If one thing is clear when listening to a Hayden Baker album, it’s that he can shred on guitar with the best of them. Similar to his hero, Brad Paisley, Baker can make his Telecaster sing just as well as he does.
With his new album, Alive and Well, though, he’s slightly shifting his focus. The shredding is still there, but Baker is diving even deeper into the stories he’s telling with his lyrics, and the results are, in our opinion, the two best songs he’s released in his career, “We Should Do This More Often” and “Letting You Go.”
We chatted with Baker all about Alive and Well, which releases on October 10, Ronnie Dunn’s connection to “Letting You Go,” his favorite Keith Whitley songs and more!
Pro Country: You’re set to release your new album, Alive and Well, on October 10th, which will release about a year and a half after your last album, Barely Getting’ By. How important has it been for you to stay busy in the studio and offering new music for people to hear?
Hayden Baker: I feel in this day and age, it’s super important to stay consistent with releasing music to stay relevant, especially at my level. I’m always writing songs and I love recording, so it was an easy decision to get back in the studio and create!
PC: You’d released three great, up-tempo singles so far this year before your last release, “We Should Do This More Often.” Why did you feel it was the right time to slow things down with a fantastic, storytelling ballad?
HB: That song to me is just special. It was special when we wrote it and it just bloomed when we recorded it. It felt like a natural progression to introduce the new stuff starting with tempo, then testing the waters with the ballads once we got into the release process.
PC: There are a few Keith Whitley references scattered throughout “We Should Do This More Often.” That said, can you tell us a few of your favorite Keith Whitley songs?
HB: “I Wonder Do You Think of Me,” “Miami, My Amy” and “Charlotte’s in North Carolina” are my favorites.
PC: The newest release from Alive and Well is another ballad, “Letting You Go.” Can you take us in the room and talk about how the song came together?
HB: So originally, Jacob Boyd and I wrote that song together, then we brought the great Roger Springer in on it later to perfect it. How it was originally written, though, is kind of funny. Jacob and I got together in Nashville to write one Monday morning at Ronnie Dunn’s publishing company (I used to be signed there and still have a key). When we sat down to write, Jacob asked me if I was still signed there. I told him no and gave him the story about Ronnie letting me go a few years back. I punctuated that story with saying Ronnie called me and told me, “I just called to let you know I’m letting you go.” We both paused, looked at each other and said “are we writing that?” Just over an hour later we had the song. Jacob had the guitar arrangement and melody, and the story just fell out.
PC: “Letting You Go” performed very well on TikTok and Instagram Reels ahead of its release. How encouraging was the response to the song and seeing people connect with it, weeks before its release?
HB: Very encouraging! You never know how a song will perform on socials/streaming thanks to all the algorithms and whatnot, so seeing people respond to what I feel is some of my best work was a huge blessing!
PC: With four singles now released from Alive and Well, what additional information can you give about the album? What can listeners expect to hear?
HB: While there are moments that show off my guitar playing, this album leans more into the songwriting than it does showmanship compared to my other albums. At this point in my career, I’ve written a couple hundred songs, and these are the best 10 stories I had to offer. I want to prove myself as a true singer and songwriter with this record.
PC: Along with releasing Alive and Well this year, what else do you have planned for the rest of 2025 and going into 2026?
HB: Shows, shows, shows! Check the tour schedule and come see us on the road!
Pro Country 
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