The Daily Gamecock

Will Hoge returns to South Carolina with new album

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On Friday, Nashville singer-songwriter Will Hoge will bring his country stylings to Music Farm. It'll be the first time he’s been to Columbia in a while, but twenty years ago the city played a major role in his career.

“South Carolina as a whole was one of the first states outside of my home that kind of latched on to what I was doing,” Hoge said. “And we’ve played there quite a bit, especially in Columbia. I definitely enjoyed it. There was a point when we were first starting, and it was kind of right on the end of the Hootie & the Blowfish thing, which had really blown up out of there, so all of the sudden Columbia was this town where you really went and played.”

This time, Hoge has quite a few more albums under his belt, including his most recent, “Small Town Dreams.” The small town in question is Franklin, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville, where Hoge grew up.

Although his sound is still rooted in classic rock/country, its content has expanded as Hoge as gained life experience.

“I feel like for your first few records, you can kind of write about girls, cars and life on the road, because that’s the only thing you know,” he said. “And now, having marriage and parenthood and years more of experience with friendship and things like that, being able to take little bits and pieces of other people’s stories and inject those into songs — I mean, I think my color palette has grown a lot.”

Hoge has no delusions of being a rock star, despite putting so much of himself into his music. He seems to enjoy his life right outside of Nashville, dividing his time between driving his kids to karate lessons and playing shows with his band. But this level of fame, leaving him free of much of that annoying tabloid coverage and paparazzi that bigger celebrities face, also entails a lot of hard work.

“You always wish it could be easier, but I’ve accepted that it’s a hard job,” he said. “We talk about that all the time. You really have to go out and work to do this, if you want to do it for a living.”

To be clear, Hoge has definitely made it in the music world. He’s not just a local artist. He has worked with big names like Carrie Underwood, whose work ethic impressed him. His sound is regularly compared to that of giants like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty.

“I’m flattered [by these comparisons], especially because those artists have made records longer than I’ve been alive, but I wouldn’t try to put myself into those categories,” he said. “At the end of the day, when I look back on my career, hopefully a long, long time from now, I would like to think that, like those guys, I’ve maintained a career that has integrity, and continue to try to write great songs and make great records.”

Hoge isn't in it for the fame, and although he sometimes wishes it could be easier, he understands that hard work is part of the job, and it’s worth it to him. After years of being a musician, there’s no question that he’s found his calling.

“I still think there’s nothing like a live music performance to really grab somebody," he said. "There’s a give and take between the band onstage and the audience, and you just can’t get that in any other medium, and that’s my favorite thing still, to this day.”

Hoge will be playing at Music Farm on Friday at 8 p.m. All ages are welcome.


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