Hayley Sales had a blast on the set of this week’s “Supernatural” episode “Mint Condition’. Channeling the 80s with neon colored gloves and zebra print skirts, this multi-talented actress and singer/songwriter had the chance to film in an old abandoned hospital ward while cracking jokes with the cast and crew. Born in Washington D.C, Hayley is no stranger to “Supergirl”, “Girlfriends Guide to Divorce”, “Cedar Cove” “Heartbeat” and placed Cable’s wife in “Deadpool 2”.
As an award-winning singer/songwriter, Sales has toured with big names such as Jason Mraz, Ben Harper, Feist, INXS, The Spice Girls, and others. Her next album called Slightly Out of Tune comes out this Spring 2019. Get to know more about Hayley and her music.
Colleen Bement: You play Janet Strong in this week’s “Supernatural” episode ‘Mint Condition’. Welcome to the “Supernatural Family”! My readers would just love to hear any stories that you have from filming.
Hayley Sales: Thank you! It was so much filming this episode of “Supernatural”. The wardrobe fitting alone was a blast. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so that many neon colored gloves and zebra print skirts in one place before in my life. I don’t know how much I can say about the plot itself, so I’m trying to figure out how to tell you stories from the set without giving anything away. But you’re going to love it. It’s hilarious. All I can really say is, we were having fun with a campy approach to the scenes I was involved in. A lot of the time, we’d all start cracking up during takes, which would echo down the halls of the abandoned hospital ward we were filming in!
CB: What was the experience like on the “Deadpool 2” set? This franchise is hysterical!
HS: Everyone involved in Deadpool 2 was incredible, funny and very welcoming! At one point, Ryan Reynolds came up and thanked me for being a part of the film. He’s got to be one of the hilarious humans I’ve ever encountered. David Leitch was simply brilliant as well. I know, I know. I probably sound like a broken record, but I can’t get over the fact that they treated each crew member, each actor, anyone involved really, as a centrifugal part of the project. I very much respect that. Funny fact: They had to keep the script so top secret, I didn’t actually know what my character was or how I was involved in the movie till my first day on set. The audition had been improvisational and had actually happened about six months before we actually filmed.
CB: Let’s switch gears to your music. I’ve watched a few of your videos and you have the most beautiful and soulful voice. This spring of 2019 you are releasing—is it your third album called Slightly Out of Tune? Tell us a story about how this album came was created. Was it a labor of love and passion?
HS: I can’t wait for this next album to come out. It has been an incredibly long time since I have, legally, been allowed to release music. I finished my last record in 2016 and have yet to release it. The label I’d signed with had a huge staff switch up and my album was lost in limbo as a result. They never did allow me the rights to buy it back. I’d spent five years working on the music. As you can imagine, it broke my heart into a billion shards and then some.
However, I am now convinced everything happens for a reason. I’ve picked myself up again and have been back in the studio recording music for a new album. And this time, I’m making the music that moves me. The music that, should I only have one last song to sing, I’d have to sing. I can’t wait to share it with you. Sometimes it takes having everything taken away, falling as low as you can go and feeling so hopeless you want to give up, having your confidence dragged through years of rejection, to really do the art you need to do.
CB: Tell your fans about your music journey. What inspired you to put your passion into music? Did your father play a part? How did Judy Garland inspire you?
HS: Apparently, when I was a little baby, I’d insist my family begin to sing by raising my finger. If they didn’t, I’d throw myself into a temper tantrum that wouldn’t stop until they’d start. I just knew. I first heard Judy Garland when I was five years old. I knew, right then, I wanted to be a performer. There was something about her, about her voice, that felt so real, so transparent. I honestly didn’t know modern music existed till I was in middle school. I was completely absorbed in the 1930’s and 40’s, studying the music and the films of that era.
My parents, beautiful hippies that they are, were always a little baffled but beyond supportive. I’d often come over to my dad’s studio and demand he let me record. I’d then stand in the sound booth, headphones falling off my head they were so big, and belt my little heart out for hours on end. When I decided that I wanted to record my first album at the age of 16, my dad insisted I learn how to use the studio and produce the songs the way I hear them in my head. He wanted me to find my own sound. He never told me what to do, but rather would help me bring my ideas to life. I’m so grateful. We have since worked together on the last two albums I recorded with Universal.