10 Questions with ... Walker Hayes

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Facebook: www.Facebook.com/WalkerHayes
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Moving from his hometown of Mobile, AL to Nashville, TN in 2005 to follow his dreams of being a Nashville recording artist has brought Walker Hayes on a unique journey than most Country singers. Before signing his publishing and production deal with SMACKSongs' Shane McAnally and eventual record deal with McAnally's Monument Records, Hayes spent years working at a local Costco to provide for his wife and kids. Since being able to put in his two weeks at Costco a couple years ago, Hayes has garnered a Top 10 record at Country radio with "You Broke Up With Me" and has released a new album, "boom.," in December. With his follow-up to "You Broke Up With Me," titled "Craig," Hayes is hoping to inspire Country radio listeners, his fans, and everyone in between with the message of the new single. Hayes recently chatted with All Access Nashville Editor RJ Curtis about his new album; the meaning behind "Craig;" and staying true to himself as a singer and songwriter.

1. Your debut album, "boom.," was released in December; it's a fun, interesting listen. Would you agree that it's a sort of unconventional project, in a refreshing way?

I feel like we put together a pretty neat project. It's a great place to start, for me. And, personally, as an artist, I'm just honored that I get to even reach as far as that album goes in places. It's odd to me that a lot of people call it refreshing, and when they say that, they mean honest, because I came to Nashville, and I thought that's what we're supposed to do - be authentic. Then we learn in the business to chase what is working, but when it comes down to it, I have to feed my kids. This is a job for me. So, I can reach as far as I want, and if it doesn't work, I'm letting my children down as a father, and I'm not really providing. I'm just lucky. My producer, Shane McAnally, and my team...they encouraged what happened on "boom." I tried, at times, to write things that were "safer" and a little more commercial and parallel to what else is going on, but they didn't respond to that stuff, as far as the songs that they wanted on my album. It always came back to the "Craig," the "Beer In The Fridge," the "Beckett," the "You Broke Up With Me;" it all came back to personal stories, and I feel so lucky to be an artist that gets to do that, because it's beyond fulfilling, and it's really just a form of expression for me. It's quite therapeutic to go around the country, singing these things and to hear people react to them. We're working on album two, and it's kind of the same thing; it picks up where that one left off.

2. Most of the time, what's considered to be mainstream moves around and - sometimes - finds artists and music that are not so mainstream. As you mentioned, the openness and encouragement from your team at SMACK, as well as the time our format is in right now, make it a good time for your kind of music. Would you agree?

You're exactly right; the Country format is wide open, and right now, we could use authenticity. I know that TV shows have gone that way, as well. They're about real life, not the reality real life, but they address really deep issues that we all face on a daily basis, like that show, "This Is Us." I think it's such a big hit, because it's so raw. It addresses things that we're all going through on a daily basis, with baggage and stuff like that. I feel like within our songs, people want that, as well. Eventually somebody comes along, and it's just that one person, but eventually, lots of people come along in genres, and they do something that's quality and people react to. It definitely steers the direction of that genre, in general.

3. Your new single, "Craig," is a song that sticks out to me; as I've read, you wrote it as a "thank you" to Craig. Did you strictly write it as an act of gratitude to Craig?

Guy to guy, I'm terrible at expressing emotions; I always have been. I've never been able to just have a normal, serious conversation with my father or my brothers. It always gets awkward. If it's not light and very trite, then it just gets weird. That's the same way I was with Craig; he gave me a lot of help, and I'm ashamed to say that when he helped me, I didn't really want it. I was very proud; I didn't wanna be the guy that needed a car from another guy, you know? I always was mad at myself for the way that I twisted that deed that he did for us. He gave us a car. He loved us so well. And, I almost twisted it in a way that was like, "Hey, I'm doing you a favor by taking this - by letting you give me this." You know what I mean? That was stupid of me, and I learned it even more, as time went by. I recognized that stupidity, and I just wanted to tell this guy what he meant not only to me but to my family and my kids and our safety and journey. When "You Broke Up With Me" was about mid-way through its life, I spent about three months kinda piecing this "thank you" together. I'm from Mobile, Alabama, and I was told about Jesus every day. The Word is on billboards down there; it's in your face all the time. As someone who is quick to judge the messenger and not look to the message, I rarely meet people who I'm like, "Man, you actually remind me of that guy."

4. Did you ever imagine "Craig" as a single at Country radio?

I had no intention of sharing this with the world by putting it on an album, and I most definitely never thought to myself, "This could be a single on the radio." As I thought more and more about what Craig did for my family and how unconditionally he loved us and when he showed up for us without even asking if I needed help, really, that's what I wrote this song for. I just did a very simple track; I didn't really blow it up. We emailed it to his wife and him on a random Wednesday night.

5. One thing that happens quickly in the song is your honesty about spiritual reluctance. Did that experience make you feel any more open in your spirituality?

