A Conversation with Amber Hayes

Independent country artist Amber Hayes released her first EP C’mon in the summer of 2010, and has since been covering all media ground, building up a solid fan following without the support of a major label.  She had already added “theater performer” to her resume back in 2008, when she was cast as Kathy in the Conway Twitty musical.  The year 2012 brought about the release of her second EP Any Day Is a Good Day, as well as her screen debut in the film Cowgirls ‘n Angels.  Amber Hayes recently spoke with Country Universe to discuss her accomplishments over the past year.

Ben Foster:  How would you describe what your journey has been like in the two years since you released the C’mon EP, and how is that reflected on Any Day Is a Good Day?

Amber Hayes:  I think it definitely reflects in the song “Any Day Is a Good Day,” because I just feel so blessed for all the opportunities I’ve gotten over the last two years.  I’ve gotten to perform overseas and be in a movie and sing the National Anthem at two NFL games.  It’s just been really exciting, and I’ve been really blessed.

What kind of lyrical themes do you deal with on this record?

I think it’s pretty diverse.  I’ve got “Somewhere Out West” which is a story song about a girl trying to find her father.  When I was on WSM the other morning, Bill Cody said “I see ‘Somewhere Out West’ as not just a story song about a little girl.”  “Somewhere Out West” is like what they’re looking for in their life, so I think it definitely doesn’t just have to be about that storyline.  “Suspicious” is just fun – kind of a laid-back feel to it.  “Built This Wall” is more like in your face,  independent.  Then we have “Far Far Away,” and it’s definitely towards the love side of it all – a little vulnerable.  So I think it definitely shows different sides.

What can you tell about your inspiration for writing the title track “Any Day Is a Good Day”?

I wish I could tell you exactly what it was, but when we got into the room that day, we just started talking and throwing out some ideas, and nothing was really going anywhere.  Somebody just said something about it being a good day, and wanting to write a positive song, and so we just kind of came up with that.  But what’s cool about that is one of the co-writers with me, he’s blind.  He has a different outlook on “Any Day Is a Good Day” because his day compared to ours is a little bit harder.  I think when we got done writing that song, it was pretty cool because he sang the work tape, and we were like ‘Oh my gosh, you know this is pretty awesome.’  Our day compared to his is so much easier, but his outlook on it is just like ‘I’m not going to worry about it.  If I can wake up, it’s a good day.’

What kind of experience was it for you being involved in the Cowgirls N’ Angels film?

It was so fun.  Sometimes I have to pinch myself because people will say ‘You were in a movie,’ and it’s like almost kind of hard to believe a little bit, but it was definitely a really cool experience – something I had never been around.  I had done theater, but had never done any kind of movie or TV or anything like that.  It was pretty cool.  The scene that I’m in is a bar scene, and I am the girl singing in the bar, so it kind of made sense.  But I got to sing two of my songs from the C’mon EP, and the stars actually line danced to “C’mon,” so it’s very cool.

What was it like working with Richie McDonald?

He’s very nice.  He’s so nice.  When we wrote this song [“Always There for Me”], and we were trying to decide who to sing it with, he came to mind because I love his voice.  It’s soothing, plus it commands, and I thought it sounds like a dad.  He was just very easy to work with, and so nice.  It’s pretty cool.  He’s done so many great things in his career.  That I got to record with him and perform with him was awesome.

You’ve also branched into television with having four of your songs selected for use in The CW’s Heart of Dixie.  How did that feel?

I’ve been a fan of Heart of Dixie since it actually started coming on TV.  I’ve just always loved the show because it reminds me of where I grew up, and I just always knew that they had a lot of great country music in there, and I kind of in the back of my mind thought “Wouldn’t it be cool if I actually got some music on that show?”  Then we did, and it was really awesome.  I was watching the first season a couple of weekends ago, and all of the placements we got are in the first season, so it really cool to watch that, and then it’s like “Oh gosh, there’s the song!”  So it was neat!

What can you tell us about your contribution to Liam Sullivan’s new book Making the Scene:  Nashville?

Well, Liam came to my album release show that we did with WSM at Station Inn.  I met him then, and he asked if he could interview me for this book, so we just sat down and talked, and I just kind of told him my story like an interview type thing.  I kind of just forgot about it, and then when I found out it came out, I just started looking into it, and come to find out I actually made the book, so it was really cool.  So it’s a great book about Nashville, what you should do when you come to town, and great places to go – even if you’re not into the music industry, but just visiting.

Let’s talk about some of your musical heroes.  In what ways do you endeavor to carry on the musical legacy of the women in country music who have inspired you?

My biggest influences are Reba and Dolly and Barbara Mandrell probably, but I love people like Jeannie Seely and Jean Shephard, and I’ve also had the big honor of knowing both of those women and working with them.  I just am so grateful to people like them who still to this day get to go on the Opry every week and sing country music, and they’re so proud to represent country music in such a great way.  They’re so classy.  I think that’s the deal with all these people that I love.  If I could say one word that sums them up, it’s class.  They’re great entertainers.  I think that every single one of those women, when they walk out onstage, they have you right in the palm of their hand.  Of course, Dolly and Reba and Barbara Mandrell have all done a little bit of everything, and that’s what I want to be, and that’s what I want to do.  I definitely want my fans to go away from a show

thinking ‘Wow, this was so fun’ and ‘She puts on a great show,’ and I can’t wait to go back again.

You pay tribute to one of your heroes with the song “Me and Loretta.”  How did that song come about?

Well, I wrote that song with Brian Eckert and Brady Seals, and Brady is a huge traditional country music fan.  He said “You know, we should write a song about your love for country music, or somebody that you love.”  He loves Loretta, and he knows Loretta and has worked with her in the past.  He said “You know, every song of Loretta’s that you hear you’ve gone through, somebody has lived.  Let’s just make it where you’re like talking to her, or in the car with her or something,” and we came out with “Me and Loretta.”  I think it’s a pretty cool story.  I think it’s just kind of like with “Somewhere Out West.”  Loretta can be whoever you want it to be, but to me it’s just Loretta.  Every one of her songs is just so real, and like I said, you’ve lived it at some point in your life.

What’s next for Amber Hayes?

“Any Day Is a Good Day” is the single, and we’ll see what happens with that.  Just booking stuff for 2013, and I don’t know.  I guess I’ll just see what happens!  I’m just so excited to get new music out, just because it’s been two years, and I’ve done a lot since then.  I feel like I’ve really built up a lot of new fans, and old fans that need to hear some new music, so it’s exciting!

Official website:  www.amberhayesmusic.com