Ryan Hurd a Kalamazoo, Michigan native, opened the third set of shows for the WPOC Hot Country Nights Summer Series. Hurd is a singer/songwriter now living in Nashville and is signed with RCA Records. He played a fifty-minute set, with songs from his EP that came out in 2017. He also sang songs he wrote for Luke Bryan, including one of Luke’s number one hits, “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset.” Hurd said last time he played in Baltimore was at PBR, Power Plant Live and only one person showed up. He was amazed by the size of the crowd. Hurd talked about songwriting and how he met his wife Maren Morris. He said they started out as good friends and turned into love. They married last year and co-wrote the song “Love in a Bar,” which he performed. Hurd has written many hits for the likes of Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney and many more.
Walker Hayes hit the stage with his very upbeat and fun show. He got the crowd’s attention with some of his songs such as “Dollar Store”, and “Beckett”, a song he wrote about his young son, one of his six children. He performed a funny song called “Shut up Kenny.” Hayes has been in Nashville since 2005 working as a songwriter and singer. He was under a label in early 2010 and was dropped. Hayes worked at a Costco to make a living. He resigned in 2017 and released what has been his highest hit on the charts to date, “You Broke Up With Me”, also on his album “BOOM”. Hayes is very interactive and plays up to the crowd and his fans. His song called “90’s Country” is an upbeat tribute to a bunch of 90’s country songs, using titles or lyrics from hit songs from that era. Hayes also has a song “Don’t Let Her” which is a song for his wife. They met in grade school and became high school sweethearts. The video for this song has photos of the couple from high school until now and shows the love they have for each other.
For more on Ryan Hurd or Walker Hayes check out their websites and all social media forms!!!
