<\/p>\n
FARGO \u2014 When Hayes Carll takes the stage at Sanctuary Events Center Tuesday night, don\u2019t expect a repeat of the last time he played here.<\/p>\n
At that 2011 Aquarium show, fans showed their appreciation for the American singer\/songwriter by bringing him shots to the stage. He obliged to the point where he couldn\u2019t finish the encore and quietly walked off the stage unable to play.<\/p>\n
The singer doesn\u2019t recall much about that show, but remembers coming to Fargo. It was a long time ago, after all, and Carll has come a long way since.<\/p>\n
That is evident on his latest album, his 10th, \u201cWe\u2019re Only Human,\u201d a call to be more understanding and forgiving.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spent a long time thinking I had it figured out and as I got older, I realized I don\u2019t,” he said from his home in Nashville, Tennessee. <\/p>\n
The album is inspired by life events, a divorce, his son turning 22 and his own upcoming 50th birthday in January.<\/p>\n
\u201cI looked around and a lot of life has happened. I was taking stock of where I was at,\u201d he said. “I’ve struggled my whole life discussing things. I didn\u2019t feel like doing the work. I felt like I couldn\u2019t avoid this conversation any more. I was in a loop of distraction and avoidance.\u201d<\/p>\n
He doesn\u2019t get into specifics talking about his experiences or even in the songs, but the topic of self-care and finding peace of mind runs through the new album, from the opening title track to \u201cOne Day\u201d and \u201cI Got Away With It.\u201d<\/p>\n
He never blames outside forces, but rather acknowledges the decisions he made \u2014 and even the ones he didn\u2019t \u2014 and recognizes he can do better. Likewise, he doesn\u2019t lecture and keeps the tone from getting too heavy with a wink, like on \u201cGood People (Thank Me).\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never wrote from a place of discovery or healing. It crystalized what I wanted to write,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was a really powerful experience for me. I was trying to figure out why I long for some peace that has avoided me for so long.\u201d<\/p>\n
A native of Houston, Carll broke out nationally with his third album, 2008\u2019s \u201cTrouble in Mind,\u201d and was celebrated for combining melodies with heartfelt and humorous lyrics with a droll, Southern drawl. His songs ranged from rambling roadhouse rave-ups (\u201cDown the Road Tonight\u201d and \u201cKMAG YOYO\u201d) to bohemian boogies (\u201cDrunken Poet\u2019s Dream,\u201d \u201cHard Out Here\u201d and \u201cBad Liver and a Broken Heart\u201d) and sentimental ballads (\u201cBeaumont\u201d and \u201cLong Way Home\u201d).<\/p>\n
He gained a level of infamy for his comic tune, \u201cShe Left Me for Jesus,\u201d sung from the perspective of a guy feeling insecure comparing himself to his ex\u2019s new interest. It included the chorus, \u201cShe says I should find him\/ And I\u2019ll know peace at last\/ But if I ever find Jesus\/ I\u2019m kickin\u2019 his ass.\u201d<\/p>\n
The number was the Americana Music Association\u2019s Song of the Year in 2008. He would go on to see his music used in TV shows and movies (five times on \u201cYellowstone\u201d) and earn a 2016 Grammy nomination for Best Country Song with \u201cChances Are,\u201d as recorded by Lee Ann Womack.<\/p>\n
Contributed \/ Joshua Black Wilkins<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n
He found himself in country music tabloids when he hooked up with singer Allison Moorer after she left her husband Steve Earle in 2014. Earle took a swipe at Carll in 2017, saying Moorer left him for, \u201ca younger, skinnier, less talented singer-songwriter.\u201d Carll responded later playing an unnamed song live with the lyric, \u201cI think she left you because you wouldn\u2019t shut your mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of local note, it was Earle who first brought Carll to Fargo in 2010 as an opener for his Fargo Theatre show.<\/p>\n
Carll and Moorer married in 2019 after she co-produced his album, \u201cWhat It Is.\u201d They divorced this past summer.<\/p>\n
Carll has long enjoyed musical collaborations, writing with Texas country greats Guy Clarke, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jim Lauderdale and more. In 2024 he co-wrote and recorded \u201cHayes & The Heathens\u201d with Austin, Texas, act Band of Heathens and took that show on the road.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was really liberating. I recovered my enjoyment of writing, playing and singing,\u201d he said. \u201cIt got me in a better place to write more personal.\u201d<\/p>\n
He closes out \u201cWe\u2019re Only Human\u201d with the gospel-tinged affirmation \u201cMay I Never,\u201d enlisting musical friends like Hubbard, Nicole Atkins, Darrell Scott, Shovels & Rope and Gordy Quist and Ed Juri of Band of Heathens to sing a verse or join in on the chorus.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of these songs are mantras, prayers and reminders,\u201d Carll said. \u201cLike any good life lesson, it carries more weight when you have people you respect and love deliver that message. It hits different to have those people express that.\u201d<\/p>\n
What helped him get to his current state of contentment? Therapy? Counseling?<\/p>\n
Again, Carll won\u2019t get into specifics, though part of the equation may be found in the title and lyrics to \u201cHigh.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve done it all. What helped me the most was to just still my mind,” he said. \u201cFor most of my life my mind has been racing. I\u2019d do anything to avoid being myself. In the long term, it was unstable. I needed to address that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He credits meditation and journaling with aiding his path of self-discovery, something he approaches, \u201cwith honesty and walking the walk.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a beautiful journey for me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
What:<\/b> Hayes Carll with Aaron Raitiere<\/p>\n
When:<\/b> 8 p.m., Tuesday<\/p>\n
Where:<\/b> Sanctuary Events Center, Fargo<\/p>\n
Info:<\/b> Tickets for this all-ages show are $33, plus fees. <\/p>\n