Hunter Hayes Takes Us Behind the Scenes for ‘Front and Center’ [Watch]

Hunter Hayes recently taped an appearance for Front and Center, and Taste of Country readers are getting a look behind the scenes of the episode.

Hayes took the stage for an intimate acoustic performance at Marathon Music Works in Nashville for his spot, which was part of the CMA Songwriter Series. He was joined by songwriters Barry Dean, Lori McKenna and Gordie Sampson to perform several songs from his most recent album, Storyline, including "Tattoo" and "Invisible." He also performed "I Want Crazy."

"There's something really magical about the fact that, even as technical as you can get — and you will; you'll get technical during the show. You'll think about things that you probably shouldn't have to worry about," Hayes says in this exclusive behind-the-scenes clip from Front and Center and Country Now. "Guitar pedals, things like that. Where am I gonna be on the stage? Where's lighting hitting? All that stuff. But when that all goes away, when you've finally gotten that out of the way and you're just singing a song, I love being able to sing, and I realize how lucky I am to get to sing something that I know about. That I've written about because either I lived it, or somebody I know lived it, or in some way I'm close to the story and it means something to me."

Hayes says it's especially important to get to share those moments with a live audience.

"The best part about singing a song onstage if you've been part of the writing process is the fact that when you sing with everybody in the audience, you're together," he reflects. "You've lived this moment, and you've had this experience, and you've shared this together."

For more information on Hayes' Front and Center appearance, click here. Check out his performance of "I Want Crazy" below, and consult local listings for air times.

Watch Hunter Hayes Perform "I Want Crazy"

The Cutest Pets in Country Music