We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hayden Bright a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hayden, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

Oh, man. What DIDN’T my parents do right? My parents have always been my biggest supporters in life with whatever it is that I choose to do. They’ve always made sure I had what I needed, but instilled the understanding that every good thing had to be worked for. I grew up in sports, and there was never a game (and rarely even ever a practice) that at least one of them wouldn’t be there for. Growing up, they always let me explore new hobbies and interests without any hesitation; Especially with music. The biggest attribution that they provided was genuine support and belief. Even in the moments that they may not see my visions as clearly as I do, they always believe in them as strongly as myself. For instance, I moved to Boston, MA, (a move that barely any of us were actually ready for lol) with an old pop punk band of mine back in 2017. They were so nervous and uncertain about the move because of multiple reasons outside of music, but still did everything they could to help get me up there confidently because they knew it was what I believed would elevate my music career at the time. Not even 6 months later, I came right back to where I started… Never did I get an, “I told you so.” but instead reminders to not give up and keep trying. Their constant, consistent outpoor of support has always driven me to want to better myself with anything that I do, because they have always believed in me and I never want to give them a reason not to. If it weren’t for the encouragement and trust from them, I wouldn’t have done, or get to do, half of the things that I do today.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a singer/songwriter from Knoxville, TN. I have always been drawn to music, but never actually involved myself in it until just before middle school. I was a Nickelodeon kid, and when I was in the 5th grade the Naked Brothers Band came out. These were kids around my age, making music and having a blast. Not long after the movie came out, I began my journey into music. I started on piano, but not for long. In 6th grade I got my first guitar, and by the end of middle school I had started singing. What I had found by surrounding myself with so much music through my developmental years was that, as a somewhat shy individual who couldn’t always find the right words to say, it was my most effective form of communication. Somehow I could say the things that I never knew how to before when I had a guitar in my hands and lyrics in my head. My music is typically about moments in my life that were major, or about feelings that are the most pressing. I’ve written some songs that are very personal to myself, but left them vague enough to have people tell me, “That song is literally about me.” and through those moments I have realized that my purpose in pursuing a full-time career in music is not just to itch the fulfilling scratch of my own passion, but to connect with people in the way that I never knew how before. I have heard life stories and had people I barely, or didn’t even, know open up to me all because I connected with them through a performance or song that I have written. When those moments turn into heartfelt conversations that help relive or even celebrate others’/my own moments or feelings, that has got to be one of the most fulfilling rewards of getting into music has got to be when those moments turn into heartfelt conversations that help relive or even celebrate others’/my own moments or feelings.

Have you ever had to pivot?

2023 was a huge year for me and change. I had been playing music in bands here and there ever since late middle school; most just garage bands and hobbies more or less. I began gigging around 16-17 years old, but not heavily as I had my mind on many different avenues. Eventually, in my early 20s, I took a pretty big hiatus from music to build my personal life. I was in a long-term relationship, growing that and building up funds. Once that relationship was over, I had solely focused on finding the most profitable job and building my assets. During that time, I realized that no matter how much I made, there was always something in the back of my mind that was keeping me from being fully satisfied. It was my lack of musical involvement. In the summer of 2022, it was like a switch had flipped. All of the sudden I had the realization that I would not be fulfilled unless I was working towards my passion. I had enough money saved up to leave my job, and dive into music. I spent a couple months going to numerous open mics, shaking hands, and taking notes. I wasn’t getting the gigs yet though, because I had been a ghost to music for nearly 6 years. After those months, I found myself thinking I needed to get back to another job, so I went into something I once again had no passion in. After only about 6-8 months in that job, sure enough that nagging in the back of my mind got the best of me again, and the switch flipped. “Why am I going back to the same type of life that I had just escaped from?” I was asking myself. In a world full of individuals, genuineness and uniqueness is what helps people understand each other and build diverse, supportive community. Since February of 2023, I have been a full-time singer/musician, and my quality of life and sense of purpose has soared through the roof and higher than ever before. I was nervous to take the leap at first, because of the “what if’s” but I knew where my heart was and where my passions were, so it was one of the easiest and most rewarding pivots of life that I have ever made.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Growing up in sports, the ideology was “Be the most skilled on the field in your position and you’ll always play.” In the music industry, I have learned that that doesn’t necessarily translate. I was never taught to network or be very personable through sports, and I soon realized that it is one of the most important aspects of musical success. In football, I just had to try to be the strongest and quickest, and then the rest would just fall into place. I had to unlearn that mindset, and open my mind to an entire new world of operating. Yes, one should always strive to improve their craft, but singing on a stage goes beyond just that ability. While you may be the best singer around, if there is no ability to communicate or connect with others, nobody will care for that singer. Music has taught me to be comfortable in my own skin, but also be humble. It has conditioned me to consider that, if I have a voice and people are going to listen to what I say through my music, why should they? Even though we are all only ourselves, this world is full of individuals. Music is a comfort space for so many people, so it isn’t all just about singing the highest notes, or shredding the most technical guitar solos. It is about genuine connection and relativity.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hayden.bright.music_?igsh=NGN1aGExZzVtMG42
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hayden.bright.5?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Image Credits
Brendan O’Hern Envy Productions Merlin’s Nest Reed Schneider Khlaire Taylor