Headye was waiting patiently on the other end of the intergalactic hotline when he finally started fielding transmissions from fans requesting the release of his song about online romances.
After nearly four years of tinkering and fine-tuning, he obliged.
“Facebook Booty Call” is the third single from Headeye’s forthcoming debut album, Earth Girls. The song dropped in late October.
Headeye is a fictional alien from the the Tralfamadorian System. It also happens to be the alter-ego of Bethlehem-based songwriter and keyboardist Jason Hedrington.
“I’ve known for a long time it had to be a single,” Hedrington said during a recent phone interview. “Frankly, it’s the one chance I have currently in my life to say I gave the people what they want.”
Hedrington said “Facebook Booty Call” is mostly autobiographical. He said the song has evolved musically and lyrically over time, with its roots stretching back almost a decade ago.
“The concept for ‘Facebook Booty Call’ popped into my head in the earliest days of Facebook because someone messaged me at 1 in the morning,” Hedrington said, followed by a hearty laugh.
Hedrington said it was originally written as a punk tune until, “somewhere along the way I had another such experience that may have inspired the actual lyrics and I did some more research into this whole… phenomenon.
“When that relationship ended and I got into the reflection phase and I was able to get in there with my editing and chopping things up… that’s where the fun comes in.”
Hedrington — who also handles keyboards and backup vocals in Easton-based rock band Roi and the Secret People — started adding “Booty Call” to his live solo repertoire almost four years ago.
“When we would be doing our solo gigs consistently together… at some point in the night, if I hadn’t played it or planned on playing it, Mike (Roi) would insist I play the song. He made sure everybody heard it.”
The song eventually became a crowd favorite. But Hedrington admitted there was some trepidation about releasing it to the masses.
“There’s that tortured artist effect where you go, ‘Is this really the song you want to put out to the world?’” Hedrington said. “But I always fall back on Frank Zappa. And this is exactly the way Zappa did it. He would put crazy, risky stuff out there.”
Hedrington said the song had morphed yet again when it came time to start recording Earth Girls.
“We brought in Jenny Founds from Ruby Dear and Start Making Sense (to do vocals)… she did a great job. (Producer) JP (John Paul DeBard) texted me his mix of the song. But the way it was mixed, through my phone, all I could hear is her voice. It reminded me of the Andrew Sisters, so we started going in that direction. It became this fusion of rock and Big Band.”
The song is a tongue-in-cheek, genre-bending romp that showcases Hedrington’s lyrical fortitude and sense of humor — falling somewhere between Frank Zappa and Ben Folds, with Founds’ powerful vocals front and center. “Booty Call” is also his most straightforward and pop-sounding release yet.
Earth Girls will be available for digital download on November 30th. The physical CD is set to drop in December. A vinyl version of Earth Girls will follow in the spring of 2021.
Hedrington said he hopes to have vinyl copies available in time for Record Store Day in April.
A Headeye musical is also in the works. And there are talks of a possible Headeye comic book and other potential spinoff projects.
Hedrington credited artistic collaborator Nate Fehlauer for being a key piece to the larger Headeye puzzle.
“We’re starting to introduce more of the Headeye characters. The images are as much a part of the big picture as the music and production,” he said. “We want it to be this whole universe that opens up to you. It’s a full-frontal attack on all of your senses.”