Will Hoge Believes Country Music is About Great, Honest Stories
Country artists are always being asked to define their own genre. Some use the opportunity to be negative and whine about everything.
So props to WILL HOGE for actually putting some thought into his answer . . . and bringing in a little humility too. He said, quote, “There will always be people that complain about the content or what is or isn’t country.
“I’ve lived in Nashville for 42 years and it’s something that’s always talked about. But at the end of the day, great stories and honest presentation will always win out. We hope to honor that in what we do.
“I’m just honored to be a small part of it.”
And although hit records are nice, he’d much rather write a classic. He adds, quote, “I want to write songs that I can play as a 20-year-old or I can play as a 60-year-old. I feel that as long as I maintain that, it won’t factor in a lot.”
Sam Hunt Has Learned to Be a Fearless Songwriter
There was a time when SAM HUNT would write an emotionally charged song and then be too scared to sing it in front of people. Those days are over because he’s learned to embrace that side of his creativity.
He tells The Country Vibe, quote, “I’ve recently given myself more artistic freedom to really touch on that deep honest thing that can be really powerful.
“I’m learning now [how] that honesty, just laying it out there and not really being afraid, is a powerful thing, so I’m really trying to tap into more of that here lately.”
In a different interview, Sam talked about how he decides which song he’ll release as a single. He said, “I try to stay as naive as possible so I’m not aware as much of the risks because then I’ll start over-thinking and I might be more hesitant to do that.
“It’s worked to my advantage because now I just look at the song and think which song best represents me as an artist and where I want to go and what I want to do, and go with it from that angle.”
This happened last month . . . but it’s making the rounds now. It’s a video of LUKE BRYAN getting nailed in the face with Mardi Gras-style beads during one of his Spring Break shows. It’s a pretty hard hit and he’s clearly upset, but he carries on.
SCOTTY MCCREERY isn’t the only one in his family with vocal chops. He and his mom Judy did a duet in church during an Easter service. They performed “New Again”, the song Sara Evans and Brad Paisleyrecorded for “The Passion of the Christ” soundtrack.
STEVEN TYLER signed a deal with Big Machine Label Group . . . the company headed by “American Idol”advisor Scott Borchetta. His debut country album will be out later this year. (CMT)
New CDs
- “Small Town Dreams“, country singer Will Hoge
- “Southern Gravity“, solo album from Kristian Bush, the guy in Sugarland.
- “Somewhere Down the Road“, Billy Bob Thornton’s band The Boxmasters.