With his father in the military, as a young boy, William Hayden and family moved about considerably until his high school days, when they finally settled in Covington, Indiana. There, the music began in the form of his first group, the garage band, Horizon.
Fast-forward several years to 1983, which saw young William pack everything he owned into an old Chevy with $300 in hand—and no job—and move to Florida. Over the next many years, through divorce, death, and tumultuous times, music served as his outlet and his mechanism for healing.
Now, joined by a talented group of artists which includes Dustin Robinson (vocals), Shelby Allison Lindley, Kelsey Formost and Racquel Roberts (backing vocals), Dale Baker (drums & percussion), and Jeff Crawford (bass), the group works under the moniker, Timeseven (a biblical reference from the book of Matthew).
Efforts thus far include 2010’s This Road (full album), as well as 2014’s This Is Our Life (single). Their latest project, the faith-inspired, full-length album, Coming Home saw Hayden writing, composing and performing on every track.
Here’s what we dug most…
A lovely piece dedicated to finding home within the experience of real love, In Your Eyes, could also find a home on 1997’s Surfacing by Sarah McLachlan.
In Dream Of You Hayden bravely opens up about the loss of a loved one. The keys, the vocals, and the ambient electric notes off in the distance are gentle and surreal. It’s a wonderfully sad number, which, if you allow it, will get you…
“I had another dream last night that you were home with me
We laughed and played and talked all night, just like the way it used to be
I knew you really couldn’t stay, you had to go start something new
But if you don’t mind anyway, I’ll stay right here and dream of you…”
Our Favorite Track:
With just the right touch of background vocals and well-placed, subtle, electric licks, the ultra smooth, pop-jazzy, Rainbows is immediately reminiscent of of 90’s era Nora Jones. (Honestly, it should probably make your weekend wind-down playlist.)
With acoustic guitar, keys, and touch of strings, the tragically self-honest, Out Of My Mind, hands the vocal responsibility to Dustin Robinson who sounds like a subtle version of Gavin DeGraw.
The vagabond’s anthem, Free, has a 90s college-rock feel. Like all of its predecessors, the track is produced with exquisite touch…
“Sometimes my dreams come back to me
From the depths of my memory
There was a time when I was really free
A place where I could really be loved
I was loved, I was loved…”
In classy fashion, an alt-synth-pop inspired intro sets off the album’s final track, Again, a ballad of redemption which sees Hayden and company sending listeners off with hope.
“Do no harm.” This is the unspoken motto of Timeseven’s sophomore effort, Coming Home; which is ultimately a gentle, well-intentioned collection of contemporary pop songs which calm, and sooth the heart and mind. As its core member and creator, William Hayden has not only done a fine job writing and composing, but perhaps more impressively, he’s found the right collaborators to bring the pieces to life—players AND production. If you love discovering smooth, throwback-style pop artists, give this album a shot.
Whose lovechild…?
Richard Marx meets Don Henley with a dash of Sarah McLachlan…
BELOW, you can listen to Timeseven’s album, Coming Home, check out our interview with William Hayden, and connect with their website and social media platforms. Please support William Hayden & Timeseven by visiting them online, and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing their music. And, as always, thank you for supporting real music!
Listen to Timeseven’s album, Coming Home:
Read our artist interview with William Hayden of Timeseven:
INTERVIEW: William Hayden of Timeseven (Click HERE)
Follow, stream, download & connect with Timeseven online:
