Can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your musical journey and background?
My name is Jon Hayes and I’m a singer-songwriter taking influence from the likes of John Mayer, Jon Foreman, NEEDTOBREATHE, Allen Stone, and Gavin Degraw living in Kalamazoo, MI, USA. I grew up in a home where music was appreciated and my family were all in some way connected with music, mainly as vocalists but also as instrumentalists and of course, just plain music-lovers. I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember, started playing the guitar at age 11, and began writing songs almost immediately after picking up the guitar. My older brother and I played in several “bands” as I grew through my late childhood and early teen years (which we did not take very seriously haha, hence the air quotes) but I didn’t start taking music as a career really seriously until after college when I released my first single as a solo artist in 2018. I released a few more singles in the years following that and then finally released my first album in 2023 called “Between You and Me,” after finishing it’s funding through my small following pre ordering the record to fund its end process. I’ve now been playing shows and gigs across the Midwestern U.S. as well as playing some dates in the Northeast and even down South over the past year. Things have been picking up and it’s been a huge blessing to have consistent enough work to continue investing into this dream and career to keep it growing. I’m very excited for what’s happening and, Lord willing, what’s to come!
Musical Influences
Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your sound and style?
John Mayer is definitely my biggest influence but right underneath that has to be NEEDTOBREATHE and Switchfoot. John Mayer’s style was one that I grew up with, and even though I stayed in the heavier rock scene for a long while as a kid and teenager, I eventually made my way back home to good old singer-songwriter in my late highschool and college days, especially as I started to enjoy more facets of the genre like it’s influence from blues or funk or even back to rock again. John’s music was perfect for somebody like me who had a background in pop, jazz, blues and rock. The singer-songwriter genre can be so open, and I love that there’s room to scratch a lot of different itches within it. As I dug into his music, I found my voice was able to emulate his very easily and his tunes became something I wanted to emulate really badly. As I continued growing as a writer and instrumentalist, I eventually found my influences coming out in my music, and John Mayer is definitely one that people hear and mention a lot in my music.
Can you share a specific artist or album that has had a significant impact on your music?
A big record for me that was foundational for dreaming about music as a college kid was John Mayer’s “Where the Light Is Live From LA” and “Fading West” by Switchfoot. Another good one was “The Outsiders” by NEEDTOBREATHE when I was an older kid/preteen.
“Fading West” soundtracked a season of time where I was in a band with a few buddies from my church near my hometown in Massachusetts where I grew up. We had no idea what we were doing with trying to chase music as a band but we had big dreams and looked up to Switchfoot a lot. We watched the documentary of the record multiple times and would dream of being out on the road. When we went on a short tour in the summer of 2015, that record along with “Edge of the Earth”, which was kind of a B-sides for the main record, soundtracked much of our drives. I can still remember driving home through the Virginia mountains when our trip was over, heading back to Massachusetts, listening to “Edge of the Earth », the title track of the B-sides record. These records are connected to that season of life for me, and I’m glad I have these memories and had these experiences of being on the road, chasing some vague dream of “making it” in music with a couple of close friends
“Where the Light is Live From LA” was a record that encapsulated much of what I wanted to be as an artist as I was starting to discover what that was. I wanted to write great songs that people deeply connected with and had relationships with, I wanted to be a competent enough guitar player to play a good set as just a trio, and I wanted to be able to lead a big band someday. John did all of these things in this record and it gave me a lot to look up to and aspire to. I still come back to this record now, I just love a well done live record and this is the best one I’ve heard from my all time favorite artist.
“The Outsiders” was a record that introduced a cross over section to me and my brother of pop/rock, Christian themed music, country/roots, and a soul approach with the lead vocal. It was the perfect record for us to latch onto especially being Christian kids raised on country music, CCM and some pop/rock. We thought it was the coolest thing and once again, it gave us a band to look up to and aspire to be since there were so many things that we loved at the same time. This record was a step out record for the guys in NTB, departing from the slightly more straight forward sound they presented on their first record and I’m glad they made it.
What’s your creative process like when you’re composing or writing a new song?
