Dr Jordan Hunter Hyland is healing people with the power of music

Medicine and music are not often mentioned in the same sentence. But perhaps they should be? After all doesn't music have a healing power of its own. At least that's what Dr Jordan Hunter Hyland says. As a registered GP he's seen a lot of things most musicians wouldn't encounter, and yet he's out here building a dual life for himself. He's recently released an EP of songs that stand on their own with a sombre raw bones type appeal. Following the release he gave us his perspective on healing powers of music.

You're a doctor - now I don't know the numbers but I'm confident there are not a lot of medical practitioners who have built a dual life as a musician like you have. Tell us about how this all came about? 

As far as I'm aware I don't know anyone else, doctors play it safe, that's why they got into medicine in the first place, so they don't have to worry about what happens next, job security and all that. Music is more important than anything else to me, it heals people. 

The EP covers loss and letting go. Do these themes cross over with your work and what does the relationship between your music and work look like? 

I love my job, but it does not shape my music in any way, I think my personal life is probably more chaotic than anything, my job actually provides me with some stability and routine. Whenever I get downtime at work I will write, usually on night shifts, and in the back of my mind I'm thinking if this song is really good maybe I just won't show up to work tomorrow.

I love the minimal, stripped-back feel of the songs and the analog textures are a nice touch. How did you land on this sound?

So I did a song called Amphetamines that I wrote in one take, sort of came out of nowhere, and it was different to everything I had written before. I remember that moment because it was as if the song was given to me like some supernatural stuff going on. The recording on the EP is the first take of the song I ever did on the spot, that's why the song structure is really disjointed. I just like how my songs sound when I play them, so I try to keep the recordings as raw as possible.

You're pulling some good streaming numbers. Why do you think people are gravitating towards your songs? 

I think I leave space in the songs for people to have their own interpretations, I don't really do social media or TikTok or any of that, so they find the music on their own. I don't even think most of my friends and family know I do music. The only thing that matters to me is that the music is good. 

On the EP you've said “No happy songs until the sad ones pay rent.” - does this mean you have some upbeat material in the works? 

I've got a few lullabies up my sleeve. I wouldn't say my songs are sad, I think the emotion is more like things are okay but sad at the same time, which is most of life.

If you could impart one piece of wisdom or sentiment through your music, what would this be?

It's really cliche but the most amazing experience is hearing my daughter Elliott humming my songs, I just want her to not be afraid of putting herself out there in whatever she wants to do and to take chances.