Will Hoge Band
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The Return
of Sensitive, Intelligent Rock: Will Hoge
By David Chiu
Sincere rock and roll seems to be making
a comeback, not heard in a long while since the '70s singer/songwriter
heyday. It can be heard today resurrected by the likes of John
Mayer, David Gray, and Gavin DeGraw. You can now add Will Hoge
to this esteemed company. Hoge and his band aren't household
name, not yet anyway but their sound is melodic, affecting rock
and roll in the same manner that Counting Crows earned kudos
almost a decade ago.
The group is fronted by its namesake who
also writes the songs on their Atlantic Records album Blackbird
on a Lonely Wire. Originally from Nashville, Hoge attended
Western Kentucky University to become a teacher, but later dropped
out to make music full time around 1999. He started his band
and the current lineup is himself, bassist Tres Sasser, drummer
Keith Brogdon, keyboardist John Lancaster, and guitarist Bryan
Layson. The band had played 250 live shows a year building a
very faithful fan base along the way.
Their major label album benefits from the
production of John Shanks (Michelle Branch), which might explains
the music sense of craft and kick, from the folk rock sounding
"Secondhand Heart," the angstful "Not That Cool"
and the raw "Doesn't Have to be that Way," to the touching
balladry of "King of Grey." Balancing between honest
mature lyrics and tuneful power pop is this album's achievement.
Hoge's voice is natural sounding without the over the top bravado
that has plagued many a young frontman wanting to prove how macho
he is.
The band is again touring which included
a stopover at New York's B.B. King's Blues Club opening for Edwin
McCain. In an e-mail interview, Hoge describes his music and
how he got to where he is now.
1. What type of record did you wanted
to make when you and your bandmates went into the studio?
Hopefully one that reflected where we were
at that time artistically. One that would capture
the attention of people hearing us for the first time, and also
feel like a natural step forward for people already familiar
with our previous work.
2. Your producer on the record is John
Shanks, whose credits include Michelle Branch and Sheryl Crow.
How was it like working with him and what did he bring to the
table?
He was amazing. A fabulous musician
in his own right. He did a great job of spotlighting the
things we did well as a band. More importantly, he saw
our weak points and made us all better in those areas.
As individual musicians as well as the collective "band".
3. Your songs like "Secondhand
Heart," "Hey Tonight," and "Better Off Now"
seem to present the narrator at a crossroads either in a relationship
or within himself. Do your lyrics reflect actual personal experiences,
or is it imaginative storytelling or both? How would you describe
your songwriting process?
The lyrics do reflect things that are personal.
Either something
that has gone on with me, or maybe one of the guys in the band.
We spend so much time together we all sort of become one in the
same. One guys having something happening in his life is
all of us having that thing happen. Quite good for the
creative process. Describe the songwriting
process......hmmm.....a lot of work. You hate it!!
Hate it!! And then the song is finished and you LOVE it.
Ready to try again. And then hate....etc. You get
the cycle I'm sure. haha.
4. What's your favorite song on the
record and why?
Really a question I can't answer.
That's like asking a parent which child is his/her favorite. You
love them all. There's a piece of you in every one of them.
Something unique. Really can't say. Sorry.
5. What made you decide to get into
music? Who did you listen to growing
up?
Hated school, so why not play music. In all seriousness,
it was the one thing I did that immediately made me feel right.
I listened to EVERYTHING. Still do. The more I can
hear the better.
6. If I am correct, you went to the
University of Kentucky to study
teaching but you dropped out? When did you realize that music
was something you wanted to do?
Actually it was Western Kentucky.
I might have had better luck at UK. ha. I left between my 1st
and 2nd year of college. Or as I call it, my Jr. and Sr.
year.
7. Although you are the singer and lyricist,
and your name is on the record, it is safe to say that this more
of a band, would you say? How do you explain the chemistry between
you and the guys?
The "band" is definitely important
to me. Everyone is involved because of what they bring
to the table musically. It's truly like a family.
They are 4 of the most important people in my life. Not
just musically, but as people. In a lot of ways, we're
so linked together, you become very dependent on one
another. I'm excited to play with them every time we walk
onstage, or rehearse or record. I truly think I have the
best band in rock and roll. I hope those guys feel the
same about me.
8. How has been performing and touring
like? Is it difficult to play in front of people who might not
have heard of you before?
Touring is really what we live for.
That's where the longevity that we all crave comes from. If you've
got people that love your band, your music. That's what
matters. That's how you build/maintain a career.
Playing in front of people who don't know you is great.
That's really the acid test, for lack of a better term.
When you finish a show and know that these hundreds of people
who've never heard of you are now thinking, "man, those
guys were good!" That's the justification for going
out every night and doing this. In a way it validates EVERYTHING
we do on a daily basis. All the frustrations, heartbreaks,
long drives, crappy hotels, bad food, all of it goes completely
away when that happens.
9. What are your hopes and expectations
with Blackbird? What's next?
Hopefully we get some new people to listen. More people
to come to a show. Just continue to build this little family.
It's a marathon, not a sprint. You can quote me on that!
Next, TOUR, TOUR, TOUR. Then, we'll see.
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