Mitch Hayes is readying for the release of a new album. It's titled Gentle Man and has a drop date of June 9th. But first, for those of you not yet familiar with the act in question, a bit o’ background.
Mitch Hayes
According to online sources such as his official website, Hayes is an American singer-songwriter, national touring artist and a native of North Carolina. He is a multi-instrumentalist and is currently based in Oklahoma. His rockin’ resume includes a trio of previous platters. Two tracks from his 2016 Heroesdisc, “All Fall Down” and “Look at You”, charted in the Top 40 of the Friday Morning Quarterback Chart competing for airplay with such entertainers as Adele, Bruno Mars, John Mayer, and Ed Sheeran.
Signature Sound
Mitch Hayes’ current signature sound is a blend of multiple music genres including Americana, blues, bluegrass, country, folk, and rock. Hayes' music is inspired by such other artists as Bob Dylan, John Prine, and Neil Young.
Gentle Man
Gentle Man is an 8-track album of all original material. Here Hayes leads the way on lead vocals, acoustic guitars, and percussion. He is backed by a few other artists including producer Paul Demer on acoustic and electric guitars, percussion, and background vocals; Erin Hayesoweth on flute, distorted flute, and background vocals; Logan Bowers on drums and percussion; Ben Grace on organ; Nathan Shores on cello; Aaron Fabbrini on pedal steel; Tom Demer on violin, viola, and fiddle; and Melanie Demer on violin and viola.
Track by Track
The album opens on “Don’t Have to Hide.” It’s a strong lead-in and an effective introduction to Hayes’ lyrical life lessons. Just like all but the last two tunes on this release, it is an original song written solely by Hayes.
The title track, “Gentle Man”, was written in honor of Hayes’ late father who died in 2019. It is heartfelt and undoubtedly was a therapeutic experience to write. It was the first song composed for this project and actually set the tone for all the other material on this release.
The next number is “California Gold.” It’s a tuneful tale of the Gold Rush and yet also is a song story that could also serve as a musical metaphor or certainly a timeless life lesson. Hayes picks things up on “Carolina Calling.” This one is a tip-of-the-hat-track to his birth state. It’s highlighted by guest musician Zach Light-Wells on banjo. Hayes becomes a bit quieter again on “What I Pretend.” This one is a self-reflective song concerning the face we all sometimes put on for those around us and once more reveals real vulnerability.
The sixth songful serving is “Belly of The Beast.” Is another serious song with a powerful message about society. It was written during the pandemic and yet the lyrics are still creative enough to keep the song relevant and meaningful now.
Hayes recently discussed the song and its origins on social media. He said: “I wrote this song in the early days of the COVID pandemic. In 2017, I retired from a 40 plus year career as a Respiratory Therapist to focus on the true love of my life, music and being a songwriter and performer. When COVID shut everything down, I came out of retirement to help.”
He concluded: “This song focuses on the pandemic from the viewpoint of the healthcare workers who gave their all, some of them quite literally, to take care of those who were sick and dying from the disease. It was a dark time.” Hayes lightens the listener’s load again on “Enemy.” It speaks of opposition and differences of opinions and yet presents a positive message and asks some honest questions about the status quo. This one was co-written with Demer.
The closing cut is “Dear John.” Not to be confused with the theme song from the hit NBC show that aired in 1988, this too is another original audio offering. Here picks up the banjo to sing a song dedicated to the late American country folk singer-songwriter John Prine who was one of his major inspirations. The song is also one final example of what Hayes and Demer can do together.
Overall…
Overall, this album, dedicated to his late father Phil Hayes, presents personal pieces that include evergreen themes of happiness and sorrow, self-exploration, life, love and loss, and the human experience. The songs here are both pensive and thought-provoking. His professional experience is revealed in his ability to compose cuts that are both intimate offerings and yet emphatically universal. So, check out Mitch Hayes’ Gentle Man and delve into the Belly of The Beast.”
(Images courtesy of Mitch Hayes.)