On top of his first ever Grammy nomination, country star Ryan Hurd is having a good year. He and his wife Maren Morris hit Number One last week for their steamy duet, “Chasing After You,” and that was his first chart topper, too. But the real prize is waiting for him back at home.
Hurd and Morris have spent the year enjoying the magic of parenthood to one-year-old son, Hayes, and Hurd says it continues to change everything about his life. Speaking with Audacy’s Rob + Holly, the rising star explained how.
“I can’t imagine not having Hayes around. You kind of remember what you did before, and it’s not that important anymore,” he said. “It’s fun to have somebody to come home to.”
According to Hurd, fans may actually notice the shift in his world, since dad-hood is having an impact on his songwriting. Hurd first broke through as a songwriter for hits by other artists like Blake Shelton, Lady A, Dierks Bentley and more, and recently released his first full-length album as an artist, Pelago. But all bets are off for what comes next.
“I think [being a Dad] has just made me more serious as a songwriter,” he admitted. “When I get an opportunity to write, it has to count. It’s not just me playing around anymore… this is how we make a living… it’s more like, ‘Oh my gosh! I’m responsible for somebody, I gotta make this actually work.’”
Going on about Hayes, the proud papa says his son is really expressive, even if he’s not super vocal just yet. Hurd says he can see the wheels turning in little Hayes’ head, and knows Hayes can understand what’s going on around him (unless it’s Halloween). But still, he and Morris are unsure if they want to have more children in the future.
“I don’t know if Hayes is getting a brother or sister, but we live really close to my niece and nephew. He’s around them almost every day,” Hurd explained. “It’s funny to watch them grow differently and develop at different rates. He’s a good little kid. He’s good on the bus, he’s good on the boat. So, he’ll be fine.”
Ryan Hurd and Maren Morris are up for Duo/Group Performance of the Year at the 64th Grammy Awards, which was just announced yesterday.