It’s not secret that our political landscape is somewhat divided these days, but I’m not here to speak to that, I’m hear to speak to an effort by an artist who chose to turn something negative into something that everyone can enjoy, no matter who you voted for.

It came to my attention recently that a Country Music artist by the name of Ward Hayden (& The Outliers) took something negative and, instead of contributing to the discord, decided to use it as a springboard for something positive. Hayden was browsing YouTube videos and found someone online telling his listeners “not to listen to Bruce Springsteen.” What did he do about it? He recorded not one, but two albums of Springsteen’s material. It wasn’t done to counter anything; Hayden loves Bruce’s music, and it’s great to see positivity replacing negativity in any form. Although his most recent album, Piece By Piece, could be classified as Country Music, you, the reader, should give it a listen and decide for yourself.

Before I go into a lengthy dissertation about the lines between country and rock and roll being blurred more and more these days, I pose the following question: If someone does a Country Music album consisting solely of Bruce Springsteen songs, is it country, is it rock, or is it Bruce? Maybe it’s a little bit of each. I did listen to the album, and I do feel that Bruce’s music does lend itself well to this kind of interpretation. You have a listen and be the judge.

I sat down with Ward to discuss the genesis of the project, what it was that spurred him on, and just some general musings about Country music. Here’s what he had to say:

GM: 
Let’s start by talking about your most recent album, Piece by Piece, where you recorded all Bruce Springsteen material.

WH: 
That’s actually two albums. We went a little wild. We just got lost in the project. It started modestly — doing two Springsteen songs we wanted to interpret in our style, songs that meant a lot to us. Then it became three… and about two and a half years later, we ended up with 16 songs. We had no plan; we were just doing it.
In the end, we looked at what we had and split it into two records — one came out in April, and the other just before this tour. So we ended up with two full albums. Piece by Piece — that’s the newest one.

GM: 
Apparently there’s a story behind this album. The press release says you heard someone telling listeners not to listen to Bruce Springsteen. Where were you when you heard a disc jockey say that?

WH: 
We were on tour in the Midwest, and it wasn’t on the radio — it was on YouTube. Long story short, for about 20 years, I’ve been trying to put Country Music and Massachusetts on the map. Another guy from our state — someone who transitioned from Hard Rock to Country — has gotten pretty famous recently.
I clicked on one of his videos, and very early in the video, he started telling people not to listen to Bruce Springsteen. I thought that was a disservice. I thought it was wrong. In my experience, Springsteen’s music is a unique tie that binds people together. The last time I saw him live, I was struck by how many families were there — kids, parents, grandparents — multi-generational and joyful.
I wanted to do something small to balance the scale, to take something negative and turn it into something positive, rather than something that divides us.

GM:
 Bringing people together is the essence of music. Our country could use some unity. I’m not a huge Springsteen fan, but out of the hundreds of concerts I’ve seen, his 1984 show is in my top five.

WH:
 Oh, that’s amazing. Where did you see him?

GM: 
Toronto, 1984, and then again in 2000 in Los Angeles. The first time, I almost had to be dragged to the show — but afterward I was stunned. I thought, “This guy leaves a pint of blood on the stage.”

WH:
I had a similar experience in 2003. I got dragged to a show at Gillette Stadium. The seats weren’t good, but the show was amazing. I left a fan. I was a college kid — I went home and downloaded as much Springsteen music as I could find. Bootlegs, outtakes, rare stuff people uploaded to Napster and LimeWire. It ignited my fandom.

GM: 
Most artists don’t put on a show like Springsteen. So… do you want to name who was saying not to play Bruce?

WH :
I haven’t been publicizing it, but his name is Aaron Lewis. He’s found his way into Country, and I feel he uses a lot of negativity to further his career. I’d love to see more people from Massachusetts making Country Music, but it’s unfortunate that he tears someone else down to lift himself up.

GM:
 Was this a response to the infomercial Bruce did before the 2024 election?

WH: 
I don’t know if it was a direct response to that, but I do think it was about Springsteen’s views. They’re on opposite sides of the political spectrum. And rather than try to understand anything Springsteen is saying or dive into his writing, he tells people not to listen. I think he’s looking for a reaction — something sensational.

GM: 
Do popular artists have a responsibility to speak politically? Or should they stay silent?

WH: 
I think it’s a personal choice. If they feel called to speak, they should. But being famous doesn’t mean you need to add your voice.
I’d like to believe common ground can be found — not just division. I’m holding out hope. I don’t have the answers, but I hope level heads can prevail.

GM: 
Music is a unifying force. I don’t think artists need to go on TV or YouTube saying, “Don’t vote for this guy.” Put it in your songs. Let the music speak.
I went to a Roger Waters show and he was putting pictures of Trump on the screen with inflammatory slogans. I didn’t come for an anti-Trump show — and that has nothing to do with my own views. I don’t want political statements at a concert. I don’t want naked pictures of Donald Trump on a big screen. That’s wrong.

