Exclusive: Walker Hayes 'Pumped' to Be on Kelsea Ballerini's Unapologetically Tour

Walker Hayes is hitting the road with Kelsea Ballerini on her Unapologetically Tour, which kicks off on Feb. 8 in Birmingham, Ala., and he is giving PopCulture.com readers an inside peek at how he practiced with his band for the trek.

"My set's about 30, 35 minutes maybe," Hayes tells PopCulture.com. "I'm pumped. My family's going. My kids and Laney, they're going to drive down to Birmingham. A lot of friends are going to come to that show, because I went to college in Birmingham. It's a great place for me to start out. It's my first time being direct support of someone, so that's exhilarating. I know a lot of people will be there. I'm excited."

Hayes, whose freshman boom. album was released in December, is eager to spend time with one of his favorite artists, and friends.

"She and I have written together, and so I know her personally," Hayes says. "I'm just thrilled. I think our music, they kind of match each other with where country is going these days. She's a great writer. I just have the utmost respect for a lot of the writers I've been able to go out. In my opinion, that's where it all begins. She is so talented. Honestly, at this point in my career, album just coming out, I can't wait to see who has gone and said, "Oh, he's opening. I'm going to go learn his music and check it out."

Hayes, who has also opened for Thomas Rhett and Dan + Shay, feels incredibly fortunate to be able to learn from some of the reigning hitmakers.

"Headliners understand because they were probably opening acts," Hayes reflects. "When an act of [Ballerini's] size and her reputation has you open for them, it just does wonders for your career. I mean, I might as well be headlining the biggest shows. The crowds are massive, and hopefully they'll show up early. I am so grateful. I've learned from her and Thomas Rhett, and Dan and Shay, how to treat an opening act. It's been very humbling to see how they reach out and give assistance to guys like me."

Hayes isn't only an opening act this year. In between dates with Ballerini, Hayes is also headlining his own Good as Gold Tour, which kicked off on Feb. 1, with Kylie Morgan opening his shows for him.

"We sold out both places, which as an artist, an insecure artist, that's incredibly affirming, that people pay tickets with their hard earned money, to come and hear your songs," Hayes says of the first two nights. "Then also, we had the VIP experiences, which were really cool, that we did before the show, and got to have like a personal moment with about 50 or 60 people. It was just incredible, and it was awesome too. This is probably a cliché, and I bet ever artist says this, but to hear people singing everything, not just the single, that's amazing. That's incredible. That's very gratifying. That is priceless. That makes all those hours you spend putting those songs together worthwhile, to hear them singing those deep cuts."

Although Hayes loves to perform, his time on the road means time away from his family, leaving his pregnant wife home alone with their six children. But Hayes says she isn't about to complain about the time her husband is on tour.

"She's thrilled," insists the "You Broke Up With Me" singer. "We struggled financially for a really, really long time. This doesn't mean, 'Oh, my husband gets to go chase this crazy dream.' This is, 'My husband can provide for us.' She's excited about that, but also seeing that dream come to fruition. It's her dream too. We did it together. It's not like I said, 'Hey, can I drag you along here?' She would say, she was gung ho. 'Let's go to Nashville. You can do this. I want to be a part of that. Let's do this together.'

A list of all of Hayes' upcoming shows is available on his website.

Photo Credit: Instagram/WalkerHayes