Travis Hayes

If Travis Hayes’ debut album, Young Daze, captured the wistful optimism and possibility of youth, his second, Sleepless, is the sound of finding the strength to stand up after life has slammed you into the concrete one too many times. The album, written after the sudden death of a dear friend, encompasses what it is to be alive: the joy of love, the agony of loss, the terror of embracing hurt, and the ultimate release of healing. Sleepless is the sound of shedding one scarred and fractured skin, in order to crawl into another, stronger one. But for all its sadness, Sleepless is ultimately marked by a deep sense of hope; the will and desire to keep moving forward, even in the shadow of grief. “In the end,” Hayes says, “these were more than just songs. They saved my life.”