Ward Hayden & The Outliers is a band that has brought a fresh, rock-infused spin to classic country in Boston’s music scene. Led by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Ward Hayden, the band has not only topped the local scene but also built a critically acclaimed, award-winning career spanning America and Europe. Their distinctive style blends country soul with a rock ‘n’ roll edge, reshaping the genre’s place in Boston and beyond. As the group rose to the top of the Boston scene, major record companies like Geffen, Reprise, and Sony Music started courting them. Hayden opted instead to do a one-off deal for their second album with the independent Lonesome Day Records, which primarily focuses on bluegrass acts. That led to further releases on that label and its Dry Lightning Americana imprint. The group has worked with such noted producers as Paul Kolderie (Radiohead, Hole, Warren Zevon, Morphine, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Uncle Tupelo) and Eric Ambel (Nils Lofgren, Marshall Crenshaw, The Bottle Rockets, Blue Mountain). Hayden and his band’s annual shows to celebrate the music of Hank Williams, “had quickly become a Boston-area tradition,” notes the Quincy Patriot Ledger, and led to a 2016 album of their interpretations of Williams’ songs.