David Hayes

By: Rebecca Vaughn
Posted: 9/25/08

David Hayes, a part-time resident of Gulf Breeze, has released his first full-length solo album, been sponsored by an MP3 manufacturing company and recently finished up filming for the Sundance movie "Unchained Melody."

This is all from a 25-year-old guy who said he never thought about being a professional musician.

"I've played music for 17 years now," Hayes said. "But I didn't start taking it seriously, I mean, thinking of it as a career path."

That is until he was playing at a coffee shop in March 2007, where Ray Vaughn, a record promoter for the Southwest region, approached him.

"He said he liked what I was doing, and that I needed to get something recorded and keep doing this," Hayes said. "I was pretty excited about that, and I immediately got in the studio, and put out my first real album in September of last year."

An avid surfer and board sports athlete, Hayes finds inspiration for his music through his favorite activities.

"I try to draw from my experiences on the road, in the water, and in the fresh mountain powder to create music that tells a story and is emotionally relevant to my experiences," Hayes said on his MySpace page.

His album "Peace and Waves," which features 16 songs, has a mellow style to it and a sound similar to that of Jack Johnson's.
The song "Byron de Marse" off of Hayes' album will be featured in a music video on the DVD of "Unchained Melody."

Hayes, who will have four songs on the "Unchained Melody" soundtrack, received the opportunity to be in the independent film while he was performing at a ski resort in Mammoth Mountain, Calif.

"There was a movie writer, Tanner Redman, who just happened to be at a show I was doing, and he liked my material," Hayes said. "I didn't think anything of it. Then around Christmas of last year I got a call from him and he asked me if I would be able to play with film crews around, and if I would be able to play myself. Of course I was like, 'Heck yeah, I can do me.'"

The suspense thriller, which Hayes described as a "modern day Julius Caesar," is set to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah at the end of January.

"I've never thought about acting," Hayes said. "To kind of get thrown into a lead role playing myself in a full-length feature film was kind of an awe-inspiring thing."

Although Hayes was playing himself in the movie, it wasn't as easy as it sounds.
On the second day that he was on set, Hayes said he had to do a difficult confrontation scene that involved portraying several emotions.

"We did this scene over and over for 12 hours a day," Hayes said. "You'd have to get in this state of mind. You had to not look like you're acting. At the end of that day my emotions didn't know what was going on with me."

Other than being "emotionally exhausted" on occasion, Hayes said he enjoyed the experience.

"To have the time of your life, and have an experience you never would have believed, it was incredible," Hayes said.

Although Hayes said he'll be talking to record companies after the release of "Unchained Melody," he isn't making any career moves until then.

"I'm waiting until December when I shoot the video and premiere the movie in January, and I'll go from there," Hayes said.

To hear songs from Hayes' "Peace and Waves," visit his MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/davehayes13.
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- © Copyright 2008 The Voyager

Brenda Tollett


February 11, 2008 10:41 am

— ADA — An Ada man will soon star in a PG-13 movie that is loosely based on his musical career.
David Hayes begins shooting “Unchained Melody” March 8 in Mammoth Mountain, Calif., Hollywood and Los Angeles. “The DVD is scheduled to be released the end of May or early June,” he said.
Hayes plays the part of himself in “Unchained Melody,” a suspense movie with a plot of jealousy and anger between lifelong friends. Actor and screen writer Tanner Redman plays the part of Hayes friend, Rory.
The movie opens with five friends traveling to Mammoth Mountain to see their friend play his first really important concert. Although Hayes was previously unaware of his friend’s jealousy of Hayes’ talent and success, it becomes increasingly evident as the movie unfolds.
Rory stops taking his medications and the two best friends go head-to-head in a war about the past, present and future. Add two con girls and a mysterious man who are out to steal Hayes’ guitar to the mix and their lives become more confused.
As the struggle between Hayes and Rory’s friendship unfolds, suspense builds as to how the men will resolve their conflict.
Former Adan Byron de Marse, Hollywood actor and model will also appear in the movie. Byron de Marse, known in Ada as Chris Johnson, graduated from Ada High School in 2000, and has appeared in several movies and television shows, including “Carpoolers” and “Shooting Sizemore.” His latest project is “American Asian.”
“Unchained Melody” is produced by Finding Darwin Films and directed by Tanner Redman and Mike Gereld. The screenplay was written by Tanner Redman and Ryley Bodenstab.
Hayes is the only person involved in the movie that is not a member of Screen Actors Guild.
“Unchained Melody” DVD will be available at Hastings. It will be packaged as a double-disk that will include the movie and some of the soundtrack music by Hayes.
Hayes’ CD, “Peace and Waves,” was released in September 2007 and is sold in the United States, United Kingdom, Thailand and Australia. His music is the default music on MP3 players manufactured by Mach Speed Technologies in Ada and has been distributed on a million players.

- Ada Evening News