WH: 
Entertainment is an escape from day-to-day life, whether it’s movies, TV, or music. And if you put your message in your music, people who want to find it will find it. Others can just enjoy the melody or rhythm. It gives people a choice rather than hitting them over the head.
That said, some artists take a direct approach — and I appreciate that, too. Everyone finds their own way and finds their audience. That’s part of the journey in music and in life.

GM: 
Some artists you can’t pin down politically — and you shouldn’t. Asking someone how they vote is like asking about sexuality. It used to be that nobody talked about politics…

WH: 
Yeah, the pre-social-media age.

GM: 
Even early social media wasn’t like this. In the last 10 years, it’s become nasty — though a lot of good still happens if you look for it.

WH:
 I totally agree.

GM:
 What that guy did on YouTube is censorship. There’s no place in America for censorship. If you don’t like what Bruce says, go write a song. Let the music speak.

WH:
 Yeah.
It’s funny — he actually did do that too. (laughs) He’s taken a multifaceted approach. I’m just on the other side of that approach.

GM: 
When I listened to the album… funny what you said about going over to Country. I’ve always been a rock guy. My opinion of Country used to be based on the old jokes — “What do you get when you play a Country song backwards?” etc.

WH:
 Oh yeah — the classic tropes.

GM:
 My wife kept saying, “You have to watch Ken Burns’ Country Music.” I resisted, but eventually I watched it. Then we got into rewatching Baseball, Jazz…
We’re baseball fanatics. My team is the Yankees, but I live in L.A. so I also like the Dodgers.

WH:
 I’m a Red Sox fan — born and raised in the Boston area. The Yankees have broken my heart many times, but I’m a fan of the game and the history. Collecting memorabilia has actually made me appreciate the Yankees more.

GM: 
That’s healthy.

WH:
They’re an important part of the legacy of baseball.

GM: 
I adore the Red Sox. They’ve dominated the Yankees this century — four World Series to our one.

WH: 
It’s been amazing. Growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, all we knew was heartbreak. October collapses. So getting a few championships was incredible. And Boston became Title Town — all our teams did well for a long stretch.

GM:
 Anyway, back to Country — the third time I watched the Ken Burns documentary, I started liking a few songs. Then more. Now I love Country music.

WH:
 That’s awesome.

GM: 
I’m into Merle Haggard, Hank Jr., that whole group .
But rock today… it’s basically Taylor Swift and image-based pop. Nothing for me anymore. So I went to Country and found all this great old stuff.

WH:
 That’s what happened to me. I grew up loving the Boston punk and hardcore scene. Then it hit a low point. Rock radio in the early 2000s wasn’t giving me the same feeling anymore. Country had more heart. Better storytelling.
My wife is more adventurous with new music, and I find new artists through her, too. It broadens your horizons.

GM: 
Some Country artists are more rock and roll than the rock guys. Hank Jr.’s “Family Tradition,” for example.

WH: 
Oh yeah. And his dad — Hank Sr. — took blues and put his own spin on it, merged it with Roy Acuff, and created something new. And you can hear influences of that in early rock. When Chuck Berry came out, a lot of listeners didn’t know what they were hearing. Some thought it was Country.
Chuck Berry is at the top of the mountain for me. His influence is literally everywhere.

GM: 
No Chuck, no Stones. No Chuck, no Beatles.

WH:
 Exactly.

GM:
 There’s even that joke about aliens hearing Johnny B. Goode on the Voyager record and saying, “Send more Chuck.”

WH: 
(laughs) That’s so good. The aliens have good taste.

GM: 
Back to the album — you covered such a wide range of Springsteen songs. Was there a theme? How did you choose?

WH:
 The theme was simple: Did the song matter? Did it mean something? These were songs that influenced me or were important at different points in my life.
It was hard not to cover everything on Nebraska and Born in the U.S.A., because those albums were so influential. But I love Tunnel of Love and the earlier stuff, too.
Our bassist, Greg Hall, chose a few songs as well — ones that meant something to him.

We’re in Spain right now, and when we play the Springsteen songs, people sing every word. Even with our interpretations. These songs matter to people.
That connection has been one of the joys of this project. Another turning point came from a guy at a show — very drunk — who kept telling me I had to hear the “TIC shows.” I had no idea what he meant. 
I googled it later and found two benefit concerts Springsteen did in the ’90s — just him and a guitar.
Hearing the material stripped down helped me rethink our approach. Those performances were emotional and vulnerable. It allowed me to focus on the storytelling.

The whole project became something personal. My wife was hospitalized for three months when we were having our second daughter. It was a very difficult time.
Sneaking into the studio for a couple of hours was a way to cope, recharge, escape. It became cathartic.

GM:
 That’s music for you.
One last question: Have you spoken to Bruce about this record?

WH:
 I haven’t. Some friends say they have ways to get it to him. I’d love for him to know someone appreciates his work enough to reinterpret it like this — and I’d love for him to hear the songs.

Track list:
1. Jersey Girl
2. Glory Days
3. Walk Like a Man
4. Reason to Believe
5. My Father’s House
6. Brilliant Disguise
7. Thunder Road
8. Stolen Car