2019 is turning out to be a milestone year for acclaimed singer/songwriter Hayes Carll, who released his anticipated new album What It Is on February 15th (Dualtone). What It Is debuted in the Top 5 on Billboard’s Rock (#5), Country (#5) and Americana (#4) charts. The album reached #6 on the Independent chart while landing in the Top 25 in the Top 200 (#23) and Current Albums (#21) charts.
What It Is recently held the #1 spot at Americana Radio for two weeks, while the first single “None Ya” held the #1 position for eight consecutive weeks. Rolling Stone Country ran a new feature on Carll this week, and premiered the boisterous, new honky-tonk-themed video for “Times Like These” Read & View HERE.
What It Is has garnered high critical praise from a multitude of outlets that include Rolling Stone, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, NPR Music, MOJO, American Songwriter and No Depression. Carll has recently been the subject of stories in Billboard, Paste, Garden & Gun, Rolling Stone Country, The Bluegrass Situation, The Boot and many more. See Highlights HERE.
★★★★ – MOJO
“…it’s songwriting that doesn’t pander to mainstream country, alt-country, so-called Americana, indie-folk, or what-have you. It just tells its story.” ★★★★ – Rolling Stone
“That’s ‘What It Is’ — Carll’s prettiest album, and perhaps his best.” – Associated Press
“After a solemn post-divorce album, the Nashville-via-Texas songwriter works his endearing wit back into songs about loving someone new and abhorring social trends…this barbed humor recalls vintage Carll…” – Pitchfork
“…Carll is back with ‘What It Is’, his sixth studio album that finds the 43 year old settling into his role as middle-aged master craftsman and truthteller.” – American Songwriter
“On his sixth album, ‘What It Is’, he unburdens his mind about the volatility of our time so unassumingly, he never comes close to overburdening his songs.” – NPR Music
“It’s taken nearly three full years for him to arrive at the follow-up album, ‘What It Is’…and this one is something else again.” – Wall Street Journal
Carll humbly followed in the footsteps of some of his heroes when he made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry in February. The magnitude of this milestone was beautifully captured before, during and after via this My Opry Debut short film, watch HERE.
The native Texan, former New Yorker and new Nashvillian is wrapping up a 13-date tour of his home state before heading overseas. Carll will kick off his coast to coast U.S. tour on March 28th (See Dates HERE). Just prior to the tour, he will return Austin for a full slate appearances, with more to be announced, at this year’s South By Southwest on March 14-16 (see schedule below).
Hayes Carll Scheduled Appearances at SXSW
Thursday, March 14th
Luck Reunion
8:30pm – Revival Stage
Friday March 15th
Sun Radio
10:00am @ Shady Grove
Waterloo Day Party
3:00pm @ Waterloo Records Parking Lot
Yeti
5:00pm – Yeti @ South Congress location
Brooklyn Bowl
9:00pm @ Scoot Inn
Saturday, March 16th
Austin City Limits Radio
10:30am @ W Hotel
Dualtone / SexhawkeBlack Party
11:00pm @ Continental Club
Visit HayesCarll.com for more upcoming SXSW appearances and tour dates
For press information about Hayes Carll, please contact Jim Flammia jim@alleyesmedia.com or Brenna Sexton brenna@alleyesmedia.com at All Eyes Media (615) 227-2770