Walker Hayes: Kane Brown Stood Up For Me [INTERVIEW]

Introduction:

COUNTRY STAR OPENS UP ABOUT FATHERHOOD, FRIENDSHIPS, AND THE COLLAB THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

In a candid new interview, country hitmaker Walker Hayes pulled back the curtain on the pressures of fame, the challenges of raising teenagers, and the surprising story behind his emotional duet with Kane Brown. What began as a lighthearted conversation quickly turned into one of Hayes’s most heartfelt public reflections yet.

Hayes spoke warmly about Brown, recalling the night the two shared the stage at the CMT Artists of the Year Awards. “I looked out and saw Kane standing, smiling ear to ear. It meant everything,” he said. Though the two artists aren’t frequent hangout buddies, Hayes emphasized a deep mutual respect. “He’s always been in my corner. I love the way he’s a dad, the way he carries himself. We connect from a distance like that.”

Their collaboration, “Song for My Son,” grew from a simple text exchange. Hayes sent Brown a demo, unsure if the superstar would agree. Brown replied with a single photo—his cross necklace—and the words, “I’d be honored.” For Hayes, that moment confirmed the partnership was meant to be. “Hearing his voice on lyrics I wrote… it just hit different,” he admitted.

The conversation shifted when Hayes opened up about fatherhood—something he says “consumes” him. Coaching all three of his sons in basketball, he described the constant battle of balancing guidance with gentleness. He shared a recent incident in which a friendly game turned too intense, leaving one of his sons with a cracked nose. “That’s me in a nutshell,” he said. “Trying to be a good dad, messing up, and apologizing.”

Songwriting, he explained, has become an outlet for these emotions. His recent track, “17-Year-Old Problems,” was born on a heavy Friday afternoon. “I looked around at life and thought, ‘How am I 45 and still figuring out basic stuff?’” he joked. The nostalgic song reflects on youthful troubles that now feel almost enviably simple.

As the interview wrapped, Hayes laughed about the burnout that came from his viral “Fancy Like” partnership with Applebee’s. After countless meet-and-greets, to-go boxes, and “more melted Oreo shakes than any human should consume,” he says he’s taking a temporary break from the restaurant—but never from the song that changed his life.

“I’ll sing it every night,” Hayes said with a grin. “That one’s forever.”

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