Hunter Hayes In The May Issue of Esquire Magazine

Tomorrow morning at 7:10, we are going to have a huge Taste of Country Music Festival announcement.  We'll have the daily lineup schedule. We'll have Single and 2-Day ticket information and more.

One of the big acts that'll be there is Hunter Hayes. Hunter has landed a fashion-leaning feature in the pages of the May issue of Esquire, which is out now. The stylish singer, dressed in a pricy leather jacket and other snazzy threads, revealed where his comfort zone is and the two things that factor into every song he writes. Both are decidedly country, too.

“The stage is my comfort zone, and playing live is what I’ve always wanted to do, it’s why I want to do 200 dates a year. I wouldn’t feel that way if I were nervous onstage." Hayes is truly passionate about performing, which certainly benefits Hayniacs, since he always wants to put on a good show.

Another thing Hayes loves? The fact that country music does not allow barriers to exist between the artists and the fans, which is due in large part to the storyteller nature of the songs. “Country music busts the wall between performer and audience, there’s a connection because there’s a vulnerability, a confessional quality, to so much of the songwriting. Those lyrics take you in.”

Hayes admitted that he has a specific approach to writing songs that is decidedly country, as well.

‘Every demo I do has a mandolin or resonator on it — some element of the bluegrass or classic country world that I grew up listening to and that first drew me in,” he said, revealing a little bit of his process. “And then I always try to find somewhere for a bluesy guitar sound, because that’s also what I love. Musically, I’m always finding my way home.

So when is Hunter playing at the Taste of Country Music Festival?  We'll find out Wednesday morning at 7:10.