Artist, songwriter, Jon Hayes unveils his deeply personal new single, “There Something?,” a stripped-back and emotionally charged track born out of a difficult season of spiritual tension, isolation, and internal reflection.

Written during a time when Hayes was working at a church where he felt increasingly disconnected, “There Something?” explores the quiet weight of questioning belonging, leadership, and faith itself. The song reflects a period in which Hayes found himself wrestling privately with concerns about organizational culture and leadership dynamics, while simultaneously suppressing those emotions.

“I stuffed these feelings down often times, and that ended up eating away at me and my relationship with God,” Hayes shares. “I wrote that song right at the bottom of that season—before I started to become more honest with myself and others.”

The track began in a rare moment of solitude, with Hayes’ wife and children away from home. Seeking a creative reset, he set up recording equipment in his living room and stepped away from his usual guitar-driven approach. Instead, he turned to a keyboard, unknowingly creating the looping foundation that would become the backbone of the entire song.

Sonically, “There Something?” carries an unmistakable nostalgic influence. The looping structure and tone evoke elements of early hip-hop and R&B that shaped Hayes’ musical identity, including inspirations such as Will Smith’s “Y’all Know,” KJ-52’s “Behind the Music,” Tupac’s “Dear Mama,” and Musiq Soulchild’s “Love.” These influences merge into a meditative, emotionally open soundscape that supports Hayes’ raw vocal delivery and stream-of-consciousness lyrical approach.

“I leaned into that feel vocally,” Hayes explains. “It became more of an emotional dump than a polished writing process. The lyrics came quickly and honestly, without overthinking.”

Following its initial creation, the track was further developed with Hayes’ collaborators at Local Legends Studios in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the arrangement was intentionally kept minimal to preserve its intimacy and emotional core. The production process was shaped by a close-knit creative team whose contributions added subtle depth without overwhelming the song’s vulnerability.

Pianist and organist Simon Kauffman Hurst provided expressive piano and organ layers that gently elevated the track’s emotional arc, while drummer Aaron Cliff contributed tasteful fills that guide the song through its transitions with sensitivity and restraint. The bass performance, recorded later by Hayes at home, was inspired by early rehearsal ideas from Daniel Maat, adding another layer of organic development to the arrangement.

The recording sessions were facilitated by producer Josh Kaufman, who helped maintain a relaxed and focused environment in the studio. Hayes credits Kaufman with striking a balance between structure and comfort, allowing the creative process to unfold naturally.

The final mix was handled by Zach Rumley, a longtime collaborator of Hayes’ who has worked on several of his recent projects. Hayes describes the mixing process as especially fluid and intuitive for this track, noting that the final sound came together “organically and almost effortlessly,” a rare and rewarding experience in the production process.

Though written years ago, “There Something?” has remained a significant piece for Hayes, held back until now as part of his upcoming EP, Something More.

At its core, the song explores what Hayes describes as “instinctive hope”—the quiet, persistent sense that even in the middle of doubt, failure, and emotional exhaustion, there is still a deeper desire for meaning, connection, and God.

“It’s that feeling that beneath all my faking and all my failure, there’s still a base-level longing for something more,” Hayes says. “Something beyond all the noise and mess.”

With its raw honesty, minimalist production, and deeply reflective lyricism, “There Something?” stands as one of Jon Hayes’ most vulnerable and personal releases to date—an invitation into a season of struggle, and ultimately, the search for something greater within it.