Lexie Hayden is a name that has kept popping up on our radar for a while now. Single after single, Lexie has impressed with each new release. On December 4th, Hayden released an EP titled “You Heard Right.” Undiscovered Nashville was excited to get to know Lexie Hayden and what drives her passion for music. Please keep reading to learn more about the singer/songwriter.
What sparked Hayden’s passion for Country Music?
Hayden is a native of Virginia. However, Nashville was always in view. The singer/songwriter said, “From a young age, I loved country music. I grew up in Herndon, Virginia, but it wasn’t a very southern area. Faith Hill, Shania, and Trisha Yearwood sparked my passion. At a young age, I had my sights set on Nashville. In high school, I began taking guitar lessons and writing songs. I released my first EP when I was seventeen.” However, at this point, Hayden had not yet visited Nashville.
Lexie Hayden began to gain confidence that she could create a career in the music industry. What built that confidence? Hayden said, “A big part of my music growing up was YouTube. I started a YouTube channel in 2007 when I was thirteen. What began as me just posting videos of myself singing became my outlet. When I got home from school, I would record videos. I had so many fans, and I created such a space for myself online. From the first time I posted a video and received one nice comment, I thought I would do this. I had to do this! People wanted to hear me sing. They even requested songs. I started posting original songs when I was fourteen, and people wanted to download them. This experience made me see it was possible to have a music career.“
The Origins of Hayden’s Songwriting
Lexie Hayden seemed to have a talent for writing before she moved to Music City. The singer/songwriter said, “I started writing poetry first. When I was in middle school, I loved to write short stories and poems. I was passionate about English and Creative Writing; I even began writing a book in middle school. When I picked up the guitar at fourteen, I realized I could turn those poems into songs. That was the first time I realized I could write songs.”
When you see Lexie Hayden, you might think she was a standout in volleyball or basketball. However, Hayden said, “Writing was the only thing I was good at. I was terrible at sports. I tried everything, but I never excelled at any sport. It was one of those things I had to come to terms with. Writing and singing were what I did well. It seemed like I was born to do it.“
Taylor Swift inspired countless numbers of female singer/songwriters. Hayden is no exception. Lexie said, “When I was thirteen or fourteen, I was thinking about being a country singer. We were past the ladies of the nineties. Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert were coming up, but Taylor pops up at sixteen years old, writing a song that sounds like something I could have written in my bedroom. She looked like me and acted like me. For many girls, it was like, look at her; maybe I can do that.”
Lexie Hayden and Her Impressions of Nashville
After graduating from high school, Lexie chose to go to college. However, an incredible opportunity would bring her to Nashville. Lexie said, “I went to James Madison University, where I played a lot of shows around Harrisonburg and on campus. The summer before my senior year, I landed an internship at The Bobby Bones Show. My internship was a big part of my Nashville experience. It was the best summer of my life, and my friends didn’t think I would return to school. While working at the show, Bobby had me sing on air. He also took me on the road with the Raging Idiots. Bobby helped me so much. At work, I was meeting all these big artists, and at night, I was playing shows around town. The connections I made that summer are still with me. Upon finishing school, I moved back to Nashville right away.”
Lexie Hayden embraced the Nashville community on her first trip to town. Hayden added, “I was obsessed the Nashville when I got here. From the second I left to return to school, I didn’t want to leave. You had to drag me out of Nashville. During that first summer, I met so many up and coming artists I still keep in touch with. I was inspired by everyone around me, whether we were at an open mic night or sitting on someone’s porch playing songs together. Feeling the energy and passion, I knew I would move here permanently. I feel more at home in Nashville than I ever did growing up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.”
Memorable Moments for Lexie Hayden
Every artist has performances that are memorable for them. So, I asked Lexie about her most memorable moments so far. The singer/songwriter said, “My first time on stage was a significant moment for me. I had started taking guitar lessons at a local guitar store. It was such a community of kids my age who practiced together on Friday nights. Some of the kids had a band, and they performed at a local venue called Jammin Java. They brought me on stage to sing a song. I remember being terrified, and the whole thing was a blur. It was exciting, and I couldn’t wait to post a video.”
Undiscovered Nashville learned of Hayden from a recommendation given by a bartender at Winner’s, Whiskey Jam’s home. Hayden discussed how playing the iconic show changed things for her. Lexie said, “Whiskey Jam was my first full-band show in Nashville in 2017. I was about to release the Drive EP, and that show changed everything for me. It made me an artist. People were like, woah, who is this girl? Music City Light partnered with me after that show, and through that, I was able to meet Phil Vassar and his manager. Whiskey Jam is a rite of passage, and it’s special the first time you play the show.”
Lexie Hayden has drawn praise from her recent releases. Recently, she had another memorable moment. Hayden said, “I heard my song played on The Big 98. I wish I could bottle up that feeling, where you realize it has all been worth it.”
Lexie Hayden Releases her Latest EP, “You Heard Right”
Hayden’s latest EP is a collection of 7 songs. “You Heard Right” consists of five previously released singles and two new songs. Lexie said, “It took me a while to decide on the title for the EP, trying to come up with something cool. But, I ended up just picking a track. It’s cool that it’s called “You Heard Right” because it’s the first song my producer, Derek George, and I wrote together when we met in 2017. When we met, Derek was a writer and producer signed at Warner Chappell Music. I was so nervous about getting into the room with him because he already had a couple of number one songs. It was my first time writing with a hit songwriter.”
When you listen to a song, it easy to wonder what is the inspiration behind the music. The singer/songwriter said, “I am proud of this record. We had the tracking done in 2018. “You Heard Right” is about getting out of a relationship and hearing all these things about you, but if you heard I’m doing fine, then you heard right. I brought the title to Dererk, and he helped me turn it into a beautiful, emotional song. I knew from that day we would be great co-writers and partners in music. We started writing together all the time, and he began bringing in all these writers who could help us build the best songs, including Monty Criswell.”
Favorites and Surprises of the EP
After listening to every track on the EP, I can state that bartender at Winner’s was right. Lexie Hayden is good, and so is every song on the record. Hayden discussed one of her favorites and a song that surprised her. Lexie said, “Relit Cigarette” has such a powerful image and hook.” Hayden wrote the song with Derek George and Monty Criswell. She added, “The metaphor of putting something out and picking it back up was so cool to me. The way people connected to this song was special.” “Sad Songs” was written by Hayden, George, and Michael White. Lexie continued, “Sad Songs” surprised me the most. It was the fifth single, and it’s the most pop-sounding song. I was by how much people connected to it.”
Fun Facts with Lexie Hayden
We know Lexie Hayden has a passion for music. However, there is more to her than the music. Like other singer/songwriters in Nashville, Hayden has to find work that gives her flexible hours. Hayden said, “I work as a nanny and dog sitter, but I spent two years as a tour guide for Songbird tours.” Lexie shared some other fun facts with us. The singer/songwriter continued, “I love red wine. I am a cat mom to Charlie and Ash, and I like dogs but not in my small condo. People may not know that I have a webbed toe, and people always asked if that made me a good swimmer. I am also extremely OCD; you will never come to my house when it’s unclean. Also, Music City Light put me on the Nashville sign for three weeks in 2018.”
Undiscovered Nashville hopes you have enjoyed this behind the scenes look at Lexie Hayden and her music. Please follow her on social media and help make her Tik Tok famous. If you have not yet listened to “You Heard Right,” go to Apple Music or Spotify. So, if you were like me and someone told you Lexie Hayden was good, you heard right.
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