Captivating guitarist Hayden Pedigo offers a sweet slice of country nostalgia with his latest single, “I’ll Be Waving as You Drive Away.” A master at creating instrumental songs with a captivating and poetic soundscape, the Oklahoma City-based talent delivers an irresistibly charming tune that feels fresh yet somehow familiar.
“The title is based on a 1978 episode of Little House on the Prairie that still crushes me to this day (look up the synopsis if you have never seen it. Actually, just go watch the episode if you can),” Pedigo shares of the song. “It’s a lot different than anything I have ever written before. It has this almost Chet Atkins/Merle Travis bounce to it that I’ve never before on a song. It’s pulling from the classic 1950s chord progressions that I’m a sucker for. It’s like Merle Travis’s version of ‘I’ll See You in My Dreams’ flipped on its head.
“The opening chord clusters are kind of the Wizard of Oz moment where the screen turns to color and it kind of brings the sense of wonder and mystery I really love,” he adds. “It ends the album on the purest/sweetest note possible and feels like the absolute perfect way to end this record.”
“I’ll Be Waving as You Drive Away” is the second pre-release single and title track from Pedigo’s upcoming studio album, due out on June 6 via Mexican Summer. The project serves as the third installment of what he calls “The Motor Trilogy,” closing out a creative chapter that began with his 2021 record Letting Go and continued with The Happiest Times I Ever Ignored in 2023.
Ahead of its release, Pedigo will hit the road next week in support of I’ll Be Waving as You Drive Away, including a handful of U.S. shows ahead of a long stretch of overseas performances scheduled through the end of September. You can see a full list of upcoming live dates and additional ticketing information by visiting Hayden Pedigo’s official website.
Watch the music video for “I’ll Be Waving as You Drive Away,” a charming homage to the classic 1981 outlaw country documentary Heartworn Highways, below:
Hayden Pedigo, I’ll Be Waving as You Drive Away Track List:
- “Long Pond Lily”
- “All the Way Across “
- “Smoked”
- “Houndstooth”
- “Hermes”
- “Small Torch”
- “I’ll Be Waving as You Drive Away”
