Harper Smith
"Paying dues don't pay the bills" croons Hailey Whitters on "Ten Year Town," a song off her new EP The Days that drops tomorrow, but is premiering in full on The FADER today. "Dreams come true and I think mine will, but lesser fools woulda given up," she sings. The EP covers classic country ground: living life to the fullest, pursuing dreams that seem foolish to go after, chasing someone who isn't right for you, regret, staying true to where you were raised and who you are. It's equal parts Maren Morris and Kacey Musgraves, with tracks like "Ten Year Town" and "Loose Strings" giving a one-two punch of modern life as a woman and country artist.
"This record began in a broken place for me ... I had hit my 'fuck it’ point and wanted to create something that felt creatively pure and unrestrained by industry expectations," Whitters writes via email. "I had no label, management, or producer so I went back to waiting tables and my boyfriend Jake Gear and I produced it together. The process felt like a rebirth; I was able to shed this faulty illusion I had been chasing of what 'the dream' had previously meant to me and instead became available to appreciate and enjoy the days that were getting me there."
