We were lucky to catch up with Hayden Helms recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hayden, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I became a full-time musician in 2018. I was living in Lake Charles, LA and I was playing at any place that I could work at restaurants, bars, private parties, weddings, etc. I was doing well for myself and had my band going strong. We were called The Good Samaritans and we had released an EP in 2019 and a full length album in 2020 in April. There’s no way I would’ve guessed the world would be shutting down in March of that year because you plan to release these things months in advance. However, there was no stopping it and we released it to a world locked in their homes with no shows to be played and not much to show for it. I was looking for any side job I could do at the time to try to make money being that there was no music work for me available. Fast forward a few months and my home town was destroyed by two hurricanes back to back merely weeks apart from one another. I had no home no gigs and the only thing I had was my then girlfriend (now wife), my best friend and bassist whom we shared a house with, and music. I come from an upbringing with addiction and those sorts of things so I had to figure something out for myself and thus I made the move to Nashville with my now wife and best friend. It turned out to be the best decision I could’ve made for myself opening doors for music I never thought possible. Going on big tours and playing places like Red Rocks were dreams come true and I’m so thankful for every opportunity Nashville has afforded me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started playing music at about 15 or 16. Super late compared to others but I felt like I had a thing for it. I grew up in a single parent home and helped my mom pay bills working a job at Cici’s Pizza while in High School. Music was a huge outlet for me allowing me to express feelings and connect understanding to who I was and helping me find purpose in who I’d become. It was more than just some “dream” I had, it was something that I could cultivate and share with people who love this art like I do. It was a way to connect and communicate with anyone and everyone who would listen and it’s something to this day I do not take lightly nor for granted. I’m proud of so many things thus far in my career from the big moments of playing big stages to people telling me my music helped them stay off drugs or spoke to them in some capacity. Those moments mean everything to me and I’ll always cherish a story that someone has to share because music can open the door to those conversations.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When moving to Nashville I never thought I’d get the chance to play for artists being that I am one myself but that was a huge step for me playing that role. It offered me a chance to learn and grow in my own art while supporting someone else’s vision. I think that can play a huge role in any artist’s life seeing it through someone else’s perspective.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I think the main thing is to connect with people and be a small part in a person’s life that’s both meaningful and impactful in a positive way. As for myself it’s always to push myself creatively and make work I’m truly proud of.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://haydenhelms.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haydenhelms_/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@haydenhelms

Image Credits

Jon-David Mahoney (Stage Shots)

Brooke Stevens (Everything Else)