Rising Stars: Meet Jennie Hayes Kurtz and David Bingaman of Nashville, TN

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennie Hayes Kurtz and David Bingaman

Hi Jennie and David, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Thanks for having us! Jennie Hayes Kurtz (double first name) and David Bingaman here. We’re from Dallas originally but we’ve been in Nashville since 2011 and 2013. Growing up, I sang in choir and David taught himself to play guitar, inspired by blues legends like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lightnin’ Hopkins. Our house was a musical melting pot. Mom loved jazz and big band, while Dad was a 70’s rock fan – Fleetwood Mac, ZZ Top, The Doors. But we all connected over 90s country, Bob Wills, and George Strait. I’ll never forget our living room dance parties, two-stepping and swing dancing with the whole family. That’s where our love for music really took root.

In college at the University of Arkansas, we both fell in love with folk music and songwriting, and started playing together. Our shared passion for blues, traditional country, and bluegrass shaped our writing. We try and fill our songs with good storytelling and playful honesty. Writing and playing with your sibling often means you can’t take yourself too seriously.

After college, we moved to Nashville. I worked at the Country Music Hall of Fame, diving into country music history and eventually teaching songwriting programs. David spent three years working at the Bluebird Café, which was like a masterclass in songwriting. Between the Hall of Fame and the Bluebird, we got an incredible education in our first few years in Nashville.

Inspired by Nashville’s finest, we couldn’t ignore the pull to create our own music, so we formed Brother and The Hayes in 2017. We’ve released a full-length album, Tennessee Nights, and two EPs. Our next album, “In Good Company”, comes out February 28, 2025.

We write from the heart and have a blast playing together. We hope our listeners feel like part of the family.

David now lives in Chattanooga, TN, rock climbing and hiking in his free time. A gifted cartoonist, he also designs most of our band’s merch. I still live in Nashville and love to play around town and host songwriters nights at Bobby’s Idle Hour. I still work with the Country Music Hall of Fame on occasion and get to write songs with students.

We’re really excited about this next batch of songs.
We have some family history in Nashville, related to the Hayes family and Adelicia Hayes Franklin Acklen Cheatham, the owner of Nashville’s Belmont Mansion and a complicated figure in Tennessee history. Our maternal grandfather grew up in Nashville in the 1920s and 30s before serving in World War II and subsequently moving to Dallas, TX.

I wrote a song called “Nashville Traffic” on the album inspired by the idea that we have roots in this city—where streets even bear our family name. The song acknowledges that while so many are drawn to Nashville for many reasons, especially the music scene, this influx has undeniably worsened traffic, both figuratively and literally. This can be viewed negatively, as a sign of overcrowding, or positively, as a testament to the vibrant creative community where countless individuals collaborate, inspire one another, and strive toward the shared goal of making music. The song’s final line, “in this town I’m in good company,” provides the inspiration for the album’s title, “In Good Company.”

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It is always an uphill battle being an independent musician. We fund our records ourselves and that means the last few years we have kept day jobs while also being full-time musicians and touring artists. It’s a lot of juggling time and resources.

Of course, covid was a really difficult time with the uncertainty and all of our plans falling apart. We also lost our father to a stroke in July 2024. We had plans to finish our album last year and put it out in the fall but since we needed to spend so much time with our parents in Texas, that project had to be put off. He was our biggest fan and always so encouraging. We miss him terribly but we also know we’re making him proud by continuing to write, record, and perform our original songs.

Those have been the biggest challenges but we also have endless stories of cars breaking down, trailer doors falling off, getting hailed on at load in, precarious accommodations, and other tour horror stories. That’s all part of it!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are most proud of the music we have written and recorded in the last couple of years. It is such a joy to connect with other songwriters and audiences while creating music and telling stories. It really makes Nashville feel small to work in the music industry.

I (Jennie Hayes) am proud of a little songwriting community I’ve grown and fostered around Bobby’s Idle Hour in midtown. I host a monthly songwriters night there, promoting independent artists and songwriters.

Our new album is called “In Good Company” and it’s about the Nashville artist community.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I recently read “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert. It is such an inspiring book about not taking your art too seriously and at the same time treating it like a special gift.

I love Lightning 100’s Music Business Radio show as well.

Finally, one of my employers for a long time has been the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. It is a constant source of inspiration and information both professionally and for my art and music. We can learn so much from the artists, writers, and performers that came before us.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brotherandthehayes.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brotherandthehayes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brotherandthehayes
• Twitter: https://x.com/brothernhayes
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@brotherandthehayes?si=5epyBTQ2IJjSb_WN
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/brotherandthehayes
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5qtzSfVbEueCCceosiC2X3?si=F1ZA2Mv1SIWq5oo18jkSaA