Sawyer Hill Gets Up Close and Personal in Debut EP 'Heartbreak Hysteria'
Photo: Natalie Zeta
With his debut EP, “Heartbreak Hysteria,” Sawyer Hill proves he's a rocker who deserves a spot on your indie rock radar. Hailing from Fayetteville, Arkansas, the singer blends his signature deep baritone with grungy band instrumentals that channel the raw, gritty energy of Arctic Monkeys “AM”-era, Fall Out Boy, and Panic! At The Disco. The result is his most personal project yet – aching, vulnerable, and sonically bold.
In “Heartbreak Hysteria,” Hill tells a story, weaving through the highs of love, complexities of friendships, and, inevitably, the depths of heartbreak. It’s an emotional whirlwind, shifting from upbeat head-bopping tunes to distorted guitars and howls of emotional purging. Tight rhythmic beats and echo-laced textures provide a timeless sheen, like late-night drive score for sleepless nights when the feelings hit all at once.
The EP kicks off with the newly released track “Closed Eye Fiction,” guiding the listener through a delusional reality where dreamlike states offer solace and the world is viewed through the soft glow of rose-colored glasses. Hill immediately sets the tone for the EP’s surreal emotional journey, blurring reality and illusion as he sings, “If this isn’t real / don’t let me wake up / I just want to feel / don’t care if it’s made up.”
The song seamlessly leads into the EP’s day-of-release focus track, “One Shot.” Grungy, poetic, and raw, the new fan favorite captures the nerve-wracking experience of summoning the courage to approach someone new at a bar and the pressure of thinking it might be your only chance. Delving into the depths of Hill’s psyche, the track captures the feeling of being stuck and jaded, weighed down by growing disillusionment: “I’ve learned that love is hard to find / Luck is never on my side.”
“Heartbreak Hysteria” carries the listener further into its hazy, trancelike state with three previously released tracks, including “For The Hell Of It” and “Need Me Now.” Hill takes a darker turn with “Aiming At Your Head.” Describing the song, Hill called it a “fuck you letter to friends who let you down. The people who will act completely indifferent to your face, but then go behind your back and tear you down.”
The EP wraps up with Hill’s viral hit “High on My Lows,” a raw dive into the emotional freefall—where vulnerability shows up as reckless choices to indulge in. Hill delivers the lyrics like a confession without apology, treating those guilty pleasures as a given: “Yeah you know / I love to get high on my lows / Fuck around and lose control / Drink fast until my brain moves slow.”
The young rocker is set to take his “Heartbreak Hysteria” World Tour to new heights, with upcoming shows at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on April 26th, Nashville’s Exit/In on May 2nd, and more, before heading overseas. Taking inspiration from the small basement shows he grew up going to in Fayetteville, Hill brings a raw, intimate rock energy and spirit to his first-ever headline tour. He’s an artist on the rise, and one you won’t want to miss out on.
