Walker Hayes‘ new single, “Good With Me,” was the most-added at country radio when it was released. The song is Hayes’ attempt at bringing unity, in his trademark positive and slightly humorous way, at a time when topics and people seem more divisive than ever.

In a video shared on social media, Hayes explains why he wanted to release “Good With Me,” especially now.

“I love this song,” Hayes says. “I obviously wouldn’t have put it out if I didn’t love it. I’m hoping maybe the world needs something like this. It’s kind of a laughable look at all our crazy opinions, put into one song, but then just kind of reflecting and hanging out with someone you love on a dock. So I hope everybody loves it. I feel like everybody needs it right now.”

 

The Alabama native hopes “Good With Me” reminds people of what is, and isn’t, important in life. For Hayes, he chooses to focus only on what matters to him, which isn’t much of what fills the news and social media these days.

“I am a husband and country music songwriter with six kids and three dogs,” Hayes tells The Tennessean. “I have enough occupations to fill my mental capacity each day adequately. I don’t think I can also absorb the news and have the ability to argue my opinions about that news on top of everything else I have going on in my life.”

“We all need to sit and take a moment to drink a beer and keep it real,” he adds. “Putting someone’s divisive, polarizing opinions ahead of their humanity can lead to us dangerously dehumanizing them. It’s important that − whether it’s beer, coffee, playing catch, religion, work, or something − we discover ways to re-create face-to-face relationships with each other.”

Hayes is celebrating almost eight years of sobriety, a milestone that at one point seemed impossible to achieve.

“I’m eight years sober this October,” Hayes tells Fox News. “I woke up one day when I was working at Costco. I was working at Costco from 4:00 to 11:00, and then writing, and then playing shows. And man, it caught up to me. And honestly, I had been drinking since I was probably like 13.”

When Hayes didn’t drink one day, he had no idea that it was the beginning of his ongoing sobriety journey, albeit not an easy one.

“I woke up one Saturday, and I just felt like I was going to die,” Hayes recalls. “I felt like physically if I did one more day, something was wrong. And so I stopped, and then one day turned into two, and then two turned into a week. And then a week turned into a month.”

Hayes almost caved and started drinking again, more than once, but has found the strength and fortitude to remain sober.

“There were a couple of nights during COVID where all the mechanisms that I lean on were gone, and I was like, ‘Dang, nobody would know tonight if I just did it,’ Hayes shares. “But I had friends who supported me, and I support them as much as I can. But we’re good. Eight years, and it’s a day-to-day thing.”

Find music and tour dates at WalkerHayes.com.

Read ’12 Country Music Singers Who Are Sober’ here.