Walker Hayes joins The Ty Bentli Show for an interview on Apple Music Country to share personal stories behind his new album, ‘Country Stuff The Album.’ Listen to the episode in-full anytime on-demand here.
Walker Hayes Shares The Inspiration Behind The Song “AA,” and How He Almost Ended His Sobriety The Day He Buried His Child
“I love AA. Not to get too like deep and dark, but this is what I live for, is talking about those moments in life. The day we buried our daughter, Oakley, who was our seventh, I sat in an AA meeting that night. I could still see the dirt on my shoe from her grave that we had filled in. And man, an AA meeting just saved my life. That night I actually drove to a bar and I wanted to just get hammered and get in a fight, and I didn’t have my wallet. And when I went home, I just broke down. When I walked in my house, and I was so ashamed, I saw my wife on the couch all by herself, I was like, ‘I’m, I’m so sorry.’ You know, I left her alone to just go self destruct. And she helped me. She found an AA meeting in Williamson County.”
Walker Hayes Recalls Jake Owen’s Support When He Was A Struggling Songwriter, And The Moment He Invited Jake To Be On The New Album
“I love Jake [Owen]. So Jake, when I was working at Costco seven years ago, I thought for sure, the way that I would pay our bills is just writing songs, and that other artists would cut my material. And I’m so grateful. He cut a song of mine called “Song In Your Pocket.” And for a songwriter with kids and a wife, this was it, man. You know, the fact that Jake Owen was cutting this song. I was like, it’s gonna be a single, and I’m a writer on it. We’re gonna make some money. I’m gonna pay off some debts. This is the start. You know, this is it. This is when it all is gonna happen for me. Well, the song he cut sounded great, but it did not make the album, unfortunately. And you know, that has happened to me many, many times in this town, probably 10 where I banked on getting a cut on someone’s album. Well, he didn’t cut it and he didn’t owe me anything, but he gave me a phone call. I remember sitting in the Costco parking lot. I was devastated. I had just gotten the news that it didn’t make it on his album. And he called just to apologize. He said, man, I still love the song. And I’m really sorry. It didn’t make it on the album. And it wasn’t like the answer to all our problems. But man, that phone call meant so much to me. It blew me away.
So a friendship began then and he’s always been in my corner, man. If I’ve ever experienced any success, he is always the first to reach out among the artist community and just say, Hey man, I’m jacked for you. I’m rooting for you… So it made sense, you know, to invite him to be a part of that song.”
Walker Hayes on Battling Alcoholism While Writing Drinking Songs
“I’m vocal about my battle with alcoholism. Some people were like, I’m getting mixed signals. You know, I didn’t know you. I thought you quit drinking. And I was like, well, yeah, you know I did, but I, I love, I still, I love drinking songs.“
