Originally Published on August 8th, 2025
About the Artist
There isn’t a whole lot in this world that satisfies the matter between my ears more than when I hit play on a track and quickly find myself immersed in layers of sound, with a cohesive energy, that seems to connect so deeply that I could almost reach out and grab it. Big guitars, open synths, dynamic percussion, foundational bass, and give me a hard hitting vocal performance every day of the week.
This is very much the feeling I got when I hit play on a rock duet out of Traverse City, Michigan, Hail Your Highness. Comprised of sisters, Jessie and Niki Bobenmoyer, Hail Your Highness call themselves a “dream rock, space hardcore, nu-gaze band that conjure cinematic soundscapes and interstellar emotion.”
The rock duo made their first imprint as recording artists in 2016, with their debut EP, Align. Releasing in October of that year, Align plays like a necessary and impressive origin story of the band we hear today. Embracing much more of a traditional punk sound, they exhibit a powerhouse collective of vocals, big guitars, and heavy percussion right at the start with the lead record, Noir. On the track, Dead Speech, we do catch a glimpse of what Hail Your Highness would eventually transcend to.
In July of 2017, the duo would release their sophomore EP, Twenty Twenty. Already the transition to more atmospheric music is evident as their opener, What It Takes offer layers of guitars, with variously distributed reverbs and effects to truly open the soundscapes of their music. Still grounded in punk, emo, and hard rock, Hail Your Highness show incredible progress in this release.
A year later, they followed up with their third EP, Anemoia (Nostalgia for a Time You’ve Never Known). Truly establishing an identity here, Hail Your Highness are the perfect blend of sweet and salty; a violent current that rushes over jagged rocks, producing smooth, polished stones.
Hail Your Highness would steadily release more music in 2019 and 2020, then subsequently take a break from the studio until 2024. In August of 2024, the single Imagine the Cure would mark their return to the recording industry. Showing significant maturity in production value, plus a newly incorporated element of synthesized layers backing their tradition rock foundation, Imagine the Cure give their listeners the first glimpse of what their sound had evolved into; wide open, atmospheric rock that almost feels like defying gravity. A tangible sound that is too big for any confined space.
In April of 2025, they released a 3 song EP, You Again, furthering their experimentation in atmospheric layers, melodies, and powerful guitar performances.
About the Song
Treegaze marks the second release by Michigan- based rock band, Hail Your Highness, in 2025, after You Again. It is the lead single ahead of the upcoming November release, Wonderdust. Treegaze released on August 1st independently, and has a run time of a little more than 3 minutes.
About the Music
Hail Your Highness have found an exceptional blend of their powerful, anthemic rock presence and the atmospheric, dreamscape synth sound. This pair serves as the perfect recipe to support a beautifully captivating vocal performance that solidifies an all around radio-ready performance.
Opening with a slight filter, Hail Your Highness open the tone after a short, 20 second intro and maintain a full, open, and powerful performance throughout the remainder of the song. The layered guitars match the synth’s progression throughout, developing a firm foundation in the progression. The percussion is a unique blend of organics and sampled sounds that are produced through a precise ear. I love the stylistic choices that were made in how the percussion was panned out, truly opening the sound.
I love the vocals of this song. I love how the two vocalists give us different looks on how their performances match one another. They perform in unison and have a crisp blend. Their harmonizations are tight, with matching tones, and are complementary. Then there are calls and responses and dual melodies that, once again, have a brilliant blend. Each of the vocalists could carry as a lead vocalist, offering strength in both higher and lower ranges.
Treegaze is a great song. I love the decisions that were made from a production standpoint. The reverb and the slight touch of delay in places give this spacious vibe that resonates throughout every track on the song. The distortion used on the guitars is also a good choice. I love how the layered instruments have this smooth grit that doesn’t throw any harshness to the ambience, it just makes it deeper.
Final Thoughts
Hail Your Highness, having been around for a decade as recording artists, are evolving as a band while continuing to embrace the fundamental origins of their compositions. Keeping true to their heavy rock beginnings, they’ve found a way to amplify that foundation; not with more volume, but with more atmosphere.
As Hail Your Highness have progressed over the years, they’ve opened their sound through synth performance and clever adjustments in the production process of their releases. With a sound that pairs well with early Paramore or The Joy Formidable, Hail Your Highness are a band that have all the potential for being a true crossover talent.
Follow Hail Your Highness:
Additional Media:
Listen to Treegaze:
Fifteen Minutes of Fame Music Entertainment 
Leave a comment