For the past 20-years Will Hoge has been touring, turning over new pages of a career whose twists and turns sound like the stuff of some long-lost movie script. Hoge has carved out his own blue-collar sound rooted in amplified guitars, melodic hooks, Southern soul and rootsy stomp. That sound recalls some of the best moments of the past, like the punch of Tom Petty’s anthems, the countrified twang of Buck Owens’ singing and the raw, greasy cool of The Rolling Stones, while still pushing forward into new territory. All this combined with Hoge’s storytelling and larger-than-life voice, have elevated him to the status of being a mainstay in Americana.
Will Hoge spent time on the road honing his talents and scoring Number One hits, major record label deals, a near-death experience, and hard-won independence. A life-threatening car accident left him battered, broken, and in recovery for a year, so he turned the experience into fuel for his music and a heightened appreciation for life. Hoge tours every year seeking new paths in a career with many surprises, learning to trust his own instincts while producing some of his own albums as well as for Red Wanting Blue, Stephen Kellogg, and Jackie Darlene, an up-and-coming songwriter.
Hoge’s new record, Tiny Little Movies, is self-produced, with Hoge deciding to highlight the raw chemistry of his road band in the studio, renting rehearsal space in East Nashville for four days, then heading south to record at Trace Horse studios. “There’s a classic rock & roll centerpiece to everything this band does, but it’s still a group of four different people, and we all bring different influences to the table,” says Hoge. He turned to Grammy-winning producer-engineer Matt-Ross Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Lori McKenna) who mixed the album at Sam Phillips Recording.
“Con Man Blues” has that raw-edge of southern rock’s driving guitars, Petty-esque song construction, and self-reflecting lyrics that have Hoge owning up to mistakes made in the past, then seeking inner peace. His progressive political viewpoints focus on political corruption and social issues are in the forefront of Tiny Little Movies. The album stands up in an arena of its own, accented by the country storytelling of Hoge’s southern roots and soulful voice. “I grew up loving rock & roll records, and that’s my intent every time I go into the studio, to honor that sound,” he says. “You get closer sometimes more than others. This time I think we nailed it.”
Radio support for Tiny Little Movies is already building at WRLT, WTMD, Birmingham Mountain Radio, WFIV, WAPS and more.
