By Joe Hyde
Publisher
November 12, 2007

Like a good, young bucking horse, Rodney Hayden, then a mere 22-years-old, blasted out of the gate in 2001 with a critically acclaimed album, The Real Thing. He toured and toured and released a second album in 2003 titled Living the Good Life. Then, opportunity knocked in Nashville.

Hayden moved to the home of country music to work as a songwriter for Robert Earl Keen’s label. Hayden found songwriting not as fun as performing live, and there aren’t as many live venues in Nashville as they are in Texas. He moved back last December, cut a new album, titled Down the Road, and now he’s back in the saddle, performing 150 shows per year on the Texas country circuit.

Hayden’s music is traditional country. There is no rock-and-rock here. He is deep into the genre of Merle Haggard, Hank Williams Sr, or George Jones. But he has a ton of Texas influences too, particularly David Alan Coe. After hearing a few covers and originals from his first set, I was thinking he could be Coe’s younger brother!

Hayden’s single off Down the Road is the same title. It is about various places he has been over the past two years, starting with drinking moonshine in Knoxville, Tenn. to playing a show at Guene Hall near New Braunfels, Tex. Learn more on the Podcast linked above!

Sample the music of Rodney Hayden on iTunes (click here) .