The Brooklyn-based Hailey Wojcik (pronounced like Wo-chick) is a jill of all trades, as she’s a guitarist, singer/songwriter, producer and engineer, whose work has been praised by the likes of The Deli Magazine, My Old Kentucky Blog, Magnet, After Ellen, MTV, Logo, Girls Get Busy Zine and others for lyrics that are darkly witty. She has also co-directed several music videos, many of which included her own stop-motion animation. 

Although I’ve originally known of her for her garage rock duo WOJCIK, Hailey Wojcik has actually been known for her solo work. In fact, her solo debut, Diorama was produced by Dan Romer, who has worked with the likes of Jenny Owen Youngs, Jukebox the Ghost and others, and was released in 2010. The Book of Beasts EP, which is slated for a March 2015 release on cassette through Wiener Records and digitally on Bandcamp is the long-anticipated follow up to her debut solo effort. The Book of Beasts EP.

With Wojcik self-engineering and producing the EP in Southern France, and completing the process with drummer Brian Vigilone (The Dresden Dolls and Violent Femmes), the material has an intimate yet forceful feel, as you’ll hear on the EP’s first single “XO Skeleton.” Although the song’s arrangement is simple – Wojcik’s vocals are accompanied by her guitar and Vigilone’s drums but it’s deceptively simple as the song manages to be one of the bluesier and dirge-like tracks she’s released to date. The track simmers with bitter accusation and recrimination and nostalgia in true breakup song fashion. But perhaps more important, Wojcik is yet another one of the great contemporary guitarist list, a list that includes Screaming Females’  Marissa Paternoster and White Mystery’s Alex White. 

The official video was also produced by Wojcik and features her stop motion animation, spliced with footage of a young and absolutely adorable 5 year old Wojcik at a talent show, and an extensive insect collection which at times contrast the bitterness at the heart of the song.