A new album is coming from Walker Hayes! The 45-year-old announces the release of 17 Problems, out on August 22. The record follows New Money, released in 2023.
“This album is very reflective,” Hayes says. “I think you can tell I’m in the middle of losing my dad and raising kids. I’m at that corner of the road in life when you’re looking back on your childhood – you can see it as clear as you ever have – but you’re looking down the barrel of raising kids and keeping your family together. Accidentally, that is a common thread. The songs have this ‘in retrospect’ feeling, and then also, ‘what does the future look like? How do I do this?'”
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In a separate post, Hayes reveals that he wrote or co-wrote all 17 songs on 17 Problems, without revealing the title of any of the songs.
After years of struggling to get his music heard, Hayes had a breakout hit in 2021 with e “Fancy Like,” a song that changed everything for him and his family. With six children that he shares with his wife, Laney, Hayes has had to make decisions that he at one time never imagined, about his family’s future.
“I’ve lived through the ups and downs of the music industry for over 20 years, trying to build my career and find financial stability while pursuing music,” Hayes reflects while on Lincoln Financial’s The Action Plan by Rich Roll. “That stability has never been more important as I look at my children and start to think about their future … I’m thinking about college, weddings, and what else I can be doing to support the people they’re becoming.”
“Now I have to start thinking about my kids’ futures – what do I have to pay for later?” he continues. “I say, ‘Raise your hand if you want a nice wedding,’ or, ‘Can we talk about college now’ – and I’m talking about an eight-year old … With an artists’ career, you just never know. When you get it [money], and it’s coming, you have to take care of it and be smart with it. Because it’s really uncontrollable.”
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Hayes also struggled with his sobriety after the success of “Fancy Like,” especially since the song became an almost overnight sensation.
“It was the greatest thing that ever happened in my career, but it was one of the biggest storms in my life too, because I didn’t know how to process it.,” Hayes admits to Rolling Stone. It also came amid one of the more challenging times in Hayes’ personal life.
“I have a daughter we lost three years prior, who was stillborn,” Hayes recounts. “And my dad died six weeks before we put ‘Fancy Like’ out. And then ‘Fancy Like’ was just this large stone that splashed into the lake of our life, and the ripple effect, honestly, was like nothing short of tragic.”
“17 Year Old Problems” is available now. Hayes is currently serving as the opening act on Brad Paisley‘s Truck Still Works Tour. Pre-order the new record, and find all of Hayes’ music and upcoming shows at WalkerHayes.com.