Hunter Hayes’ New Album Is in Experimental Stage

Hunter Hayes will spend much of 2013 crossing the country with Carrie Underwood on her Blown Away tour, while simultaneously plotting his sophomore album. The 21-year-old hints that new music is in the works, but cautions that it might be awhile before the upcoming record hits shelves.

"I'm now at the point where I'm experimenting [but] I'm not ready necessarily to go into new record mode because I don't feel like I am and I don't want to fake it," he explains (quote via the Country Vibe). "I don't want to say that I am and then make a new record that wasn't whole-hearted."

The singer-songwriter's self-titled major-label debut was released in 2011 and has spawned three Top 20 singles, including the chart-topping "Wanted." Although he recognizes the importance of having new music ready, he insists he doesn't feel pressure to churn an album out too quickly.

"I'm right at the point where it's part of the routine, you start making your next album, but I don't want to rush into that process and I don't want to make it based on a time table and I don't want to write it based on a schedule or an agenda. I still kind of see it a ways off, for the sake of not rushing, for the sake of not doing it the wrong way. So I'm in the studio now doing new music but I'm experimenting a little bit more and we'll kind of have to wait to see how that experiment goes, but I want to try something new."

The multi-instrumentalist co-wrote every song on his freshman album and played every instrument on each of the 12 tracks. While he doesn't know if he will repeat that process for his next CD, he reveals that he already has 50 to 60 songs for the new project.

Hunter, who is nominated for an ACM Award for New Male Vocalist, will kick off the 2013 leg of the Blown Away tour Feb. 13 in Colorado Springs, Colo. See a list of their upcoming concerts here.