We might not know it here yet, but Hunter Hayes is a bonafide pop star in the States. A country pop star, to be more specific, which is why it’s taken a bit longer for us to catch on – America froth over country a lot more than we do here Down Under.
With two chart-topping albums and four Grammy awards to his name, Hayes has the resumé of someone 20 years his senior. But the singer-songwriter and extreme multi-instrumentalist has managed to break through the tough country market at only 23-years-old. The only other name to reach similar levels of success at such ripe young age is none other than old mate Taylor Swift – who he has toured with, by the way.
The multi-talented troubadour is coming to Australia for Bluesfest, and before Hayes makes his first ever visit to our country we spoke with the young star to cross the cultural divide.
It’s time Australia gets acquainted with Hunter Hayes.
Tone Deaf: You’re ticking off a lot of boxes quite quickly in your career. What’s been your biggest accomplishment so far?
There’s still a lot left. The biggest accomplishment, I think, is between two things.
First one being the band and I holding a Guinness World Record. We’re first to do 10 shows in 10 different cities that are all very far apart from each other in 24 hours.
That was a big accomplishment for me as a live performer, but I think also having my debut album go platinum. You can’t anticipate that. You can’t plan for that. That’s something you can’t expect.
TD: At what age did you know this was what you wanted to do for the rest of your life? You released an album at 9 – is that right?
Yeah, I think. [Laughs]
I think around the time I was 13 or 14, I really started getting serious about songwriting because I was listening to records that were really hitting me – like really getting to me – and songs that I would listen to on a daily basis because I just could not live without them.
And that’s when I was like: I want to make that kind of music, I want to make those kinds of records, and I want to put on shows.
Somewhere between that is where my future kind of started taking place, and moving to Nashville was what made the connection – seeing that it was possible. I got a publishing deal, started writing for a living and then got a record deal.
I cut the first record pretty quick after signing the record deal, and then away you go. Since then it’s been crazy.
TD: What were those records that inspired you?
I was actually on the phone today with the guy who I get to work with as my producer. His name is Dann Huff. He’s a phenomenal guitar player and was in several huge bands.
He was asking me about songs that have really struck me in the past. I was on the phone to him and I remember stopping and thinking: he’s going to think I’m totally blowing smoke, but there’s a record he made with Rascal Flatts called Me And My Gang, and there are some songs on that record that are just phenomenal.
MercyMe had a record around the same time called Coming Up To Breathe, that was another record I’d have on repeat. Keath Urban had several records that were all that I’d listen to.
It was kind of like that trio of records that got the fire going.
TD: At what age did you decide to move to Nashville? How important was that decision, looking back on how much it changed your career?
That was the first step in many things that really just had to happen. I’d wanted to move to Nashville and I started getting serious about it when I started getting serious about songwriting, and discovering that everything happens in Nashville.
I started taking weekend trips with the family and I finally made the move when I turned 16. Now seven years later, it was one of the most profound experiences in my life.
I’d been there for meetings and to make networks, but I moved to a city where I really didn’t know anybody. But that forced me to hone my craft and find my way of talking through music and telling a story that way.
Now I call this my new home.
TD: People throw around the term ‘multi-instrumentalist’ quite a lot. We usually we use it for people who can play guitar and keys, but you can play 30 instruments, right?
Well yes, technically, but I don’t consider myself to be any sort of freakin’ musical virtuoso on any of them. [Laughs]
I just like playing stuff, and if it’s there I’ll at least attempt it and see how it goes.
TD: How does the recording process work? Does it allow you to be more heavily involved in each aspect?
I just like tinkering with different instruments to create parts, and things like that. On the first record I played everything and did it by myself. But on this record, Storyline, it was more finding parts with mandolins and acoustics and all that kind of stuff, and getting the band to lay down the foundations. Drums, bass, electronic, piano, stuff like that.
Kind of learning how that process goes was a lot for me, and figuring out how to work with the band. Of course we tour together, we all know each other and we get along great, so it’s a beautiful process. I was just so new to it because I was so used to having to do it myself. Growing up I couldn’t afford big studios or big musicians or anything like that; I just had to figure it out.
TD: What drove you to learn so many different instruments?
Curiosity and necessity.
I learned to play the steel one night because I wanted a steel part on the song. I was like, “It would be so goofy to have a steel part but I really want it,” and my buddy had one and he set me up and showed me how to tune it. That was at about 8 o’clock, I skipped dinner and by about 4am I shut down the Pro Tools session with juuust enough to make me happy, and that started my obsession with the instrument from there.
