A Quick Chat With Zara Haines

For someone new to your music, how would you describe Say Less?

Say Less is really about that moment when you know something is bad for you but it still pulls you right back in. It is flirty, a little reckless, and definitely honest. It feels like a late-night city moment in sound form.

What inspired the lyrics for this track?

So many songs about breakups focus on sadness or closure, but this one is about temptation. I wanted to capture that feeling where you tell yourself you’re done, but then you end up answering the door at 2 am anyway. It is about wanting someone you know isn’t right for you and being fully aware of it. That’s what makes it so fun to write.

There’s a line people keep talking about —
“I confess it’s a bad habit,
Don’t think you knew until you didn’t have it.”
Can you talk about that?

Yeah, that line sums up the whole vibe. It is a reminder to yourself and to anyone in a relationship that sometimes the most dangerous things are the most alluring. I wanted it to feel like a bit of advice but also an I told you so…and like a wink at the same time, because we’ve all been there.

You work in the studio in Sydney with James Guido. What is that experience like for you?

Working with James is awesome. It took me a long time to find someone who i click with, because writing is all about the chemistry you have with the person you make it with. He really gets how to bring out the energy in a song. We bounce ideas off each other so easily. He’ll play something in the room and suddenly I’m singing melodies I didn’t plan to write that day. It feels collaborative and free, fun but focused. That’s the best environment for me.

How does the process usually start for you in the studio?

It can start with anything — a guitar lick, a beat, a lyric stuck in my head. A lot of the time we just sit and talk about life, and the most random things at that and all of a sudden we find the mood we want to sit in for that day, the feeling we want the song to have. A lot of Say Less came from talking about those moments when you tell yourself “this time it’s different,” but it never really is.

Are there artists you look up to or feel inspired by?

Totally. I love how someone like Dua Lipa uses confidence in her music, and I’m in ore of how Alanis Morissette and Avril Lavigne find a way of being so direct and vulnerable. Renee Rapp’s voice and presence really push me too. I think all of those influences show up in my music in different ways, but I always try to make it feel like me.

This era feels very late-night energy, messy glam, playful yet honest. Was that intentional?

It was unintentional at first, I just write what I feel and just try and make good music, but I recognise that vibe in myself. I like the idea of owning your messiness a little, being playful with it, and not pretending you know all the answers. The aesthetic and the sound naturally fit that energy — sexy, honest, a bit wild, and very real.

What do you want listeners to walk away with from Say Less?

I want them to feel seen. Even if they have told themselves “no” a thousand times, if they’ve ever walked right back into that situation they know they should avoid, this song is for them. It is about embracing that moment with a wink, knowing you’ll laugh about it later.

What’s next for you?

We’re finishing up the EP release right now and planning some videos and visuals to go with it. I’m just excited for people to hear the last of the songs that came from this same place — vulnerable, playful, and a little wild. There’s a lot more to come.