We got in touch with Country star Hunter Hayes to get an inside look of what his music is all about and his current tour with Carrie Underwood. 

Q: Please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Hunter Hayes, I’m 21 years old from Breaux Bridge Louisiana.

Q: You’ve been on tour with Carrie Underwood, how has that been so far? What’s been your favorite date on tour to play thus far?

I absolutely love this tour so far. This particular tour is a lot of fun for me because it’s longer than we’ve been on tour with anybody and it’s a longer show as well. This is the first tour where I really get to bring my own production and have a little fun with lights and set design and stuff like that. Carrie is really cool too so it’s always cool to open for a headliner who is so down to earth and real.

Q: What’s the one thing that you’ve gotten out of this tour that will help you in the future?

I don’t know that there’s one particular thing, but I can say that it’s been great to see the tour come together every day. Watching the 14 trucks unload and seeing the production come together, watching and listening back to our shows every night and studying what’s working and what’s not quite right, just the whole thing has been a learning experience. Touring is one of those things you can’t train for or learn about from a distance, you just have to tour and experience all of it. Everything from the crazy scheduling to getting to play for thousands of people every night is all something you just have to do over and over to really get accustomed to it and even then it changes everyday so you have to also learn how to adapt.

Q: Who have been your musical inspirations to get you to where you are now?

It’s a long list and this is by no means all of it or even half but it spans from my early years of listening and watching shows from Garth Brooks, Bryan White, Brooks and Dunn, Lonestar, then it was stuff like Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Lady A and you could look at all the stuff outside of country that now inspires me like Coldplay, Train, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Mutemath, Michael Buble, U2 and stuff like that. It’s all stuff that I’ve listened to, studied and gained new perspectives from. Music is so much like a fingerprint in that it’s different with every person, not just artists but listeners and I want to listen to as much stuff as I possibly can to help me shape the things that will make up my own sound.

Q: What’s the music scene like in your home state? Do you feel like it has helped or hurt you as an artist?

The music scene in Louisiana was actually probably the biggest thing that helped me. There’s a huge live music demand and there are tons of places for a live band to play. I know when I started sitting in with bands they would play two or three fairs and festivals every weekend. I was able to keep busy all year round and play all the time growing up. There are a ton of musicians that I got to learn from and study under and that was huge for me as a musician to be so inspired by so many people around me. Looking back I’d contribute a lot of my love for music from growing up in an area where it’s such a thing.

Q: Being a young artist yourself, is there any advice you can give to a high school musician?

Music is awesome. There are so many avenues inside of music that you can make a career out of. You have to choose your own path and believe in yourself. I can say from experience that I have had some seriously crazy dreams and goals that seemed a little ridiculous but I’ve been fortunate to be able to say that a lot of them have already come true. I will also say don’t give up. It’s a long road and sometimes a little frustrating but when you get where you wanna go, it’s all so seriously worth it.

Q: What are your personal struggles and advantages to being a solo artist?

I’m dedicated to music, every part of it. I’m lucky to be involved in different aspects of the musical process. There’s writing, recording, performing and everything in between. I’m fortunate to be so involved. It’s a passion though and it takes a lot of time and energy as a person. Sometimes it’s stressful and sometimes it’s lonely investing all your time and energy into something and just hoping it works. But, every time I get to play a show it makes sense. I live for making music. I love it. The ups and downs are all just a part of the story, it’s what shapes my sound and what shapes me as a person. If you believe in something, you don’t think about it, hesitate or question it, you just have to do what it takes to see your dreams come true.

Q: What’s been the most enlightening moment in your career?

I don’t know if I can say there was just one. There have been so many different inspiring moments in my many musical experiences. I think the most enlightening moments are those spent with other artists. Getting to see how other artists think and sort of operate if you will. Seeing how another writer writes or how other musicians make music, taking that all in and getting to look at it differently next time I try something out. I’d say life is a series of those enlightening events more than it is just all revolving around one particular one.

Q: When did you decide you wanted to pursue a career in music?

It was never a decision it was always more of an instinct thing. My parents aren’t musical so I have no idea where it came from but ever since I was a kid, I loved listening to music, loved music in general and for my second birthday I was given a toy accordion from my grandmother. I’d say since then, it’s been an absolute obsession.

Q: For someone who’s never heard your music before, what song would you recommend they listen to first?

I’d suggest something like “Love Makes Me” It seems to have the most of all of my influences musically and it’s pretty lyrically real seeing as it has a “mustang” and “tearing off the shrink wrap” of a new record and “cranking it up loud” it’s pretty much my life!

Q: Do you have any plans for 2013 that you can share?

I mean, we have a lot in the works.  One thing for sure is I’m planning to get back out on a headline tour at some point. As soon as the team figures out when and where we’ll make a big announcement but I’m really looking forward to building my show for next year!

Q: Anything else you’d like to say to our viewers and your fans?

Thanks so much for taking the time to get to know me. Hope to see you at a show soon!