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“Rodney Hayden is a grand slam, double eagle, blackjack kind of talent, he makes me want to give up my night job!” - Robert Earl Keen
Bio
Rodney Hayden is product of his rearing, and familial ties aside, he is a child of some of the finest songwriters ever to transverse the planet. He was made for this—for the written word coupled with the melody of the earth. This is the life he was destined to lead, and if age was measured by the rings around one's soul, as the rings within a tree demarcates its vintage, Rodney would clock in somewhere near a weathered 80, rather than the relatively spry age that he actually is.
Listen to the songs on his newest release. Once you do, you will understand that while embellishment is a tool most often applied by a smithy of words, there is no embellishing needed when it comes to the overall genuine aspect of his musical talents. The man looks at the world around him through a glass lens—the color of which has yet to be defined by those whose job it is to do so.
And his resume? Well, he’s been here and there, playing his songs for sold out crowds in Europe and for the demanding, knowledgeable ears of listening room audience in the States. He’s put out over a dozen records under the banner of both major labels and independents. He tours relentlessly, writes thoughtfully, and at this stage of his career, controls his business interests himself. All by his own choice.
But we’re not here to talk about where he’s been. We’re here to talk about where he’s going. If his latest release is any indication, his direction is clearly upwards in nature. What makes Hayden special, however—what makes this album special—is that while he is sure to continue his climb through this, the increasingly murky business of making music, he carries on his back the legacy of those that truly have something special and unique to say with their songs.
He carries with him the burden of proof.
Proof that great music, no matter what odds against its creation may exist, must still be created, if only for the sake of honoring those before him who shared that same burden. Rodney Hayden proves that beyond a shadow of a doubt.