Ward Hayden and the Outliers (WHATO), formerly known as Girls, Guns and Glory (GGG), is an American band from Boston, Massachusetts.
[7] In 2007, the band won a Boston Music Award, and, in 2008, they were "the first roots, rock and country act to ever win" the WBCN Rumble.
[8] 2008 led to the band's third studio recording and their first Top 10 album Inverted Valentine, which peaked at #8 on the Americana Music Association (AMA) Chart.
During this time the band toured with Yarn, Lake Street Dive, Della Mae, Bill Kirchen, Eilen Jewell, Bobby Bare Jr, Trampled By Turtles, Drag The River, and Slim Cessna's Auto Club.
By 2010, Hayden was the sole original member left in the band, with Boston-based guitarist Chris Hersch and bassist Paul Dilley joining.
[9] Their third album, 2011's Sweet Nothings featured a collaboration (the song "1000 Times") with local Massachusetts alternative country musician Sarah Borges.
The album featured local Massachusetts sideman Duke Levine as guest lead guitarist because it was recorded between Hersch's departure and Nilsen's arrival.
[17] Also in 2018, the band opened for The Oak Ridge Boys,[18][19] Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives,[20][21] Los Lobos,[22] and Dwight Yoakam.
[26][30] That same year, the band opened for Midland at the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis, MA.
[31][32] In late 2019, the band toured Europe, playing dates in Sweden, Norway, Spain, France, and Switzerland.
[35][17] During this time, Hayden focused on his family and songwriting, Hall gave music lessons, and Kiggans and Nilsen worked construction jobs (as both had done before joining the band).
[37] They also released their seventh studio album, Free Country, during 2021; it was produced by Eric "Roscoe" Ambel.
[48] Since January 2024, the band has released three singles to promote this album: "Brilliant Disguise",[49] "Dancing in the Dark",[50] and "Glory Days".
[53] Several lead guitarists have filled in since Nilsen's departure, including Tyler Marshall and Sam Crawford.
In June 2024, shortly after performing at Boston Calling, Hayden and Hall announced that longtime drummer Kiggans had recently decided to leave the band.
[66] In June 2024, shortly after performing at Boston Calling, Hayden and Hall announced that longtime drummer Kiggans had recently decided to leave the band.
[68] On July 12, a "various artists" bluegrass tribute album to Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band was released, entitled Silver Bullet Bluegrass; Hayden (without the band) was the lead vocalist on "Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight.