Edmonton, Alberta singer-songwriter Alex Zaichkowski—known in the music world as Havelin—released his five-track debut EP last September and has quickly been amassing an impressive following ever since. And for good reason: Zaichkowski crafts beautifully relatable folk music that feels incredibly experienced and lived-in; a sound and delivery far more matured than you might expect from an 18-year-old songwriter.
“Closing Time,” which ironically serves as the opening track to Havelin’s debut, is a perfect introduction for a first-time listener. It’s that infectious earworm that you catch a glimpse of on the radio or in your favorite store and immediately have to find out what it is so that you can add it to your next playlist as soon as humanly possible. Today we have the honor of sharing the world premiere of the single’s accompanying music video which effectively details an ideal connection gone awry.
“‘Closing Time’ deals with the idea of losing someone and not being ready to let them go,” says Alex Zaichkowski. “It’s a song about the heart-wrenching feeling of watching someone leave and having nothing to convince them to stay. The music video follows a young man who has been wandering aimlessly since the loss of someone he held dear, and his journey to coming to terms with their absence.”
“Closing Time,” along with another track from the EP, “Alright, Alright,” were featured on CBC/Netflix drama series Heartland, and combined with the other three tracks from the effort have accumulated nearly 600k plays on Spotify alone. If this trajectory is any indication, Havelin’s rise is something you’ll want to keep an eye on in real time.
Havelin’s Alright, Alright, Okay EP can be purchased through iTunes or Bandcamp and can also be streamed via Spotify.