Waylon Wyatt joined us at the Hinterland Music Festival in Saint Charles, Iowa for a two-song No Depression Session to help celebrate the release of his debut album Dustpiles. Flanked by pedal steel guitarist Jack McLoughlin, Wyatt shared a stripped-down version of "Wishful Thinking" from Dustpiles, and fan favorite "Arkansas Diamond."
Wyatt's Hinterland performance marked two extraordinary moments in his career. First, it marked his return to the first festival he ever played, having debuted on Hinterland's Campfire Stage in 2024. Second, it marked his return to festival stages in general. Dustpiles had been released on July 17, the same day Wyatt was admitted to a Montana hospital with sepsis after a bout of tonsillitis rapidly worsened. “It was an insane debut album drop,” said Wyatt. The hospitalization forced him to postpone his scheduled Grand Ole Opry debut on July 22, but he was able to rally for Hinterland on August 1.
During soundcheck, Wyatt told us that he was feeling around 90%, his recovery still underway. His voice, blended with McLoughlin's tasteful pedal steel licks, was powerful enough to give me goosebumps during their performance. We'll take Waylon Wyatt at 90% any day.
I noticed the Bible verse Colossians 3:23 tattooed on Wyatt's right forearm, and looked it up out of curiosity. It says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters." The importance of this way of thinking makes so much sense after having spent part of our afternoon with Wyatt and his crew. The whole team embodies the idea that giving one's sincere best is essential to finding meaning in life. It doesn't matter if the cameras are on, it doesn't matter if the boss said so. The only thing that matters is honest effort. These guys are clearly giving their best, wearing their hearts on their sleeves, and earning every bit of the success coming their way. We wish them all the more success going forward.
Special thanks to the team at Hinterland for including us in the festivities!
Setlist:
00:25 - “Wishful Thinking”
06:01 - “Arkansas Diamond”
Personnel:
Waylon Wyatt - Vocals and guitar
Jack McLoughlin - Pedal steel guitar
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