Hayden Releases Seventh Album ‘Us Alone’ on Arts & Crafts

Premieres Video for ‘Rainy Saturday’ (below) Latest US Tour Dates, Catch Hayden at Mercury Lounge on 2/13 in NYC, 9pm

Since his emergence from Toronto’s burgeoning alternative scene with 1995’s now iconic Everything I Long For, Hayden has intrigued, both for his highly introspective personality and musical independence – performing most instruments on his records and almost always engineering, mixing, and producing as well as self-releasing on his own label, Hardwood Records. This week he released his seventh full-length record, Us Alone, on Arts & Crafts. Check out the full album stream on MSN, AOL Spinner, and Billboard. Early reviews of the album have said the album is “the songwriter’s most personal statement to date” (Billboard) and that it “triumphs as a deeply personal statement” (Chicago Sun Times). Today, he is also sharing the video from the track ‘Rainy Saturday’ which just premiered on The Onion’s A.V. Club.

Hayden musicianship is again showcased on Us Alone, a sonically rich, beautifully textured return to form. Lyrically, Hayden also continues his strength in crafting stories that will range from the highly autobiographical (“Almost Everything”) to strangely unsettling (“Just Give Me A Name”), and goes as far as leaving specific direction of what to do with his body when he dies (“Instructions”).

“I was moving away from so many records now (including some of my past work) where every song features an overwhelming number of instruments; it’s often hard to replicate things like that live,” Hayden explains. “I wanted the sound of five people walking into a room and playing a full set. With the exception of some stellar help from friends on a song or two, those five people were mostly just me…”

After almost four years away, Hayden made his return to the stage during a week of warm up shows overseas leading up to a performance at the ATP Festival curated by The National in December. Hayden and his new band hit the road this week, continuing throughout North America most of February and March.

“”Us Alone” is one of the songwriter’s most personal statements to date”
– Billboard
“A triumph of soft-spoken, plains-born hope and doom.” ****
– Chicago Sun Times

Hayden Tour Dates
Feb. 7: Guelph, ON (Cooperators Hall)
Feb. 8: Dundas, ON (The Dundas Valley Montessori School)
Feb. 9: Avening, ON (Avening Community Centre)
Feb. 13: New York City, NY (Mercury Lounge)
Feb. 20: Toronto, ON (The Dakota Tavern)
Feb. 21: Toronto, ON (The Cameron House)
Feb. 22: Toronto, ON (Rivoli)
Mar. 7 Wakefield, QC (Blacksheep Inn)
Mar. 8: Montreal, QC (La Sala Rossa)
Mar. 13-15: Austin, TX (SXSW)
Mar. 17: Denver, CO (Hi Dive)
Mar. 20: Seattle, WA (Tractor Tavern)
Mar. 21: Portland, OR (Doug Fir Lounge)
Mar. 23: Vancouver, BC (The Rio Theatre)
Mar. 24: Nelson, BC (The Royal on Baker)
Mar. 26: Edmonton, AB (The Royal Alberta Museum)
Mar. 27: Calgary, AB (Festival Hall)
Mar. 28: Saskatoon, SK (The Bassment)
Mar. 30: Winnipeg, MB (West End Cultural Centre)
Mar. 31: Minneapolis, MN (Triple Rock Social Club)
April 3: Chicago, IL (Schubas)

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