Keagan Hatton is a singer-songwriter from Carrollton, Kentucky. I first discovered Keagan through his song Food Stamps and Amphetamines. From there, I listened to his entire discography, including last year’s EP The Richmond Sessions and a single, Simple Life. If you’ve never listened to Keagan’s music before, I highly recommend giving him a listen, but first, stay a few minutes and learn a little more about him!
When did Keagan first start playing music, and what drew him to it? He said, “I started playing guitar in December of 2019, at the age of 13. I’ve really questioned why I started for years, but the only explanation that I’ve been able to come up with is divine intervention. I really didn’t think too much about it, and I didn’t really have any reason to start playing; I just picked up the guitar I had sitting in my room collecting dust and started trying to learn.”
How would Keagan describe his sound to someone who’s never heard his music? He said, “This is always a hard question to answer, as I love a pretty diverse catalog of music, which leads to writing pretty diverse music. But I would classify my music as an Appalachian mix of Country, Southern Rock, and Bluegrass, with Folk songwriting.”
Now who are some artists that have influenced him the most? Keagan said, “When I think of my biggest influences, the first two that come to mind are John Prine and Tony Rice. John Prine was the first person that I heard who could paint a picture with his words. He’s one of the best writers to ever do it. Tony Rice, while also being an underrated songwriter in his own right, was a big influence on my guitar playing. Tony was the epitome of perfect bluegrass technique, so learning all about how he played was a game changer for me. I’ve spent a lot of time just sitting in front of a computer watching old videos of Tony and trying to break down his rhythm and lead parts.”
What’s been his favorite show or venue to play so far? Keagan said, “I’ve been very blessed to get the opportunity to play a lot of great venues in
the last couple of years. I loved Red Bicycle Hall in Madison, IN, where I did my EP Release Show last summer. It’s an incredible room. I also love The Burl in Lexington, KY and The Backroom Lounge in Riverton, IL. Both of those are really environments for good music. The Backroom Lounge is
especially intimate as well, which is really cool.” But what’s Keagan’s dream venue to play at? He said, “On a large scale, the Ryman would definitely be the dream. If I got the chance to do that, I don’t think anything else could top it. But on a smaller scale, I’d love to do a show at The Bell Theater, The Mercury Lounge in Tulsa, or Unbroken Circle Music Festival.”
What has been a major turning point in Keagan’s career so far? He said, “I think a big turning point for me was at the very beginning of my career, when I got the chance to open for Confederate Railroad for my 9th show ever. That gave me a lot of opportunities because at the time I was 16, so it made people take me more seriously, because they saw that I was starting to get some more attention.”
So, what’s something about Keagan that people might not expect? He said, “I think a lot of people don’t realize how old I am. I’ve been performing and playing shows regularly since I was 15, and I’m 19 now. When I was in high school, a lot of people knew how old I was. Whether we realized it or not, my age was a little bit of a gimmick. Everybody loves to see a kid playing good music. But once I graduated high school at 17, we really stopped pushing and promoting me as a young kid and left it alone. Our phrase we really took to heart was, “I’m playing with the big dogs now”. I didn’t fit the classification of “cute kid” anymore, and I knew I was gonna stop getting things handed to me because of the gimmick. I was gonna have to work hard. At that point, it was really important not to rely on just being good for my age, as opposed to just being good. Whenever that shift happened, all of a sudden people assume I’m a lot older than I am (19).”
What does Keagan hope people feel or take away when they hear his music? He said, “I hope my music makes people feel something. I think that’s the goal of music in general. To bring up memories and feelings, and serve the song. I want to convey the plot of a story with the right words so that you can picture the whole thing in your head.”
What does success look like for him in music? Keagan says it’s “being able to provide for myself and a family by playing music, and have some people who enjoy my work. At the end of the day, even if I didn’t make a dime from my music and there was no benefit, I’d still be writing and performing because I have to. It’s a part of me at this point. So as long as I can make a living playing guitar and writing songs, and some people out there enjoy it, I’ll be more than content.”
How does Keagan balance music with the rest of his life? He said, “It’s a tough balance. I mostly just combine all the aspects of my life together. I don’t think music needs to be excluded from the rest of my life; it oughta be a part of it. It’s a part of me, so I might as well embrace that. I’m always thinking about music no matter what I’m doing, so I mostly just try to make sure I’m keeping up with everything else in my free time. I also have a lot of practice balancing music and a busy life, as my entire career has been over the span of time that I’ve either been in high school or college.”
What’s one piece of advice Keagan would give to someone just starting out in music? He said, “My advice would be, don’t try to do too much too quickly. Music is an art that takes time to learn, and we’re constantly growing. Making a career in music work is about slowly and steadily building up momentum, before capitalizing on a good opportunity. Because of that, it’s always good to be patient. A lot of things take time. Way more time than what we would prefer, but that is usually a good thing because the more time it takes to get an opportunity, the better a musician you’ll be when you do get your opportunity.”
Now what about upcoming releases or projects Keagan’s able to talk about? He told me, “I have a couple of singles recorded that are ready for release coming up soon. I’ll have them out sometime this year.” Where can you find Keagan’s music and follow his journey? He said, “I have music out on all streaming platforms under my name Keagan Hatton. You can also find me on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram under the username, Keagan Hatton Music.”
Thank you for reading today’s artist spotlight! I hope you enjoyed getting to know who Keagan Hatton is behind his music. Go check him, and go catch him at a show. As always, be good to yourself, stay western, and stay tuned!
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