Walker Hayes

Professions :

I get off on finding new ways to tell my wife 'I love you.'

you i-love-you wife love

My music is just about that bounce and getting everybody moving.

about just music moving

I didn't want a pickup with mud tires. I wanted an old blazer with as many speakers in the back as I could afford. I would even steal them out of my brother's car and pack them in there. I remember sitting in a parking lot and turning my radio up and walking down the street to see how far you could feel it.

you car brother walking

I want to be more selfless and look outward.

more look selfless want

I've always felt very insecure being around in-laws, even my siblings - like the guy who made a bad decision, or the guy who would never just fess up that I'm not good enough to make it, or I don't have what it takes.

bad good not-good-enough decision

Family is first for me.

first me family

I'm pretty chill, but once birth starts, I go the opposite of chill.

pretty go chill birth

Talking about my addiction to alcohol is therapeutic. Most definitely telling everyone about it is as well.

everyone addiction alcohol talking

My wife is so sweet... she probably gets tired of me calling her with nothing to say, but she's always there for me.

me tired wife sweet

In my opinion, my business runs better when my family is a part of it, and I get to see my wife and kids; that makes me a better artist.

me family wife business

Taylor Swift - I don't ever hear anything of hers where I'm like, 'Oh, so-and-so could've cut that.'

hear anything where like

Sometimes when you belt, it kinda makes the song more dramatic than it really needs to be. There are certain songs that you hear, and you're like, 'Wow, he's singing about his girlfriend, but he sounds kinda mad the way he's yelling, 'You're so pretty!''

you singing song sometimes

I want to be something that the listeners might not know that they needed but that I fill a lane and that they enjoy it for a while.

something know enjoy want

When I lost my first record deal, my wife and kids and I lost - I wouldn't say friends, but - we lost a lot people around us. They just vanished! They were nowhere to be found. I couldn't get a break, and I couldn't get people to even respond to my emails about songs, no matter how good something was.

good friends wife people

I'm a tough, tough person. I always have been tough to embarrass, too.

person been always tough

For me, a good show is not a perfect show; it's just one where you connected. It's a show where the fans got to know you, and they realize that you're human, but they also think you're a star and that you're talented and all that good stuff.

good think me you

Tragedy levels the playing field.

playing-field field playing tragedy

Back home, the Iron Bowl isn't just a football game, it's a phenomenon.

game back home football

That's kind of something we - my team and I - text each other a lot. Anytime something great happens, we're like, 'Hey, look, the song's #17. Boom!'

great look team song

What's great about being an opener is that even when you lose, you win. There's no pressure. And no expectations. If you sell merch, you're killing it. But when you headline, you have to sell those tickets.

lose great win you

Adam Jones

Izzy Stradlin

Bon Scott

Brad Delp

Brad Delson

Brian Eno