Johnny Hayes & Steven Christopher Johnson

I know Johnny Hayes through my cousin David and I know Stephen Christopher Johnston through Johnny. I was born in Alabama, and all my momma's family is down there.  While I was in New Orleans I’d been talking to my cousin David and told him about tinyboatsession.  He always thinks my ideas are a little crazy and usually has some rapier wit to put me in my place, but he surprised me by telling me to reach out to his buddy Johnny Hayes, who had been on the top 24 of Season 12 of The Voice.  Johnny was down to do a tinyboatsession, and unlike a lot of the musicians that I do this with, I got to see him perform before we did our session.  

His band is Johnny Hayes and the Love Seats.  I went with David and his family and we all saw him at a honkey tonk across the Bay.   Stephen Christopher Johnson is in the band and was on the horn.  Turned out he would be able to come too.  I was pretty thrilled.  Johnny seemed like a hoot and Stephen was the first trumpeter I'd filmed. 

We planned a tinyboatsession on Dauphin Island.  About 40 minutes outside of Mobile.  I love this island.  Its miles of white sand beaches, dunes, and pine trees and it might… just might be the first place I remember seeing and hearing the sea as a child.  I’ve peeled a lot of shrimp and crawfish on this island and once upon a time speared a stingray with a homemade spear.  But that's another story.

Johnny and Stephen were a hilarious duo.  The repartee began the moment I picked them up and it was a running commentary of jokes, gossip, philosophy, and an appreciation of this sunny, sparking moment on the water that we all seemed to feel in equal measure.  After they played a few of their songs they began to cover some of the best of childhood songs like ‘Bear Necessities’ and ‘‘Oo de Lally’ and golly, what a day it was.   It was such a good day that we even considered getting ice cream after, real life called a bit and that would have to wait. @johnnyhayesmusic @soundburyermusic