It’s different each time, but there are a few ways common to me. Oftentimes, a song idea will pop into my head while I’m doing something else, particularly while I’m doing physical labor. A melody along with a simple lyric will pop into my head and then I’ll flesh it out a little further and then usually record it on the voice memos app on my phone. There might be several more voice memos after that as I get more ideas for different parts or structure, harmonies, or even arrangement. Later, I’ll sit with it either with just my guitar or in a recording session at home, working on what I’ve got/furthering the song. Other times I’ll get a song idea from playing on my guitar. I’ll be messing around with chords or with a melody and something will strike and then I’ll continue chasing down the idea until I feel like the well is drying up/I’ve hit a block. After that, I might continue to muse on it, writing more parts in my head and continue fleshing the song out over voice memos, recording, and playing it. Lastly, song ideas may come to me during a recording session, but this is more like the second way, writing with a guitar or sometimes with a piano (very few times), it’s just I’m already at my computer so I can flesh things out right then with drums and effects.
Among all the songs you’ve created, do you have a personal favorite? If so, what makes it special to you?
I’m particularly excited about the chapter of music I’m preparing to release right now as I feel like the writing, arrangement, recording, and performance qualities have all taken a step up. Of those, at the moment I’m most excited about a song called “Safety” that will be releasing later this year (2024). Of the songs I’ve released, I’m most proud of the title track of my album “Between You & Me,”. The lyrics displayed something I had looked up to in an EP called “Nowadays” by a band I love called Valleyheart. Kevin Klein, the lead singer and lyricist paints this beautiful scene in a few of the songs off that record by talking about specific things in a scene to paint a whole picture and some other poetic methods. In this song, I bounce back and forth between opposite concepts while also painting the fuller picture. The lyrics go “Between you and me, I’m getting older. I’m still so young, but there’s a weight on my shoulders that I have carried since I was eight years old. Fifteen years can be a lifelong load.” I’m really proud of these lyrics.
Can you share the story or inspiration behind that particular song?
“Between You & Me,” came from a couple of years of heartache from strained family relationships, moving away from home, growing up, and not wanting to open up to my new community. I was stuck in a cycle of pain, confusion, and just feeling stuck and afraid of really being honest. Eventually, I started to open up and this song was the full dose of that, of embracing honesty and saying the things that I felt scared to say.
Let’s talk about your latest song. What’s the title, and what’s the story or message behind it?
One of my latest songs was off my album and it’s called “Awhile”. It’s a song I wrote shortly after coming to a church as a staff member and feeling really out of place. I was feeling like I had made a mistake working there and I was struggling with my relationship with God in the midst of all of it. I met with one of the pastors and after a refreshing conversation realigning my mind with what was true about the Lord, I came back to my office and played this really simple, meditative, refreshing chord progression and sang some simple words shedding all the performative expectations that had been put on my shoulders in my role that had led to me being really fake at times and also shedding all the thoughts of “I have to be better for the Lord, I’ve got to do better” and simply sang “Let the soil rest for awhile. Oh my mouth, drop off your crooked smile. Oh my soul, let go of all your spite. And all my body, shed off all your might. And simply rest here awhile. Rest here awhile. Rest here awhile. Rest here awhile. ‘Cause all my fingers grow so anxious on these strings. And all my voice grows weary singing all these things. My mind’s weighed down with all that I’ve done wrong. Has my soul forgotten all his favorite song? Has my soul forgotten all its favorite song? Is just to rest with You awhile. Is just to rest with you awhile. Oh, Leader of my soul, will you come and make me whole? Help me to rest with You awhile. Help me to rest with You awhile.” That was such a cathartic time to have in such a troubling season. The version you hear on my spotify is actually one of the first few takes I recorded of the song right there in that office with my iphone voice recorder with some extra guitar work layered over top in Logic.
Share a memorable or unique experience from one of your live performances.
