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Walker Hayes Re-Releases 8Tracks Vol. 1 & 2 Digitally

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Walker Hayes

Photo Credit: David McClister

We last caught up with Walker Hayes at his NYC album release show at American Beauty, back in October.  Now, the rising country star has decided to give back to his fans the music that made them first fall in love with his unique take on country music. Originally released almost two years ago in Summer of 2016, Hayes has re-released 16 tracks, some of which did not make his full-length album Boom.

Without a record deal, Hayes recorded these work tapes and released them on his website for free, garnering thousands of new fans. The music caught the eye of Monument Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment,  which offered him a record deal back in January of 2017.  Boom was released in October of last year as well.

“I have been so fortunate to get to do things in a unique way this time around. My team has let me take risks and create music that is authentic to me – even though it might not sound like anything else,” says Hayes in a recent press release. “Today, we’re putting out the music that got me here. I’ll never forget the way fans’ reactions made me feel when I first put these 8Tracks out. They are homemade and they are the foundation of who I am. This is my way of saying ‘thanks’ for everyone’s support. I hope old fans are excited to hear them again and I hope new fans love them just as much.”

Take a listen to Vol. 1 here and Vol. 2 here.

Hayes is now out on his own Good as Gold Tour as well as the opening act for Kelsea Ballerini’s Unapologetically tour, which hits NYC on April 5th. The full list of tour dates is listed below.

March 24 –  Saddlebags in Savannah, Georgia*
April 5 – PlayStation Theater in New York, New York~
April 6 – Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey~
April 7 – The National in Richmond, Virginia~
April 19 – Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon~
April 20 – Knitting Factory in Spokane, Washington~
April 21 – Showbox SoDo in Seattle, Washington~
April 25 – Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara, California~
April 26 – Buck Owens Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, California*
April 27– Clos LaChance Winery in San Martin, California*

*Good As Gold Tour dates
~Unapologetically Tour dates

Walker Hayes in New York City with New York Country Swag Managing Editor, Christina Bosch (Left) and New York Country Swag Founder, Stephanie Wagner (Right)

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Top 10 NYCountry Swag Moments of 2017 – #10: Over 100 Country Shows…

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As we near the end of the year, New York Country Swag is counting down our Top 10 Favorite Moments of 2017.

Kicking off the list, #10 goes out to the over  100 shows that we have attended, covered and/or promoted in New York City and its surrounding areas in 2017.  100+ SHOWS!? Who says there’s no country music in NYC?  Some of our favorite concerts from the year are highlighted below….

 

  • Walker Hayes first show in NYC at American Beauty, where we hosted a meet and greet contest for some lucky fans before the show…

Walker Hayes NYC

 

  • Lee Brice at Playstation Theater where the entire venue sang along to “I Don’t Dance”…

 

  • High Valley headlining The Highway Finds Tour at Gramercy Theatre…

High Valley

 

  • Sam Hunt headlining and selling out Madison Square Garden…

Sam Hunt MSG

 

  • Chris Lane taking his first headlining tour to Long Island, as the official opening of Stereo Garden, where New York Country Swag had the opportunity to interview him just before the show…

 

  • Eric Church bringing his 3-hour long set to Brooklyn playing at the Barclays Center…

 

  •  Dustin Lynch‘s Ride or Die Tour hitting Playstation Theater where one lucky New York Country Swag follower got to meet him before the show…

Dustin Lynch Playstation

 

For more of our favorite moments of 2017, make sure to be following us daily as the countdown continues!

 

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Walker Hayes

Walker Hayes Entertains at American Beauty & Brings Out a Special Guest

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Walker Hayes NYC

With his 10-track album, Boom slated for release in just over a month, Walker Hayes the talented country artist played to a packed NYC venue last night. The Alabama native and father of six gives a unique spin to the country genre, combining spoken word and song.  While some artists in the genre are lacing their latest hits with pop or R&B, Hayes infuses his clever lyrics with hip-hop to create something new.

Although this wasn’t his first show in the big apple, Hayes was grateful to be back again, this time with a full band. He played songs off his 8tracks Vol. 1 including “Beautiful”, “Dollar Store” and his breakout radio hit “You Broke Up With Me”, as well as “Beckett”, “Break the Internet” and “Your Girlfriend Does” off of his second installment of his 8tracks.

Walker Hayes NYC

Two highlights of the night included with Hayes took a moment to slow things down and tell a story about life before his newly found fame.  Explaining that before his record deal with Monument Records, he was working the morning shift at Costco, his car was falling apart and he didn’t have the money to fix it. Using his daughter’s thumbtacks to hold up the material of the roof and wondering if he should continue to pursue his dreams of a music career, he wrote “Lela’s Stars”.

Walker Hayes / Nicole Gaylon

Several times throughout the night, Hayes thanked the audience for being there, for knowing his lyrics and for singing them back to him.  As a surprise to the fans, Nicolle Galyon, number one hit songwriter joined Hayes on stage to sing the chorus of the song they wrote together “Halloween”.  The duet was fitting considering the show took place one night before the beloved holiday.

The 60-minute set allowed fans to dig deeper into what Hayes’ brings to the table as an artist and a songwriter.  He is genuine and his lyrics reflect the good and bad parts of his life thus far. Pre-order Boom on iTunes here and automatically get “Beautiful”, “Halloween” and “You Broke Up With Me”.

 

Walker Hayes in New York City with New York Country Swag Managing Editor, Christina Bosch (Left) and New York Country Swag Founder, Stephanie Wagner (Right)

 

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

 

*WIN* a Meet & Greet with Walker Hayes…

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NYC – Who’s joining us to see Walker Hayes LIVE from NYC at American Beauty on Monday, 10/30!?


We’ve got your chance to win an exclusive Meet & Greet with Walker before the show!

*Don’t forget you *MUST* have tickets to the show to qualify.
Purchase your tickets here, then enter for a chance to win a pair of Meet & Greets below! 

Whoops! This contest has ended. Be sure to follow us for giveaways, upcoming events & more!