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Hayden
Guitarist, composer, singer

Toronto singer-songwriter Hayden (born Paul Hayden Desser) has forged a career mining the universal themes of heartbreak and relationship woes, arranged in folk-rock settings that bring to mind the classic 1970s confessional mode established by fellow Canadians Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell, with a touch of British icon Nick Drake thrown in for good measure. In an interview with Bruce Walker writing for Contemporary Musicians, Hayden explained that the darker subject matter just seems to come to him naturally: "Most of my songs aren't even based on actual relationships. They just come from my imagination." The songs on In Field & Town, for example, catalog various stages of relationships, many of them veering between inertia and unhappiness. They feature Hayden's distinctive voice that alternately brings to mind Neil Young's high-pitched whine and Leonard Cohen's late-night basement café crooning, a characteristic often noted by critics since Hayden's appearance on the musical radar in the mid-1990s. Hayden's dark and brooding good looks also match his lyrical content, and have prompted further comparisons to Nick Drake.

Hayden re-recorded many of the songs that appeared on his self-released cassette for his 1996 CD debut, released on his own Hardwood label in Canada and the Outpost label in the United States. Everything I Long For prompted All Music Guide critic Richie Unterberger to describe the effort: "Solitary, rootsy post-punk of the best kind, delving into somewhat dark and twisted terrrain, but invested with a lot of passion and unflinching grit….It's one of the relatively few releases of this type that will find a comfortable home in the collections of those with an ear for either stark folk-rock or grunge."

Hayden conducted tours supporting such acts as Guided by Voices, Julianna Hatfield, the Tragically Hip, and Feist, which led to his building a strong audience in North America. He also contributed the title song to Steve Buscemi's 1996 film directorial effort Tree's Lounge. By many accounts, Hayden's career nearly derailed after an ill-fated major label signing for his 1998 release The Closer I Get. Hayden disagreed, however. "I had an opportunity to work with three guys that I really like and respect who had a small imprint [Outpost] on the Geffen label," he explained to Walker in the Contemporary Musicians, interview. "After the album was released, they decided not to have a label anymore. So they closed shop. I was secretly hoping something like that was happening, because I didn't want other people too involved with my music regardless of how much I liked and respected them." While recognizing the difficulties of trying to start from scratch, Hayden later believed the situation enhanced his career. "The timing worked out well," he said. "I was paid enough money to go back to Canada and work the way I preferred."

Independence from a major label allowed Hayden to pursue his muse unfettered, resulting in mini-masterpieces Skyscraper National Park (2001), Elk-Lake Serenade (2004), and In Field & Town (2008). His reputation for depressing subject matter aside, each album managed to squeeze in dollops of humor. "I've tried to integrate humor to lighten up some of the darker lyrical material," he told the interviewer. Notable on In Field & Town was the inclusion of trumpet instrumentation on several of the songs. When asked by the interviewer whether this was a conscientious attempt to replicate the sound of Sufjan Stevens, he confessed to not knowing anything about the independent multi-instrumentalist or his music. "I don't make any attempt to listen to new music," he said. "I like listening to the albums that turned me on to music in the first place, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, [the Byrds]; Blue [Joni Mitchell]; and After the Gold Rush [Neil Young]. The recordings of that time had a very warm sound with rich instrumentation." The influence of Young is apparent on his 2004 release, Elk-Lake Serenade. All Music Guide critic Tim Sendra noted: "Elk-Lake Serenade is the kind of album Neil Young wishes he could still make. It's an intimate, heartfelt, and organic record with one foot in the lo-fi camp of Beck and Will Oldham and the other in the classic rock sound of Crosby, Dylan, Petty, and Young. Especially Young." Sendra added: "The mostly subdued tempos are very conducive to his late-night feel and never get boring. … Not that one comes to a Hayden record looking for excitement. You come looking for introspective tunes with a fresh sound and unique lyrical bent. Elk-Lake Serenade delivers on this expectation in full. It may just be his finest record yet."

For his tour for In Field & Town, Hayden enlisted fellow Canadians Cuff the Duke for support. The band is comprised of guitarist Wayne Petti, bassist and violinist Paul Lowman, guitarist and pedal steel player Dale Murray, and drummer Corey Wood. "Working on the road with a band is good," Hayden remarked to Walker. "I'm having a lot of fun. We're slowly becoming more comfortable with the music, which allows us to expand and improvise a bit more and opens up the sound and structure of the songs. When I record, I'll usually layer ten different guitar tracks on any given song or spend a lot of time looking for the right keyboard sound."

Hayden added that playing with a group as opposed to performing as a solo artist produces different results. "It also makes me play guitar differently," he said. "When you play concerts solo, you tend to adjust your playing to your limitations as an instrumentalist. When you have a band behind you, it allows you to stretch yourself. You may hit a wrong note, but the band covers it up. I think it definitely lends a bit more excitement, and it takes the music to a new place. This is the best band experience I've had in 15 years."

Selected discography
Everything I Long For, Outpost, 1996.
The Closer I Get, Outpost, 1998.
Skyscraper National Park, Hardwood, 2001.
Live at Convocation Hall, Badman, 2002.
Elk-Lake Serenade, Badman, 2004.
In Field & Town, Fat Possum, 2008.

Sources
Online
All Music Guide, http://www.allmusic.com (October 14, 2008).
Additional information was obtained from a June 2008 telephone interview with Hayden, from which quotations used in this entry were drawn.

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