Absolutely. And, I will say and freely admit two things: one, people like Craig just make you curious - I don't care who you are. When you meet somebody who loves someone like that, so much, that you almost wonder why, it has to make you curious about whatever Kool-Aid they're drinking. Also, I have to tell you, just the path of the song makes me curious, as well. Again, I am the last guy who you would ever have said, "Hey, he's going to go to Nashville and do Christian music," or "He's gonna sing a song about Jesus." It's just the power of the message that's overwhelming me in how this song is different. It's very different than "You Broke Up With Me;" that was about me, how cool could I sound when I sing it, what it could make people feel, did it make people bob their heads? With this song, the message makes me feel very, very small as I sing it, and as I look people in the eye, and they're singing it back, and when I read people's stories - that they're inspired to be a Craig and think about people that have showed up for them. The message, like I said, it makes me feel very small and almost as if this song was inspired, and I just happened to be the guy with the pencil and paper.

6. You certainly occupy your own lane; you do something that nobody else is doing. In your last "10 Questions" feature with All Access, you mentioned that you wanted to do something different and be something that listeners might not know they even needed. The message of "Craig" has radio inspired and interested, yet some are concerned about the sonic fit at the radio station.

I just tell them this: there are other songs. When I was choosing the single, I basically had a chance to practice telling other people what my single was, very close to me, and people would be like, "What's the next single?" For a second, we thought it might be "Beautiful," and when I told them, when I responded, "Hey, my next single is 'Beautiful,'" it didn't excite me. It didn't make me nervous at all - it sounded safe, it sounded like a hit, it sounded predictable - then, for a minute there, I said my single is "Shut Up Kenny," and it ignited me a little more. It's a little more dangerous, but it didn't feel right. Then, one night, the idea, the message that "Craig" was my single, I knew that's what we had to say. That's kinda where me and my team are coming from right now, with this single. We have to say this now. "You Broke Up With Me" has allowed me an incredible platform on which to speak off of. I will admit this: there are a lot of mainstream, massive artists that I have, in the past, looked at their singles and thought, "Man, you're the biggest star that there is right now, and THAT is what you wanna say? THAT's what you wanna tell the world?" And, that's probably a dumb reason, but that's kinda where we're coming from right now.

7. How do you answer any pushback about the style of this song being unconventional?

My rebuttal with the style, I guess, that definitely scares a few people is, "Hey, come around when you wanna come around. I'm not really worried about it." The message, in my opinion, is bigger than me; it's bigger than that Program Director; it's bigger than their fear of playing it. Whoever's gonna hear that song is gonna hear it; it has nothing to do with us. Hey, I may not get to do this forever, but right now, "You Broke Up With Me" gave me a podium on which to say something, and "Craig" was obviously the song that people heard, and they pulled over, and it shapes their life. It didn't just make them sing along; it made them press rewind and stop in a world that's got a lot of darkness in it. It made them think of a lot of hope and faith. It makes you think, "I want to be that artist." Like I said earlier, the power of the song - it moves me. I feel inspired and a responsibility to share this story that happened to me more than I've ever felt with any song.

8. Another album cut that sticks out to me is "Beer In The Fridge." It's had some radio-friendliness, and I also believe it's a bit autobiographical. It's also a really strong candidate, in my mind, for a single at Country radio. Is that something you're thinking about down the road?

Absolutely. That's another message of mine. On a daily basis, I meet recovering alcoholics, and we share our stories, and we encourage one another. I'm constantly invited to meetings and stuff like that, and occasionally, I'll go. It's something that I'm extremely vocal about. There's a handful of things that address that that we're working on with album two. And, yes, "Beer In The Fridge," is a very personal song, and it most definitely is a statement I would love to make on the radio, especially within our genre; it kinda gets a bad rap for overuse of alcohol in songs and stuff, but also that side of it. I know a lot of people in my circle can relate to it. That's one of the most important songs for me, personally, on the album.

9. I can't believe Costco hasn't come to you yet to offer you some kind of a deal, after your story.

Man, Costco's been good to me. I still shop there. Costco is great for people with big families, and we still shop there. I see people I worked with; they're so proud. Once you're a Costco employee, you're family. I actually have a lot of fans that show up and wear their Costco badges. Just the other day, actually, somebody made me a Costco badge that said, "Singer/songwriter Walker Hayes."

10. So ... When is that nationwide Costco parking lot tour starting for you?!

That would actually be a great idea to go Costco to Costco and play the warehouses. There's one in every city. The way Costco works is that everything ships constantly, and their highest seller is toilet paper. If you notice, that's as far from the [entry] door as you can get. You have to pass every item and weave your way through the basketball goal aisle, and the giant tub of pretzels, and you gotta eat the samples, then you see the dog food... You see everything getting to just your basic needs that you hit up Costco for. But, I love the establishment. They were good to me; they hired me pretty quickly when I needed it. They gave me work. I love Costco. If music doesn't work, I'll probably go back.