Andrew Hyatt – Let’s Get Sad [Interview]

Alright people - let's get sad.

A seemingly offhand quip said with a smile, the fact is Andrew Hyatt is more self-aware than most and 'sad-song enthusiast' is a moniker the musician wears with pride.

Born of lost loves, lessons learned, and a life lived, the singer/songwriter's tracks encompass a mixed bag of emotions, constantly inspired by both personal and professional reflection.

His latest EPs, Cain and Abel speak to just that, in both name and content.

"I love the symbolism of the two brothers, so different from each other and in conflict," he explained, adding the historic pair's turmoil reflects his internal battle between the pressure of creating and having songs that resonate with the business side of the industry versus the tracks he pens for himself out of necessity. "I love both. But they tend to be at war with each other."

It's that kind of blatant honesty that has continued to garner the artist a strong following of fans, as Hyatt's music continues to grow and evolve, no matter the odds.

One potential setback came in the form of a vocal injury the singer worried may sideline his career permanently last fall - a story he told publicly at this year's CMAOntario Songs & Stories: Songwriters in the Round.

Since treatment, he's back better than ever.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Making hard choices is nothing new for Hyatt, who found himself taking on the country music world thanks to some soul-searching and reflection about his faith and life in general.

"As anyone who grows up in church knows, you're told something, and then you go out and figure out what you believe on your own. I started to write based on that search, which led me to a lot of singer/songwriters who were so honest and real," he recalled. "Vulnerability breeds vulnerability and the outcome of that is love. That's something that I've talked to people about at length."

Hyatt went on to add there always seemed to be a barrier where he felt he couldn't be honest.

"I wasn't perfect, and I was always trying to live up to something. Really, I know now honesty is what breaks down the walls," he said. "From there it just flowed naturally because country is such an honest genre, it's very simple in a lot of ways, and it's just good storytelling. It was never planned... it just happened."

And it was a journey that brought him to the honest lyricism and soul-touching vocals found in a number of tracks including Heaven Guessing, and Some Dust Don't Settle Down, as well as his own words with Insanity, and Isn't Love So Easy.

For any artist, opening up for all the world to see can be both liberating, but also a little scary. In Andrew Hyatt's case, his audience is embracing it.

"I think the people who show up to the acoustic shows know that side of me, so those are the songs that the fans cling to and the ones that become very personal to them because they know me as an artist," he said. "We've had people who've found Abel first and didn't realize I was the guy who sang Do It With You, Habit, and On Me because it's such a contrast. As an artist, that's a great feeling."

Check out Andrew Hyatt's newest singles, Didn't Know Me, and Hang Around Kind, out now.

*Special thanks to Andrew Hyatt who stepped in as lighting director on the feature photo.