song by Mother Mother, a Canadian indie rock band. It is the eighth song from their second studio album, O My Heart. The song tells the story of two young lovers unsuccessfully attempting to hide from the armed father of one of the pair. It did not find commercial success upon release, but attracted attention twelve years later from users on TikTok. The belated success of "Hayloft" led Mother Mother to release "Hayloft II", a sequel song that concludes the story.

"Hayloft"
Song by Mother Mother
from the album O My Heart
ReleasedSeptember 16, 2008 (2008-09-16)
GenreIndie rock
Length3:02
LabelLast Gang Records
Songwriter(s)Ryan Guldemond
Producer(s)Howard Redekopp

Composition and recording

"Hayloft" was composed by Mother Mother's vocalist and songwriter, Ryan Guldemond. He started the piece with the song's guitar riff, writing the next few pieces of the song with the intention of phonetically fitting the words to the "angular melody" rather than constructing a complete story, leading to lyrics like "my daddy's got a gun". The finished version, 45 seconds after the guitar introduces the song,[1] narrates the story of a young person hiding in their hayloft with their lover. The song ends with the father appearing with his gun, the story ending inconclusively.[2]

Release and reaction

"Hayloft" did not break into wide circulation upon release in O My Heart – while it received some radio play, it did not make an impression on wider audiences then and there.[1] However, in 2020, the song became a larger success, primarily due to attention on TikTok, a social media platform. By the first week of August 2020, "Hayloft" had amassed 100,000 streams, in total, across all streaming platforms; by October, the song was pulling in 1 million streams every week.[3] It also became the band's most-streamed track.[1]

Sequel song
"Hayloft II"
Song by Mother Mother
ReleasedJanuary 28, 2022 (2022-01-28)
GenreIndie rock
Length3:35
LabelWarner Music Canada
Songwriter(s)Ryan Guldemond
Producer(s)Howard Redekopp, Ryan Guldemond

According to Guldemond, the success of "Hayloft" made the band want to write a song with similar energy – initially reticent to simply write a sequel, Mother Mother warmed to the idea after pitching it to fans and receiving a positive response. With the announcement of the sequel song, "Hayloft II", the original song was re-released as "Hayloft I" with an accompanying new music video, directed by Emma Higgins. As of January 14, 2022, the sequel was set to be released on January 28, with a music video of its own.[2]

Chart peaks and certifications

Hayloft I
Charts
Chart Peak position Ref.
Canadian Rock/Alternative chart 43 [4]
UK Independent Singles and Album Breakers Charts 8 [5]
LTU 26 [6]
Certifications for "Hayloft"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[7] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[8] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Hayloft II
Charts
Chart Peak position Ref.
Canadian Hot 100 94 [9]
Certifications for "Hayloft II"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[10] Gold 40,000‡
United States (RIAA)[11] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "Song Cycle: How Mother Mother's 'Hayloft' was made". CBC.ca. October 28, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  2. Friend, David (January 14, 2022). "Mother Mother dive back into 'Hayloft' as TikTok hit gets a fresh video, new chapter". Toronto Star. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  3. Hissong, Samantha (October 22, 2020). "TikTok is giving a niche indie band's 2008 music millions of new streams". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  4. "Media Source - Canadian Active/Alternative Charts". America's Music Charts. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  5. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50 - 8 January 2021 - 14 January 2021". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  6. "2021 1-os savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100) - Agata" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  7. "British single certifications – Mother Mother – Hay Loft". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  8. "American single certifications – Mother Mother – Hayloft". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  9. "Canadian Hot 100: Week of February 12, 2022". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  10. "Canadian single certifications – Mother Mother – Hayloft II". Music Canada. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  11. "American single certifications – Mother Mother – Hayloft II". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
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