In this episode, Carly and I had a great time getting to visit with Grammy nominated and critically acclaimed songwriter, Hayes Carll. Once again, this interview proved to be all we’d hoped for.
Hayes explains that early on in his career he didn’t really think that being a well-known artist was necessarily feasible but, he did feel like he had the ability and desire that would allow him to be a successful writer of songs for other people; so first and foremost, that’s what he felt he was going to be.
While living on Galveston Island, TX Hayes explains how one-night walking down an alley he heard music coming from a place called the Old Quarter Acoustic Café. This venue became Hayes’ second home and he said he just started camping out there. This lead to building relationships with the touring artists that would come through to play on weekends like Sisters Morales and Ray Wylie Hubbard.
Eventually Hayes recorded his first record at Willie Nelson’s Pedernales Recording Studio with Lisa Morales taking the reins as producer.
As he was plugging away playing shows where he could, he had the good fortune of a Dallas radio station and its listeners falling in love with one of his songs of the first record called “Down the Road Tonight”. The radio station subsequently invited Hayes to play an event they were putting on and when Hayes played that song, he had the surreal experience of 3,000 people singing the song back to him and going nuts. This turned out to be a seminal moment in Hayes career as a performer and writer giving him the validation he needed to press on.
In the latter parts of this interview we visit about Hayes relationships with other great artists and songwriters such as Corb Lund and Darrell Scott; both of whom I regard as major influences that I had the good fortune to share stages with during my days of touring.
We also get to visit about Hayes’ latest record entitled “What it is”. Check out the VIDEO for a song off the record called “Times Like These” that was filmed at the Coupland Dance Hall.
Carly and I both agreed we could have easily visited for another hour with Hayes and we can’t wait to have him on again in the future!
Enjoy the episode!
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