Podcast 443: Hayden Pedigo

The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

Brace yourself for one of the wildest musician stories you’ve ever heard.

Amarillo, Texas' Hayden Pedigo makes gorgeous fingerstyle guitar music inspired by the likes of Will Ackerman and John Fahey. But Hayden has broken every mold imaginable when it comes to his career in music.

The son of a truck stop preacher, Hayden worked at local Amarillo banks, recording music after-hours and aggressively reaching out to his music heroes to see if they wanted to collaborate (they often did). He finally ditched the life of a bank teller, got signed to indie label Mexican Summer, and - thanks to a quirky internet video - found himself running for Amarillo city council (he came in second). As if that wasn't unique enough, at some point, Gucci spotted him and recruited him to be in a fashion show.

Stranger still, here's a working musician with a guitar and string endorsement deal (Yamaha and D’Addario) and an NPR Tiny Desk concert under his belt whose only touring to date has been opening for big indie acts like Jenny Lewis and Devendra Banhardt.

We talk about growing up in Amarillo, his Opus acoustic guitar, his recent signing to Yamaha, and so much more. You’ll love it and you'll love Hayden's unique approach towards his art.

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