Country musician Hailey Whitters returns to Des Moines with a ring, a new album and more
A lot has changed for country singer Hailey Whitters since she last performed in Des Moines 14 months ago.The Shueyville native released her third album, “Raised.”
She earned a Grammy nomination for “A Beautiful Noise,” a song she co-wrote for Alicia Keys.
She got married to her longtime partner Jake Gear, a publishing executive in Nashville who happens to be from Muscatine. The October wedding took place on her dad’s farm. “I ended up upside down in a cornfield doing a keg stand,” she said.
And she’s about to embark on tours opening for Luke Bryan, Eric Church and Shania Twain.
But first, Whitters heads out on her own headlining tour with a stop at Wooly’s, 504 E. Locust St., Des Moines, on Saturday night with so much change in her life.“Playing these small clubs is a whole different kind of high,” Whitters said just before returning to Iowa.
She recalls performing at a dive bar a few weeks ago. “The crowd, it was just packed,” she said. “Everyone was singing every word.”
Her song “Everything She Ain’t” plays on the radio now. Once that song came out, she said she’s seen more people singing along to her lyrics.
“She ain't a peach you oughta be picking
“She ain't the cup of tea you oughta be sipping
“She treats you like you're broke, like you need fixing
“You ain't getting nothing back for all that you're giving
“And if you're good with who you're kissing, c'est la vie
“But I can show you what you're missing, yeah boy, I can be”
Whitters’ heartfelt songs speak of her youth in Iowa, bouncy melodies that don’t lean into the negative. Far from it.
Whitters playfully sings in buoyant tones, wearing a prairie dress with her long blond hair in a ponytail in the video version of the song. Even her guitar picking has an effervescent quality to it.
“I obviously love getting to shed a light on where I’m from,” she said.
More: Up-and-coming country star Hailey Whitters returns to her Iowa roots with a show at Wooly's
Those in Nashville often refer to it as a 10-year town, meaning it can take 10 years for the recording industry to find you. She released her album “The Dream” three years ago with a song "Ten Year Town" that tells the tale of her time in Nashville, waiting to be discovered.
“I’m 12 years into a 10-year town
“I’m too far in to turn around,” she sings.
It was the make-or-break moment for her personally, where she was ready to come back to Iowa. "This next song could turn it all around," she sings in the final verse. And for Whitters, it did, earning her critical acclaim that started her on a journey to fame. Finally.
“It feels like it’s been such a big one and so many new people have found me and found my music,” she said of the past year. “It makes me really happy for this next chapter. It’s going to be very busy, but everything just feels like it’s happening right now.”
Whitters continues to write songs, some for her, some for others. She’s working on piecing together a new album. “Hopefully I’ll be able to drop some next stuff at some point this year.”
For now, she’s ready to perform for a Des Moines crowd.
“I’m coming home to a place that has a lot of sentimental meaning for me. It’s the first night of the tour. I’m excited to come home to play for a sold-out crowd.”
Hailey Whitters plays Wooly’s at 7 p.m. Saturday night. Stephen Wilson Jr., a singer from rural southern Indiana who describes himself as “Death Cab for country,” opens. Tickets are sold out.Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa's own Hailey Whitters returns for a sold-out show at Wooly's
