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Five-time Grammy nominee Hunter Hayes of Breaux Bridge kicked off his spring tour in San Diego last week.
“If we could play for anybody, I’d be happy,” Hayes said the day after the tour’s opening night. “But it was packed. A lot of people were coming to see us for the first time and were pleasantly surprised. We played a lot longer than we expected, but that’s a good thing.”
The 22-city tour, Hayes’ first since the coronavirus pandemic, will see the gold- and platinum-selling singer-songwriter hit the New Orleans home of the blues on Sunday.
“Tours seem to be back to normal,” he said. “We looked into it multiple times, waited patiently, and decided it was the right time for us to exit.”
Hayes’ travel itinerary included a day off between Houston and New Orleans. He will spend that special day visiting his grandparents in Browbridge.
“We figured out how to allow me to have some quiet time to spend with my family,” he said. “I’m grateful for that.”
During Hayes’ childhood in Breaux Bridge, his parents took him to Mulate’s, a Cajun restaurant not far from home. His grandmother, Lynn Cleuse, noticed how much her grandson liked Mulate’s Cajun band and gave him a toy accordion. Since then, no one has been able to stop him.
“Red Sky,” Hunter Hayes’ eighth and latest album, was released April 21.
A prodigy of the ’90s, Hayes rose to fame in the preschool years. Now 31, his musical vision is sharper than ever. On April 21, he released his eighth album “Red Sky”.
Like many singer-songwriters during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hayes took the time off to write and record new music, devoting four years to making “Red Sky.”
“It’s not just another album for me,” he said. “There’s never an album that’s just another album, but this is a big one. It’s a fresh start in a lot of ways, an introduction to more of what I do, all my art and writing.”
Releasing “Red Sky” as a solo artist gave Hayes the time and space to create the album he needed to make. There are no deadlines for completion or release dates set by record label executives.
“Tell your team, ‘Guys, I need more time,'” he recalls. “But to our credit, we didn’t make decisions based on a deadline, but on where the album wanted to go.”
Hayes moved to Nashville when he was 17. Four years later, his single “Wanted” made the 21-year-old the youngest male solo artist to reach No. 1 country song. Successful hits included “Somebody’s Heartbreak” and “I Want Crazy”.
Hayes emerged as a country artist in her early 20s and also found pop success. His new album moves from the Foo Fighters-inspired “High Tide” to pop and country songs, as well as blues and soul influences.
“A little bit of everything,” he said. “That’s what I set out to do with this project, and that’s what I did.”
Hayes’ “Red Sky” co-writers include Dan Book (Britney Spears), Alex Delicata (Beyoncé, OneRepublic) and his “Missing You” collaborator, Better Than Ezra’s Kevin Griffin, a native of Louisianans, also lives in Nashville.
Although Hayes recorded most of “Red Sky” in California, it is the most widely played music of his career. Recording locations include Nashville, Salt Lake City, Colorado Springs, Prince Edward Island, Florida, Hawaii and the United Kingdom. Hayes said the change of scenery provided the blank canvas he needed.
As much as Hayes enjoyed his creative freedom while working on “Red Sky,” he wouldn’t speak ill of the major labels he’s worked with in the past.
“I’m proud of everything I’ve done,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of titles, and we’ve had a lot of success together. But I’ve noticed that some parts of it are not conducive to making the art that I know I have the potential to make.”
More than two decades after childhood fame, the grown-up Hayes speaks with purpose.
“To make an album with such conviction, to be on stage like I did last night, and to see people connect with this music is just so rewarding.”
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