Walker Hayes is recovering from a bit of whiplash, following his viral 2021 “Fancy Like” hit. After spending years and years in Nashville, trying to get his music heard, “Fancy Like” changed everything for Hayes.
“It was a lot, and we’re still kind of going, ‘Hey, what just happened?'” Hayes admits to People.
The success of “Fancy Like” not only turned Hayes into a household name, but also gave him the financial ability to bring his wife Laney and their six children on the road with him. But it also made Hayes suddenly anxious about his music, in a way he hadn’t been before, now that he had a much larger platform.
“It’s silly pressure,” Hayes acknowledges. “I honestly saw how that can really kill an artist. Getting to that mountaintop can damage creativity.”
Walker Hayes Looks Ahead After “Fancy Like”
Hayes just released his latest album, 17 Problems. The 17-track record is full of songs that are personal, and mean something to him. It’s a bit of a new chapter, for Hayes, who is also ready to put his career on the back burner, in exchange for focusing on being the best husband and father he can be.
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“I feel like God is giving me grace to stop just looking at myself all the time and look outward,” Hayes says. “And that’s a very life-giving way to exist. I find myself gravitating toward really being more attentive to my children, to being more mindful of my wife’s needs, and not just feeding this [career] dream. That’s just a hungry monster that’s never satisfied. I think as I get older, the desire for that, the allure for that is kind of going away.”
17 Problems is a more vulnerable look at Hayes, but it’s a change he is welcoming, after so many years of trying to write hit after hit.
“I’m enjoying music as a form of worship,” Hayes says. “I’ve written a lot of these songs on this album because, literally, my brain and heart were filled with fascination with the topic. And then I spent a lot of time writing with dear, dear friends that I looked forward to being with. The creative process, for me, is the best.”
Walker Hayes’ Upcoming Tour
On October 17, Hayes is embarking on his Walker Hayes: Unplugged Tour. This tour will, for the first time since “Fancy Like,” not have his family joining him on the road, since his children now have their own commitments.
“I’m clipping their wings! Every time I see a new feather, I discreetly pull it off!” Hayes quips.
“At the same time,” he continues, “God is giving us grace to look outside of us and the comforts of having them here. When you see your kids excited about something a little farther away, that’s really good.”
Hayes is also not bringing a full band, choosing instead to keep his shows more intimate. It’s a decision he made after seeing Bruce Springsteen in concert.
“I’m not a huge Springsteen fan,” Hayes concedes. “But I was absolutely blown away at what he discussed and the level of vulnerability he had with his crowd. It wasn’t braggy … It was almost like he prayed aloud all night long, and I was along for the ride.”
Find all of Hayes’ music and tour dates at WalkerHayes.com.