LITTLE ROCK — It wasn’t that long ago that Hunter Hayes was just another high school kid sitting in a classroom in his hometown of Lafayette, La., daydreaming instead of paying attention.
What was he dreaming about? Girls? The football game? No.
“I use to sit in class and dream of being on a tour bus,” Hayes says. “I would look at the clock and think where would I be if I was on tour? Would I be at a sound check? I had pictures of tour buses up in my room.”
Hayes, 20, is out of high school and on a tour bus, just as he imagined. He is coming to Little Rock to play at Juanita’s on a tour in support of his debut album, Hunter Hayes, on the major label Atlantic.
Hayes has already packed a lifetime of highlights in the few years he has been out of school and working as a professional musician. He has written a song for Rascal Flatts and toured with Taylor Swift. His single, “Storm Warning,” is getting attention from fans and country radio and leading to guest spots on talk shows like
Late Night With David Letterman.
Hayes has been aiming for this moment since he was 3 years old.
“We have this crawfish festival in my hometown,” Hayes says. “The band that was there saw me on the side of the stage playing this toy accordion. They brought me out onstage. That is when I got bit by the bug.”
The bug had a serious bite on Hayes, who ended up playing in the band that found him with the accordion. This wasn’t an occasional thing for the young musician but a serious apprenticeship, rehearsing for several nights during the week and then performing with the group on weekends. Hayes did all of this despite his family having no experience in the music business.
“My family is not even remotely musical,” Hayes says with a laugh. “Not my mom or my dad. I mean, no aunts or uncles or cousins. I am it.”
Eventually Hayes progressed as far as he could in music in Louisiana and, before his senior year in high school, moved to Nashville, Tenn. There he signed a publishing contract, which enabled him to write songs for established country stars. He did this while finishing high school and working on his own record.
Hayes’ debut album is unusual in that it is entirely his record — he wrote or cowrote each of the songs and plays all of the instruments.
“We counted after it was over and I play a total of 30 instruments,” Hayes says. “Some of them I know better than others. Doing the album that way took a while but I am glad I did it myself.”
He doesn’t hesitate when describing the instrument that gave him the least amount of trouble.
“The easiest is my favorite and that is my guitar,” Hayes says. “That is what I am going to pick up first. The most difficult is drums because I don’t have a kit. In my neighborhood at home all the neighbors are close, are really on top of you, so you couldn’t really play drums there. When I went to the studio, I said I need a day and half just to get used to the kit.”
Hayes says he can tell that his career is in a different place. Now that his CD is out, the young musician is picking up fans by the bushel.
“During the show, I can see them out there singing to every word to the songs,” Hayes says. “And this isn’t ‘Storm Warning’ but songs I would have said are pretty much hidden on the record. But to see them singing, that is one of the greatest things in the world.”
Hunter Hayes Opening act: Luke Williams Band
8:30 p.m. Saturday, Juanita’s, 614 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock
Admission: $5
(501) 372-1228
Weekend, Pages 36 on 11/17/2011