Prior to the duo's foundation, Hayes was a solo artist, and McClurg was a member of Alan Jackson's road band, The Strayhorns.
Active only in the year 2003, McHayes recorded an unreleased studio album on the Universal South Records label, in addition to charting one single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts.
Between 1995 and 2002, McHayes frontman Wade Hayes was a solo artist, recording four studio albums, and charting more than a dozen singles on the Billboard country music charts, including the number 1 single "Old Enough to Know Better".
After poor performance of his fourth studio album, Highways & Heartaches, he partnered with musician Mark McClurg, who had previously played fiddle in Alan Jackson's road band The Strayhorns, to form the duo McHayes.
[4] McHayes also recorded an album titled Lessons in Lonely, which was slated for release in mid-2003 under the production of Brent Rowan.