Walker Hayes’ Record Label, Monument Records, Closes

Singer Walker Hayes is seemingly a man without a home, as his record label is shutting down.

Sony Music is in the process of shutting down Monument Records. Country Aircheck reported the news on Wednesday (April 2), adding that the future of most of the other artists on the label is also in question.

Sister duo Tigirlily Gold is most prominent among that group, but promotion of their current single “Forever From Here” (No. 60 on last week’s Billboard Country Airplay Chart) will move to Sony.

Monument was launched in 2017, with Hayes finding his footing soon after. Previously, he’d been signed to Mercury Nashville and Capitol Nashville, but was dropped by both with only one Top 40 single (“Pants” in 2010) to show for it.

The next several years found him out in the wilderness among artists and writers who shared the “dropped” stigma. He took a job at Costco as he tried to feed his quickly-growing family. Sobriety and a chance meeting with Shane McAnally changed his life forever, and in 2017 he notched a radio hit with “You Broke Up With Me,” a song written with those who turned their back on him in mind.

“Fancy Like” (2021) is his (and Monument’s) greatest success story, however. The multi-Platinum-certified single was impossible to ignore for most of a year, and it instantly raised Hayes’ profile across mainstream media. A Top 5 single called “AA” followed, but songs that came after those didn’t catch on in the same way.

“5 to 9” is Hayes’ most recent release. Like so much of his recent music, it relies on clever wordplay, pop culture references and a unique patter.

Brandon Ratcliff, Alex Hall and Shelby Lynne are three more artists signed to Monument Records. Label partner McAnally will continue to work with artists independently.