TD: What are the main benefits of being able to play so many different instruments? Would you say to young musicians that it’s worthwhile learning as many as you can?
It just keeps that part of your brain moving and I think that’s important, even in the creative mode. It’s so healthy. Your education of one instrument will improve your experience of another instrument. Everything relates back to each other.
And it’s seeing perspectives. I don’t know if this is true, but in any kind of sports team having played some of the other positions is going to help you in any other position because you understand it from a different perspective.
That’s the whole multi-instrument thing in a nutshell.
TD: Do you go in and out of love with different styles?
It changes over six month periods, but there’s always one or two things going at a time.
Recently I got into The Punch Brothers, who are not really a bluegrass band but they just play a lot of bluegrass instruments. They’re just fascinating. They’re great musical minds and they compose the coolest stuff.
So I really got into that at the same time I got into an older Michael Jackson record I found and didn’t want to let go of. It’s stuff like that. I just get into it for months and I study it, and I study the record before it to see where it came from, and I go back even more.
TD: What was it like touring with Taylor Swift?
It was cool, man. It was short but it was cool. It was our first real big tour with some of the band, but it was my first real touring experience and it was brilliant.
She’s a professional in every sense of the word. Her show is always above and beyond, and she wants to give the fans everything. She’s driven, she’s a hard worker, and such a great person to watch and learn from.
TD: You’re coming to Australia soon for Bluesfest. Have you ever been to Australia before?
No, this will be my first trip. What a way to start, right? [Laughs]
TD: Definitely. What are you expecting, then? Something from The Simpsons?
To be honest I don’t think I know what to expect so that’ll leave expectations out of the question.
I don’t know, man. I’m just really stoked to finally go. I’ve been wanting to go for a while, and that’s no script. I’m really surprised it’s taken this long.
But now we are finally going, it’s pretty exciting that we’re playing such a big festival, the lineup is sick, our slots are just awesome, and I hope I make them proud. I’m stoked to finally come and I can’t wait for people to hear the music.
BYRON BAY BLUESFEST 2015
Angus & Julia Stone
Boy & Bear
Sticky Fingers
Jurassic 5 (second show)
Hozier
The Waterboys
Switchfoot
Hunter Hayes
Fly My Pretties
Music Maker Presents Super Chikan And Vasti Jackson
Diesel
Jeff Lang
Phil Wiggins & Dom Turner
Watussi Final Performances
Nikki Hill
The Rumjacks
Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires
Augie March
Donavon Frankenreiter
Melbourne Ska Orchestra
Justin Townes Earle
Declan Kelly Presents Diesel n’Dub featuring Emma Donovan, Alex Lloyd, Pat Powell, Radical Son, Tony Hughes
Ash Grunwald
Blue King Brown
The Beautiful Girls
Steve Smyth
Karl S. WilliamsLenny Kravitz
The Gipsy Kings feat. Nicolas Reyes & Tonino Baliardo
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
Jurassic 5
John Mayall
Keb Mo
Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin with The Guilty Ones
JJ Grey & Mofro
Tony Joe White
Jon Cleary
Trevor Hall
Serena Ryder
Jake Shimabukuro
Music Maker Foundation feat. Cool John Ferguson
Little Freddie King
Alabama Slim
George Stancell
Michael Franti’s SoulshineThe Black Keys
Zac Brown Band
Alabama Shakes
Train
Michael Franti & Spearhead
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic
Paul Kelly Presents The Merri Soul Sessions feat Dan Sultan, Kira Puru, & Vika And Linda Bull
Xavier Rudd and The United Nations
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Rebelution
Soja
The Chris Robinson Brotherhood
Beth Hart
Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls
Mariachi El Bronx
G. Love & Special Sauce
Pokey Lafarge
Band Of Skulls
Rockwiz Live
Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
Paolo Nutini
David GrayBen Howard
Counting Crows
Gary Clark Jr
Angelique Kidjo
Jimmy Cliff
Mavis Staples
Dispatch
Ruthie Foster
The Beat
Keziah Jones
Sheppard
Playing For Change
Thursday, 2nd April – Monday, 6th April 2015
Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay NSW
Tickets: Byron Bay Bluesfest | Moshtix | Ticketmaster