Back in the beginning of 2020, I had my first full band, ticketed show in Kalamazoo, MI. I had played full band shows prior to that for guarantees/free, but this marked the beginning of really trying to get plugged in with my locality instead of chasing vanity metrics “touring” and trying to look cool. It was my first time really trying to get the community I had made over my first two years being out here out to a show and I had a great group of friends backing me up. It was a GREAT show. We packed this little room upstairs from a coffee shop and I got to share my songs with the community I had been making for the first time. It was like I really got to show all of who I was to my new community for the first time and it was amazing. It was also the first time I had been able to turn a profit off of a ticketed show in this area. I finally felt plugged in to the scene a little bit which was something I had been waiting for. You can look at the “Shows” highlight on my instagram and it’s the 2nd and 3rd video. Great night!
Beyond music, do you have any hobbies or interests that you’re passionate about? How do they influence your music?
I love entrepreneurship. I love figuring out how to make systems to grow a small business further and I love how exhilarating it is to “crack the code”. This plays into my music in a big way. I love the art of it, but I also love the marketing side of it and looking for ways to grow the business and increase income. The more I can increase income, the more I can invest into music to help it grow and as it grows more and more I can start making more time for it and give it the time and attention it needs.
Is there a dream collaboration you’d like to pursue in the future?
I would love to collaborate with Jon Foreman on a song I’m releasing later this year called “Something You’ve Been Waiting For”. It’s a coldplay-like song that reminded me of switchfoot’s cover of “Lucky Man” and I think Jon’s vocals would sound KILLER on this track especially on this pre chorus that goes pretty high vocally which is a part of his sound. If Jon or his management reads this, give it a listen haha! I love what I’ve seen of Jon’s heart and spirit. Getting to spend time with him, gain some wisdom and make a tune together would be an absolute dream come true.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are just starting their journey in the music industry?
First off let me say I don’t like using the word content because it gets overused by people/creators with their audiences in a way that breaks the 4th wall. That being said, creating a content package has been really helpful for me in booking gigs particularly. To me this includes a good photo shoot or two, three to five releases on streaming platforms with a good marketing strategy behind them to get the stream count up and your initial monthly listeners, getting your social media accounts started and rolling, building a website and recording a live session. This will give you everything you need to get started with booking service gigs which refers to anything where you’re paid a flat fee/hourly rate to play music (covers and originals) and you usually get tips on top of that. Business owners need to see that you’ve gotten a little bit of traction and also that you’re professional and what you sound like before you even show up. You’ll need to get/have sound equipment enough to run whatever lines you need for playing a solo set. Once you get all this together you can reach out to businesses like bars, breweries, wineries, restaurants, etc. and start booking a regular rotation of gigs over time as you develop relationships with them. Once this is running and you’re playing 3-5 gigs per month for $200-450 per gig, you’ll have a budget for helping to support you/your family a little bit and reinvesting into music. From here, you want to focus on continued marketing (through facebook ads/playlisting through services like submithub/PR efforts by hiring a publicist such as Olivia Long who does PR for me and several other artists and companies), a consistent release schedule, playing actual shows versus just service gigs by working together with other artists and getting connected with local venues/promotional companies, and a consistent social media schedule to figure out what clicks with your style/strengths/music. These are plates I’ve started spinning and am gearing up to start spinning this year. A new area I’m looking to test out this year is using facebook ads to sell concert tickets. If I can pull off a $8-10 conversion rate which should be possible based off of facebook ad averages, I could actually achieve ticket sales with profit to make it sustainable which is a powerful system to start.
Can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming projects or new music you have in the works? What can your fans and listeners look forward to from you in the near future?
A LOT of music! I’ve just finished up taking four tracks in a studio in GR with some great players and we got a lot of the funkier feel I was wanting on this next generation of music (but there are plenty of other styles pulled into the upcoming releases too). I’m batching up a couple more here at home and then may return to the studio once more to finish up. The goal for this year is to release a song per month starting in June/July of this year and running through next year. In all there should be just under 10 songs released in the coming months. There will also be at least one more live session coming from a partnership with a sound stage in Illinois and then another possible one with one in Indiana. Lots of exciting stuff so make sure to follow along! Join my email list at www.jonhayesofficial.com or follow along on instagram @jonhayesofficial !