On his new album, Black Sheep, he said, “My label was so gracious, and they were kind enough to allow me to put these eight-tracks out. These songs are purely from my soul and my heart. When I write them, they are not album material, but they are things that I am literally trying to express myself with. They encouraged me to have a third volume, and I am sure there will be more.”
He listed “Chapel” as his personal favorite song on the eight-track collection, which is a special song that he dedicates to one of his sons as he acknowledges both of their differences (Hayes likes sports, while for his son, sports wasn’t a passion of his). “I want all my kids to have a song,” he said. “It revolves around the first time I took him to his first basketball practice. I grew up as an avid athlete and he didn’t.”
Hayes shared that he loves the video for “Don’t Let Her” more than the actual song. “Videos make me anxious, but this one was great since there weren’t that many people behind the camera,” he said. “I encouraged my wife to have a date with me at home. They did a great job with this video.”
This past November, in honor of Giving Tuesday, Hayes played to a packed house at the Listening Room Cafe, where all of the proceeds went to HOPE International, via the Be A Craig Fund.
He is very pumped for the holiday season to spend it with the family. On September 27, Hayes will be celebrating his milestone 40th birthday. “I am still alive,” he said with a sweet laugh. “I am really excited. I feel the natural changes in my life, I am more relaxed and my priorities are getting better and I think that comes with age. I am loving my family. There is so much joy in my house.”
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he said, “Don’t slow down and don’t take your foot off the pedal.”
HOPE International is an organization that invests in the dreams of families in the world’s under-served communities through services, and loans that restore dignity and break the cycle of poverty. In addition to proceeds from Hayes’ show, the Be A Craig Fund donated a total of $10,000 to HOPE International. “That was incredible, and that was out of the goodness of my friends,” he admitted. “Honestly, what a privilege. A generous donor matched that $10,000, and it turned into $20,000, and that just blew my mind. We are very passionate about HOPE International does.”
The “Be A Craig Fund” was created by Hayes as a tribute to a man named Craig that gave Hayes and his family a van when they were struggling. Craig’s kindness meant that the family would have a vehicle big enough for all of the Hayes children to have seatbelts.
When asked which track and field event he would compete in, he responded, “I would probably do the 800 meters.” “Growing up, that was something I was good at, long-distance races,” he said.
For his fans, Hayes said, “I love them. They are so dear to me, and they are the reason I do this. I am so honored with how they supported me and the Be a Craig Fund. My fans are supportive of my wife, Laney, and my kids too.”
Hayes defined success as “relying on the Lord 100 percent and using the gifts that he has loaned me for his glory. The Lord is my greatest hope.”
Black Sheep is available on Apple Music and on Spotify.
To learn more about country singer-songwriter Walker Hayes, check out his official website, and his Facebook page.
