I headed down to Newport, Kentucky to the Southgate Revival House for the Say It Louder! Festival at the end of June to see Hayley and the Crushers.
California born, now living in Detroit, Hayley and the Crushers have been active since 2016 and are heading into 2026 with two brand new singles “Jewel Case” and “Cringeworthy.”
Hayley and the Crushers took the stage around 10pm, after a stacked lineup of punk performers. The band opened up the show with “Taboo” from their 2022 album Modern Adult Kicks. Frontwoman Hayley Cain stole the crowd’s attention almost immediately, dressed in a dazzling silver outfit that swayed along with her movements as she played the guitar. Her energy was unmatchable, her performance earned her the title of glitter punk queen, with riveting energy the band truly owned the stage.
The second half of the show began with a cover of “Teenage Lobotomy” by punk legends The Ramones. This was sung by a different band member, Dr. Cain ESQ, with Hayley Cain on supporting vocals. It was a great tribute to one of the pioneers of the punk genre, but with the best glittery twist by The Crushers.
And as per tradition, the Crushers closed with their electrifying punk anthem “Jewel Case.” It was the perfect way to end the night, I really understood why they always play it at the end!
In addition to seeing and photographing the show, I (LW) also had the pleasure of speaking with frontwoman Hayley Cain (HC) about the band, their songwriting process, and what fans can expect from them this year!
LW: How did the band form?
HC: The Crushers formed in 2016 San Luis Obispo California when I was trying to get an all-girl band together. It was an avenue for me to play and sing my own songs. I knew if I put my name on the band I’d have no other route but to follow through.
LW: Who were your early influences in music? How does that show up for you today?
HC: The oldies radio station KRTH 101 in Southern California was where I first heard girl group music like The Supremes and Shangri-las, which taught me about attitude, style and presenting your femininity with total self-possession. As a kid I heard my mom’s copy of The Go-Go’s Beauty and the Beat and that left a huge mark on me musically, both in the buoyant sunshine of the sound but also the incredible heart and power of this all-girl band that sounded totally larger than life. The seed was planted after that. As a teenager I experimented with all kinds of punk rock, but always gravitated towards the melodic side, from Ramones and Operation Ivy to Screeching Weasel, who we’ve had the good fortune to join on tour recently. I also loved early LA punk bands like X that put so many strange easter eggs and unique personality into their lyrics. As a writer, I always identified with the lyrics and wanted to write in a way that connected with others. But there is also this part of me that remains a slave to classic melody, the kind you’d hear on the radio, any era. Of course I had popular rock-pop CDs like No Doubt and Weezer in my CD player around that time too, to show me that great hooks and energy are timeless and can be combined in a million ways.
LW: You’ve spoken about how “Jewel Case” was inspired by a real situation that happened to you. Is that the case for other songs? If so, do you have any other fun stories?
HC: I mean yes and no. If I told all the stories behind the songs they wouldn’t be fun anymore. But here are a few: “Gabbie is a Domme” is about a real-life friend who was a dominatrix and had to give away all of her white underwear from when she was working her way up as a submissive. I ended up with all her white lingerie! “Poison Box” was written in Berlin, after being inspired by an exhibit at the DDR museum where I learned how the Soviets would lock away banned reading material. “She Drives” was inspired by a friend who drives around L.A. like a race car driver, and would just keep driving and driving after a fight with her significant other. I do like to observe people and write from that outside POV, maybe that’s the journalist in me, but I also do have moments where I just spill the beans on myself. “Kiss Me So I Can” was co-written by my husband, Dr. Reid Cain, Esq. after we spent 100 days on the road and lost touch with our romance and what made our relationship tick. We wrote it from the heart as a way to bring us back together. It worked!
LW: Despite playing “Jewel Case” at almost every show you hadn’t released it until this year, why now?
HC :It has an innate energy that showcases what we do live. It just has that power and swagger to it. I wanted “Jewel Case” to be the first single we’d drop after the last EP (Unsubscribe from the Underground, which came out in 2024) and for the song to serve as a fresh introduction for anyone who was just seeing us now, in 2026. We originally put that song out ten years ago and it sounds like a really bad demo, in my opinion. So it is also like a little party favor for everyone out there that’s followed us this long.
LW: What is your writing process like? How do you find inspiration for your songs?
HC: I have a notebook with song ideas and I also hum a lot into my iPhone! If curiosity strikes in daily life, I try to take my curiosity one step further, to put myself into a new POV that feels both universal while still a little true to my experience. I write to understand but also to express. Maybe all writers are like this, but writing is the only way I can really process the world. Without writing songs, I am just confused. The songs come from a part of me that is totally unfettered, in a different realm apart from reality. Adding melody to a song transforms it into something magic that even I can’t explain. And adding in the collaborative element of a band, and producer, and a family like Kitten Robot Records, makes it all the more gratifying. It always feels more like world-building than just a song or an album. I want to live in that world. I’m trying to make that happen one song at a time.
LW: You’ve got some very artful covers for your singles and albums, what is the creative thinking behind those designs? Do you commission them or create them yourself?
HC: We tend to keep our eyes peeled for artists that inspire us on Instagram and in real life. So if we see an artist doing art that’s really cool, and they aren’t super famous yet, we contact them and inquire about paying for the art. We always pay the artists! Some of those artists have gone on to do amazing things, like Martin Head, who makes these strange monsters and toys that feel like ancient brutal folk art from another planet. Anything that is not done by an outside artist is created by Dr. Cain, Esq., our resident graphics guy. He even went to art school for a while!
LW: You grew up in San Luis Obispo and now call Detroit home. How have those two places shaped your music? Are there things you’ve carried with you from both that listeners can hear in your sound?
HC: I come from a town that still has a working drive-in movie theater, where the beaches are sleepy and you’re as likely to run into a winemaker as a cowboy. I think writing from a place like SLO, California is very groovy and allows for maximum whimsy and imagination. Detroit, on the other hand, is very confronting. So many new cultures, genres and daily challenges have made our Motor City crash-landing infinitely interesting, art-wise. It is a city that asks you to show up and contribute, not just sit back and soak up the vibes. So while I own my California roots, and will always identify with that sunny California sound, Detroit has caused me to grow, as a person and an artist. The music we are making here as a band, with the musicians we’ve collaborated with here, are a testament to that growth!
LW: You classify yourselves as “poolside glitter punks” — where did that term come from? What does it mean to you and your music?
HC: I like to think it’s all the fun stuff you’d scrape up from the bottom of a pool after a great party – that’s our sound! We started out as a band doing these “Summer crush” events where we’d take literal trash and cardboard from local dumpsters, spray paint it, and make these elaborate sets of pools, trailers, volcanos, hot dogs, tiki men…I mean, we really colored outside the box, pun intended. We hosted a punk rock prom in Detroit that was a little like this recently – we had our friends dress up as dorky chaperones and had a whole craft table where everyone could make their own corsages. The prom king dressed in a trash bag and the prom queen wore a suit with safety pins. To me, “poolside glitter trash” means you can make fun, and meaning, out of whatever’s around you.
LW: “Cringeworthy” has a mellower, 2000s punk rock vibe compared to “Jewel Case.” Is this the sound fans can expect from a future album, or are there still a few surprises in store?
HC: Yeah, for sure. We’re a grab-bag and are always teetering on the edge of chaos and something more polished or retro-sounding. Cringeworthy is on the more mall-punk side, but it doesn’t mean we don’t have a whole lot of trashy fun up our sleeves. Stay tuned, kids!
It was a great time speaking with and getting to see Hayley and the Crushers perform this summer. Check out their newest singles below!
