06. Hunter Hayes: From His First Publishing Check at 17 to 5 Grammy Nominations and the Martin OM He Reaches for Most

Ever picked up a guitar and felt like every note had something to say?

Hunter Hayes, the five-time GRAMMY-nominated, Louisiana-raised songwriter, producer, and Martin artist behind the new album Evergreen, joins Jimmy Leslie from his home studio in Nashville, Tennessee. He brings the Martin OM he bought at 17 with his first publishing check, the guitar that became the signature sound of his debut album.

Hunter takes us inside his home studio, where one stereo ribbon mic sits ready for every acoustic idea. He shares how a walk into Guitar Center led to his OM, and how he came to paint his iconic sentiment, "For the Love of Music," on his gear.

He talks about the tiny 1958 Martin he found in Japan and the small-bodied Terz guitars that now start most of his songs, and about his koa custom. He also explains how the riff from the title track, "Evergreen," came together, built from ukuleles, an oud, a mandolin-banjo, and a bouzouki, and co-written with Gordie Sampson. Along the way he covers the Martins he takes on tour, the Evergreen guitar with artwork by Robert Goetzl, and his favorite Martin memory.

If this one made you want to pick up a guitar and see what comes out, send it to the songwriter in your life who needs the nudge.

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