“A Decade in the Making, A Voice Built on Grit”
For nearly a decade, Sudbury-born country artist Andrew Hyatt has been carving his place in the Canadian music landscape, building a career on grit, honesty, and an undeniable knack for storytelling. From his early days balancing life as an ironworker with late-night songwriting, to winning the SiriusXM Top of the Country competition and earning a CCMA Rising Star Award, Hyatt has consistently proven that perseverance pays off.
This August, Hyatt unveils his most personal work yet with the release of Andrew Hyatt And The Ten Year War, a six-song EP that reflects both the battles and breakthroughs of his journey. Produced by long-time collaborator Derek Hoffman, the project delivers moody, cinematic country layered with raw emotion. From the confessional “Between the Lines” to the bittersweet nostalgia of “Bibles in Hotel Rooms,” the EP captures snapshots of a hard-fought decade and showcases Hyatt as one of Canada’s most compelling voices in modern country.
What does the title Andrew Hyatt And The Ten Year War signify for you personally?
The name stems from how long I’ve been in the music industry. The saying goes that it takes ten years in music to become someone people know…. Well, I’m approaching that time frame soon, and I feel like I’ve fought for every inch of ground along the way.
How did the concept for this EP originate? Is it tied to a particular chapter in your life over the past decade?
I had been writing a lot and had a collection of favourite songs I wanted people to hear. I decided on 6 of them that felt like the natural progression from the stripped-down EP I put out prior. It just felt like the natural next step.
Can you talk about working with Derek Hoffman (known for Donovan Woods, The Trews) and how his production shaped the mood of this EP?
Derek and I have been friends for years and have worked together almost as long. The special thing about Derek is that he really understands what I’m hearing in my head even when I struggle to verbalize it. His style of production was perfect for these songs, and it was such an enjoyable process working together. There were moments where I’d say, “Hey I think the guitar needs to sound angrier or more chaotic but not pretty,” and he’d just nod his head and make the guitar sound messy but still musical!
“Between The Lines” is charged with storytelling. What inspired that song and its narrative?
Waking up after months of hard partying and taking a long look in the mirror. I’d just been through a divorce, so I was self-medicating any way I could to avoid feeling. Between the lines is just me talking out the why of that moment in life.
“Bibles In Hotel Rooms” carries a heartbreaking nostalgia. What story were you drawing from when writing it?
I wrote “Bibles In Hotel Rooms” with Jim Witter after we’d spent the day talking about how much the music industry had changed. We were both feeling a little nostalgic about it all, and the song sort of flowed out of us. We really wanted to focus on imagery that felt close to us and, hopefully, in some ways, to everyone who listens.
With six songs blending modern country polish and visceral emotion, how did you balance those elements in your writing and recording?
I’m not sure we intentionally tried to balance anything. I’m glad it comes across that way, but if anything, it’s just because those songs are a snapshot of my life at a certain time. I guess in some ways we got lucky that they feel connected musically.
“I wrote this record for me, but I hope it meets people wherever they are in life and gives them whatever it is they need.”
How does Andrew Hyatt And The Ten Year War compare artistically to your earlier EPs like L Is For or Neverland?
I think they are just continuations of the art. I’ve always loved both really polished records and really stripped-back records… this EP feels like a good balance of both!
Your journey from working as an ironworker in Sudbury to rising star country artist is compelling. How has that history influenced this EP?
I think the work ethic was sort of beaten into me from the trades. It also gives me a really good perspective on what a hard day’s work is – I’ve yet to have one in music that compares to the ironworking days!
What personal experiences or feelings were most important for you to capture on this project?
This record, like all before it, just feels like personal glimpses into my head. I don’t go in with a plan or idea of what I’m trying to say. Usually I just do it and then months later look back and go… oh ya that makes a lot of sense that I was feeling those things!
How do you confront vulnerability in your lyrics? Was there a moment during writing when you felt you’d crossed a boundary emotionally?
On this record, I don’t think I crossed any lines for myself. I’m pretty open, sometimes to a fault. I think on the L IS FOR record if I could go back I may have kept some of it just for me and not shared so much.
You’ve been prolific with EPs since 2015; what keeps drawing you to the EP format instead of full albums?
The culture of music consumption has changed so much over the last 15 years that I’m not sure the attention span is there for albums… at least not for an artist like me who is still working his way up. I like to constantly release music so that people can enjoy momentum from me.
Looking back at early works like Iron & Ashes and Cain and Abel, how do you feel your songwriting has evolved?
Oh god. I look back on those records and realize I had a long way to go in my writing. I’m sure I’ll feel the same in 10 years about the current stuff.
You’ve described working with Derek Hoffman as intuitive. Can you share an example of a breakthrough moment in the studio during this EP’s creation?
Derek just understands my brain. An example of that is on “Between The Lines” while we were working on the drum parts. I think I said something like, “It needs to feel like Foo Fighters in a garage,” and so he just made everything feel exactly that way!
As a director of many of your own music videos, how do you visually convey the emotional tone of songs like ‘Finding Firsts’?
I really enjoy all aspects of the creative. Music, art, video… all of it. That being said, I’m not sure I’ve mastered video yet. I’ve tried to make people feel what I’m feeling by describing the pictures I use to get there in my writing in visual form.
You’ve toured with big names like Dallas Smith, Dean Brody, and Tim Hicks, how has performing on those stages shaped your artistic vision?
All three of those guys have taught me things I take with me on every stage. I think seeing the things that each of them does that works really well has rubbed off on me, and I’ve tried to take those pieces and use them.
In early 2025, you launched a headlining Ontario tour called ‘The Ten Year War’. How did that experience influence or preview this EP?
Truthfully, the EP was done long before the tour. The name The Ten Year War is more of an umbrella for the raw, less commercial music I release. It’s less of an EP title than a self-titled passion project.
You’re playing Boots and Hearts and Smokes ’n’ Spurs right before the EP release. How does performing new, unreleased music feel live?
I love playing new music live! You get to see what works and what doesn’t. It’s the fastest way to see if a song is good or not.
What themes or visuals are you most excited to bring to life in this fall tour around the EP release?
The upcoming tour will be so much about keeping things stripped back and letting the songs really carry the weight. It’s a continuation of the songwriter-style tour I did in March! A guy on a stool telling stories that break your heart and then singing the songs that break it again.
With nearly a decade in the industry, how do you stay creatively invigorated and true to your voice?
The creative side sort of ebbs and flows. I’m pretty conscious of when I feel burnout creatively. I make a point of focusing on other aspects when I need to charge the creative battery. I have a hard time getting out of my own way in terms of what I want to say versus sometimes just letting a good song be just that. It’s a balance but I have a great group of people I use as sounding boards.
What do you hope listeners take away emotionally from Andrew Hyatt And The Ten Year War?
Whatever it is they’re looking for! I think that’s the beauty of music – it tends to meet us where we’re at and give us what we need regardless of the writer’s intentions.
What message do you want to share with TorontoPages readers ahead of this deeply personal release?
I hope the record meets them wherever they are in life and gives them whatever it is they need. I wrote this record for me but I hope it helps everyone.
Your message for us at TorontoPages (TOPS) magazine.
Just wanted to say thank for taking the time, and I hope your readers enjoy the EP.
