It seems like just yesterday we introduced you to the young Pleasantville, Texas native who sounded eerily like Hank Williams Sr. and idolized Haggard and Jones. Last November he was set to release his first single, The Real Thing, from his upcoming album by the same name, to country radio. Since then word has spread beyond the Lone Star state about the young singer, and now a year later he reflects on the past year as each month has brought him new experiences and opportunities.

"We've done a lot of tours. We're on our third single. We released The Real Thing, You Don't Talk and I Don't Listen and now we're on Heartaches and Highways. We've pretty much played two/three nights a week all year long." he recalls "We did a tour of California with Robert Earl Keen and it went really well. We did shows in Nashville this summer. We played the an Opry Plaza party outside of the Grand Ol' Opry there. It was a lot of fun."

"We opened a show for Merle Haggard . It's been a a very good year. We did the Texas State Fair with Alan Jackson. Other than that we've been playing a lot of bars and stuff, doing a lot of radio tours. It's been a continuous deal. We got to headline a show at Gruene Hall. It was 50 or 60 people away from a sellout. That was kind of a big step for us."

Rodney has hopes to take his music as far as it will let him and word has been getting out. Spreading his wings outside of Texas brought him a new confidence as he toured last year with Robert Earl Keen in California. While some artists are content to stay within Texas' broad borders, Rodney has bigger aspirations. "That's the great thing about being down here, but I'd like to venture out, especially after going out to California and getting such a good response there. The people out there kind of excited me about the different markets that we can get into. We've done really well. We don't have distribution in every state, but certain states we distribute to and we're just selling a lot of CDs out that way since so that's good. I think with the new record we'll try even more to get it out there."

Taken under the more than competent wing of Robert Earl Keen, Rodney released his first album on legendary Texan’s own Rosetta Records label after impressing the songwriter/performer with a demo tape.  With an remarkable year and album under his belt, the future looks bright for Rodney Hayden and there’s not a doubt in the world his next album will continue to bring the ‘real thing’ to country music fans who take the time to find it.

"We got a whole lot of really good press right after the album came out. I was kind of hoping it would help things out and it did. After that it's just been continuous....seems like every week we get a few more fans, a few places to go to. " he says with an honest humbleness.

He plans to head back into the studio in January with producer Rich Brotherton to work on his sophomore release. He has hopes that a Nashville label will pick the album up for larger distribution but not at the cost of artistic freedom. How does it feel to be a country singer and be told that? Rodney Hayden knows, its a phrase he's used to hearing.

"The first record we hit pretty hard, label after label and it didn't do anything. We were told it was a little too country. It kind of opened my eyes a little." he shares "It kind of blows my mind a little. I can listen to my record and it is quite a bit different from the stuff on the radio but I don't think it's that far off of what Alan Jackson or some of the more traditional artists are doing. It's kind of weird, especially to be told that too when you're only 22."

But unlike some young singers who would look at the record label executive and ask "What do you want me to do then?, Rodney is content to offer thanks for the time and walks out the door with his musical integrity still in tact. "I wouldn't change regardless, but this is really all I know how to sing and how to play. The bottom line is we're playing music we enjoy music and love playing." He plans to create the kind of music he believes in first, and then plans to let the business chips fall where they may.

Unlike most of his contemporaries Rodney admits to a keen interest in the business side of the industry, finding the day to day aspects somewhat appealing. "I actually like the business side and all of that. Most people don't, but I find it pretty interesting to sit down and talk to labels and people about the budgets and different things. I like doing the radio runs and the interviews and all that. It kind of takes all your personal time away but I enjoy traveling and meeting new people."

There is a dark side to the business he's well aware of but staying involved has it's benefits if you plan on making the music industry your lifelong career. "I don't like the way a lot of it is handled. I don't agree with a lot of it, but I like being involved. I like knowing exactly what's going on with things in my career - from the money to the bookings, to where the CDs are and how many are selling. I think the more you understand that side of it, the less likely you're going to get into a bad deal."

Unbeknownst to Keen, Rodney had been keeping an eye on his idol and had picked up some first hand business lessons from him long before he was signed to his label." He's pretty informed about the business. A huge mentor and as far as all that's concerned the first couple of years we did shows, I'd sit and watch him sign autographs after the show, do interviews and things. I picked up a lot of tips.  I am pretty sure he didn't know I was playing that close attention."  he laughs.

Plans for his second album are much like his first, a first rate real country album with a mix of covers and self penned tunes. "I am excited about this new record. We're going in, we've marked off about two weeks to cut the whole thing. The last album was kind of spread out, we kind of started recording it when I was 19 years old and I finished it when I was almost 22. It was spread out a bit in different studios and different producers. It turned out okay."

The current album brandishes some pretty impressive songwriting attempts but Rodney thinks the best is yet to come on the next album. "I think the songwriting on my part is a bit stronger.  It'll be a little more mature. Kind of a different feel and stuff. It's still straight ahead country, different chord progressions. Little different, some of the same."

"We've written eight songs we're going to record for sure and now we're going through a bunch of cover songs that I've wanted to do. Pick a few cool ones out that people maybe haven't heard in a long time, or maybe never heard. The covers will be doing will be some pretty obscure stuff that we haven't played yet."

So far the plans are to release the album on Keen's Rosetta label, as was the last one, but the young Texan is keeping his options and eyes wide open. "We're talking to a couple of labels, a couple of major labels and a couple of labels that aren't right at the top. We're kind of a good spot, we're playing our options, seeing which ways we can go. Right now the plan is we're going to go in and go ahead. We're going to make the record we want to make and then if someone wants to release it the way it is then we'll do that, if not it will be on Rosetta again."

While some young singers succumb to the lure of 'fame' and are willing to conform to a record executive's image of what he should be Rodney Hayden is more than content to just remain himself and take his chances, and chances are that'll it'll be the very thing that pays off in the end .A lot of things have changed for Rodney Hayden in one short year, but thankfully, one thing remains consistent -- he's still the real thing.

First feature on Rodney