Circuit des Yeux: » Women should feel comfortable going on with their careers and passions while they go through pregnancies « – ALICE Guest Book 05

Haley Fohr, the Chicago-based musician, composer, and multidisciplinary artist behind the moniker Circuit des Yeux, possesses a vocal expression that’s hard to shake. Her voice stretches not only across four octaves but also across melodic hooks, animalistic bleats, and elemental wails.

In March 2025, Circuit des Yeux released the album ‘Halo on the Inside’ on Matador Records. In different ways, the songs on the album explore themes of metamorphosis and change. And when the musician visited ALICE in October 2025, she was going through one such change herself – about to welcome her first child.

When working on your latest album, ‘Halo on the Inside’, what was your process like?

»I’ve always felt most creative at night. When I was working on this album, I had the space and availability to be as loud as I wanted whenever I wanted. And I fell into a deep pattern of being awake and making music all night and into the morning.«

For how long did this take place?

»Eight months! And it’s a slippery slope, you know. First, I was going to bed at midnight. Then suddenly at 2 AM. And eventually, the more I was able to let go of the shame I felt about my difference of rhythm, I was awake until after five in the morning.«

In relation to what did you feel that shame?

»Because the other side of being up until five is that I was sleeping until like noon or one, and it just took me a while to be okay with that, not being awake and available during a big part of the day.«

What was it like, being up until the early morning to write music?

»It was really nice, and quiet. Knowing that everyone I loved was asleep I was able to take more chances, and let go of some of my anxieties. It enabled me to hear some of the quieter secrets I’ve had inside of myself.«

What kind of secrets?

»All sorts of things that I’m not able to access when stuff is going on around me. A quieter and softer side of me emerged, things that feel a little more innocent and tied to childhood, rather than being a functioning adult.«

Do you think that would surprise people to hear you describe that this album is actually coming out of your softer side?

»Well, this album is really industrial, and noisy, and big, and dark, but the lyrics themselves and the vocals are actually quite soft.«

How would you describe your relationship with the darkness?

»When I think of the darkness, I don’t necessarily think of the negative, but maybe some of the facets of ourselves that each one of us struggle to identify with or to accept. All of those things kind of hang around in the night. So the darkness is a place that maybe you don’t want to be in all the time, but for myself it can be quite comforting.«

In what way?

»The darkness smears things, so they get a little less definitive, which can be really freeing. Also, this is maybe a bit unrelated, but I’m a bit light sensitive.«

Uh, so how do you feel about stage lights?

»No front lights, no white lights … I’ve performed in darkness for pretty much 15 years.«

Now, I’m getting more personal. In December or January, you’ll be welcoming your first child. What’s it like to perform while being pregnant?

»It’s really powerful and beautiful. I feel more like an animal, like: I have a lot of strength in a way I haven’t had before when I’m on stage. And I have a huge sense of purpose. Maybe I did so before as well, but had more trouble accessing it.

»I’m trying to be transparent about my pregnancy, because I think that women should feel comfortable going on with their careers and passions while they go through this transition.«

Why is that important to you?

»In the creative industries, there’s a lot of talk about giving up being a careerist in the arts for being a mother. I really think that it doesn’t have to be that way. I myself am looking for these examples. Like Kim Gordon, who was pregnant and had her baby with her on the road all the time.«

How would you describe your relationship with your voice?

»My voice has always been big and quite different than everybody else’s, and I used to be very, very shy. But I would be in a choir, and there I would let myself sing loud, and that felt really good. Being in the choir felt like being surrounded by a security blanket of other people’s voices. And I felt like I was able to hide in that. But also to relate and react to the other people around me. So being in a choir is a really empathetic thing to do.«

When did you start singing by yourself?

»It wasn’t until I was in first grade, where my teacher was like: ‘you’re gonna sing this solo’. The fact that she heard that in me opened up my world.«

What did that feel like?

»It was really scary at first, but I grew into the idea. That’s when I discovered I could sing. It felt really powerful and big. The world makes you feel so small sometimes. To find something in life where it feels so pure and untouched and one hundred percent you is a miracle. And I think I found that in this life, and I hope everyone can find something like that.«

What’s your most important creative advice?

»Discipline, but that doesn’t sound like a lot of fun. But things take time. So I think that the best advice is to maintain a close relationship to your art, and keep going.«

Lastly, I would be curious to hear if you could recommend anything from our current program?

»Cole Pulice. They played saxophone on my record. Their music is almost like synthesizer music, because they play so many pedals. I think it is a good concert to go to, because there’s a lot of stuff in the world. Sometimes going to a concert can just cram more stuff in there. But their music clears your mind in a really good way.«

The ALICE Guest Book is an interview format where, through conversations with artists who have recently performed on our stage, we gather inspiration, advice, anecdotes, and even recommendations for other artists on the ALICE program that are worth experiencing. With the guest book, you can get closer to the personalities you may have just seen live and hear what drives them as musicians, people, and music fans. The guest book is a place where very different artists leave their mark side by side—together forming a picture of what it means to be a creative artist today.

You can read all the interviews in the guest book here on our Substack: substack.com/@alicecph.