Travis Hayes & The Young Daze
Travis Hayes and the Young Daze. Photo by Ted Maider
Travis Hayes has a heartfelt acoustic sound that stays with you. If you want your girlfriend to miss you while she’s on vacation send her Love Songs, sung by Travis and Emily Whitehurst. A vocal duo whose harmony sounds as natural together as it is brutal on the ol’ heart strings. You throw the Young Daze in the mix and the pace quickens, you move perhaps from “a sea of tears and spilled whiskey”, to something that sounds more like morning sex and Irish coffee. Travis Hayes and The Young Daze will be performing along with some other fun bands; Curious Quail & Bonnie and The BANG BANG at the Great American Music Hall June 27. We had the pleasure of asking Travis a few questions about music, storytelling, and his love for the city by the bay, he’s a good friend to our site and his band is rad, enjoy:
Name: Travis Hayes
Any stories about a crazy night out in SF?
One of the things I love most about SF is how geographically small it is. I think this encourages crazy nights. You can drink in Dolores Park, sing karaoke, go see a show, grab a cheap slice of pizza, climb on the roof of an abandoned theater, and end up at a dive bar all in a few hours. Chance for adventure every night- most of the time involving whiskey for me. Always whiskey.
Where did you first perform in SF? How did it go?
I played open mic nights pretty regularly when I first moved to San Francisco. I wanted to get my feet wet and find people to play with. When I finally got a band together, KIMO’s was the first “big” venue that gave me a shot. I remember thinking that if I got a dozen or so people out to see my band at KIMO’s, it was a successful night. And so did KIMO’s- most of the time. KIMO’s was the first stepping stone for many bands in the SF / Bay Area music scene. They gave me a lot of my first starts. I was sad to see the venue go, but I’m thankful it was around when I needed it.
Where ya from?
I grew up in a small town called Philo. It’s in Mendocino County about three hours north of San Francisco. Redwood trees and grapevines.
What was your first job job?
My first real job job was cleaning up a construction site near my high school each day after class. The site would be completely covered in piles of saw dust when I arrived. I would sweep everything up only to return the next day to more sawdust. It was a real Groundhog Day situation.
Who do you like to perform with?
I love performing with other local musicians and building up a supportive community. Since I play both solo acoustic and with a full band, I feel lucky to be in a city full of talented musicians in both these categories. I am really excited to share the stage with my friends Curious Quail and Bonnie & The BANG BANG at the Great American Music Hall. Two bands I’ve wanted to play with for some time.
Favorite artists out there right now?
We have such a rich array of songwriters and bands in the Bay Area. It’s awesome to be able to say that some of my favorites are local. I just saw Debbie Neigher and her band slay The Independent- they were amazing. Her new single is one of my favorite songs out this year. Survival Guide just released their debut full length and it’s awesome. Friends W/O Benefits has consistently been releasing really engaging tracks since their album release last year. There is so much great music coming from the Bay Area these days!
Favorite free thing to do in SF?
Oh man, I’m not sure if the weekly Clement St. Farmer’s Market counts, but I love doing that every Sunday. Biking through Golden Gate, hanging at Baker Beach, and exploring Land’s End, are also some of my favorites. I mean how beautiful is our City?
Favorite dive bar?
This city is in no short supply of fun dive bars but Thee Parkside takes the cake. Too many stories from that bar to not place it at the top of my list. And the tots, baby. Tots.
How would you describe your style of music?
At its root, my music is really just my voice and my guitar. Acoustic-folk. I’m a storyteller. And when you back that up with a full band it becomes a little more rock n roll. I love pulling people in with an honest and stripped down story but can’t help love seeing folks dance and sing along to the full band sound.
What can we expect at a Travis Hayes concert?
A sea of tears and spilled whiskey. Just kidding, it’s a fun show. The goal is to leave you wanting more but also with a story to tell. The solo/acoustic shows are intimate and heartfelt. The full band shows are sweaty and energetic. I put my all into every show and that’s the most you can hope for from any band or musician.
What’s coming up for you?
My band, The Young Daze, plays at the Great American Music Hall on Saturday, June 27th. GAMH is my all-time favorite music venue in San Francisco! Following that, we’ll hit Oakland in July and then the band will enjoy a little down time while I head out on a solo/acoustic tour through the Pacific Northwest this Fall. We’ll be back in full force come October with a very special Halloween show, and then into the studio this Winter to begin recording the next album.
Who are you voting for in 2015 San Francisco Mayoral Race?
I’m going for BROKE! I’m voting for Broke-Ass Stuart, of course.
Photo by Jared Swanson
Curious Quail @ GAMH
with Bonnie and The BANG BANG, Travis Hayes and The Young Daze
Great American Music Hall
Saturday, June 27, 2015 at 8:00 PM (PDT)
San Francisco, CA
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