HOUSTON – A global pandemic has changed quite a few things for all of us, especially for our friends in the music industry. But more time at home has inspired Hayes Carll to reflect on his nearly 20-year career as a singer and songwriter.
His music has since taken him to Nashville, but Carll grew up in The Woodlands and lived in Houston for a while.
Some of his first gigs were down in Galveston at local bars along Crystal Beach.
He released his first album “Flowers & Liquor” in 2002, and says he had no idea where it would take him. He just wanted to write songs and play shows.
“I never saw myself being a front man, but I thought, I was always interested in writing, and that was the stuff that moved me. I love music, but what really got me was the power of the lyric and the written word, the song word, the spoken word, and that was what made me come alive with something I wanted to chase for the rest of my life,” said Carll.
When talking about his songwriting process, he mentions every song starts the same with his guitar and a story to tell.
Once the pandemic started and his tour/shows were canceled, he found himself reflecting on his journey and decided to re-visit some of the old songs he’s written and recorded before for a new album called “Alone Together Sessions.”
“I couldn’t go into the studio, and so I just bought a couple pieces of gear. I’ve asked some friends who know about these things - give me a crash course on how to do recordings. And I just revisited these songs, and in some cases we reinterpreted them, and some of them had grown through the years and took on different meanings.”
He also collaborated with other artists like Allison Moorer and Ray Wylie Hubbard.
Carll has two dates on the calendar for upcoming shows in the Houston-area.
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