Walker Hayes may be a country music artist, but some of his biggest inspirations are of those outside of his genre.
The 43-year-old Alabama native recently revealed that he is a huge fan and supporter of Michigan rapper and producer NF (whose full name is Nathan John Feuerstein).
In fact, Hayes has been spotted wearing NF merchandise, as seen in multiple photos on his Instagram page.
“There’s no one we listen to more than @nfrealmusic, except for maybe me 😂😂 but still…we rep proudly,” the father of six and husband to wife, Laney Beville Hayes, writes alongside a snapshot featuring all of his kids, including daughters, Lela, Everly and Loxley and sons, Chapel, Baylor, and Beckett, dressed in NF hoodies.
Walker’s Son Chapel Introduced Him To NF’s music
“My 15-year-old son, Chapel, introduced me to [NF’s] music a while back, and I was instantly obsessed,” Hayes told Music Mayhem in a recent interview about how he got acquainted with NF’s music. “[I] love his style [and] phrasing, but what I like most are his introspective lyrics. He talks about things we all think but rarely.”
When it comes down to it, it’s no surprise the “Fancy Like” singer has been drawn to NF’s material. After all, the two are quite similar. Like NF, Hayes tends to sing about his personal life, sharing lyrics that talk about overcoming obstacles, finding one’s faith, and taking control of bad situations. In addition, he also has a unique style of singing, often incorporating conversational talk-singing and rapping into his tracks.
Hayes has grown so fond of NF’s music that he has covered some of the 32-year-old artist’s songs, including “Happy,” which is the third single from NF’s fifth studio album, Hope.
Walker Hayes Recently Covered NF’s “HAPPY”
A video posted on Hayes’ Instagram profile shows the country crooner on guitar, singing the lyrics to “Happy” with two of his daughters, Loxley and Everly, joining in with family harmony.
“Trynna learn our favorite @nfrealmusic song off his new insane album 💪🔥 #happy,” Hayes writes, plugging NF’s most recent album into the post.
“‘Happy’ is our fam’s fav,” Hayes reiterates before adding. “Me and the fam were all set to see NF in Birmingham last year, but unfortunately the venue flooded from a storm that hit that day but HOPING to see him on the HOPE tour ha.”
When Hayes isn’t covering NF’s songs, he often incorporates the music of the artist as a soundtrack to his social media posts. One such post on TikTok, shows him with his family before a concert. The hilarious clip has the clan showing off different variations of poses and changing positions along to NF’s “Pandemonium.”
“Killing a day in a green room 😂😂💪💪 @nfrealmusic new album is 🔥🔥🔥🔥,” Hayes writes, alongside the clip.
Duck Buck Tour
Additionally, Hayes has been spending a lot of time with his family, despite being on the road as part of his Duck Buck Tour.
As a matter of fact, the singer/songwriter has brought his brood on the headlining 23-date, which kicked off on Thursday (April 13) in Rosemont, IL. The Duck Buck Tour, which features Ingrid Andress, BRELAND, Ray Fulcher, Nicolle Galyon, and Chris Lane as special guests on select dates, wraps on August 5 in Sterling Heights, MI.
“Yeah, I mean it’s constant chaos,” Hayes previously told The Observer of having his family out with him. “There is literally never a dull moment. I know that’s a cliché that people say, but in our life, it is never dull.”
And when asked whether or not he’d ever collaborate with NF, Hayes gleefully says, “UM the easiest yes ever. You gotta ask NF this!”
NF Recently Released A Brand-New Album, HOPE
NF’s latest album, HOPE, dropped on Friday (April 7) following the release of the project’s title track and “Motto,” which reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. The 13-track collection follows 2019’s platinum-selling The Search and 2021’s CLOUDS (THE MIXTAPE).
This summer, NF will embark on his massive 2023 The Hope Tour. The 47-date arena tour will find him crossing through North America, Canada, Europe, and the U.K. The trek kicks off on Wednesday (July 12) at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, OH, and will conclude on Sunday (Oct 15).
