Appalachian Folk-Pop Singer Christian Hayes Paints Nostalgia in Breezy New Single 'Caroline, Oh Caroline'

Photo Credit: Evan Woodrum.

Appalachian folk-pop singer-songwriter Christian Hayes returns with a song that drifts as easily as a late summer breeze yet carries the bittersweet weight of memory. “Caroline, Oh Caroline”, follows in the footsteps of last month’s “Good As It Gets”, continuing Hayes’ shift toward a more spacious, reflective sound, a canvas that allows his evocative lyrics and gilded guitar tones to breathe.

Co-written with James Maddocks (known for work with Morgan Wallen and Post Malone) and produced by Brett Truitt (Alex Warren, Bayker Blankenship), the single was recorded in Nashville at Truitt’s home studio. It opens on an easy guitar groove, the kind that feels sun-drenched and familiar from the first note. Hayes’ warm, welcoming vocals invite listeners into a scene tinged with youthful mischief and tender longing:

"We were kids with half-ass fake IDs / Sneakin’ off every time we needed a drink / We got high, yeah, we got drunk / Needed you, you needed me / You were my everything."

There’s a wistfulness at play, a recognition that some connections can’t withstand time. Yet the song never slips into melancholy. Over the sunlit chorus, Hayes harmonizes with himself, offering both fantasy and closure:

"I’d do it all again just to see you smile / Let me just pretend that we’d be good for a while / Give me one more chance to convince you before ‘goodbye’ / What could’ve been in another life / Caroline, oh Caroline."

Hayes described the song as “about reminiscing… being okay, and content, with any outcome. It captures a moment you’d live all over again, all the while knowing how it ends. It’s the kind of song that begs for open windows and old memories.” It’s this ability to transform personal experience into universal feeling that recently earned him recognition from Ones to Watch, who highlighted Hayes’ “vulnerability and transparency on experiences which have shaped him into who he is now. Memories that listeners can also find pieces of themselves in.”

“Caroline, Oh Caroline” follows the radiant “Good As It Gets”, a song that explores the slow bloom of new romance, and “Something to Lose”, initially released in May and later reimagined with Corey Harper in a harmony-rich collaboration. The latter has been praised as a “soaring meditation on gratitude and emotional risk” by The Luna Collective and found a home on playlists including Holler’s Best New Country Songs, Fandom Daily, Up2Date Country, and more. Meanwhile, TMRW Magazine recently lauded the Georgia-born musician’s “gift for crafting songs that feel lived-in and universally resonant.”

Hayes’ storytelling roots run deep. Raised in the foothills of Appalachia, he grew up among a lineage of storytellers, with his grandfather Jack, a poet, encouraging him to start writing at seven. His journey took him through the U.S. Navy Reserve and the University of Alabama before he landed in Nashville to chase a career in music. Following his Capitol Records debut EP Last I Love You in 2024, which included the viral hit “LILY”, Hayes has graced stages from CMA Fest to the Jackalope Jamboree and Born & Raised.

With over 900 original songs penned by his mid-twenties, Hayes continues to carve a unique space in American roots music—one where cinematic folk meets barn-burning Americana, and where every melody carries the quiet power of memory. As the year unfolds, fans can look forward to more of Hayes’ heartfelt explorations of love, youth, and the fleeting magic of moments that stay with us long after they’ve passed.

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