Will Hoge
Will Hoge (born 1973[1] ) is an American musician from Nashville, Tennessee.
Early life
Will grew up in Franklin, Tennessee, a rural suburb south of Nashville. His sound was heavily influenced by his musician father and uncles and the extensive record collection that his father kept.
Will went to college at Western Kentucky University looking to study history and with the plan to becoming a high school history teacher and basketball coach. He decided that he wanted to try his hand at rock and roll and began writing music. Will left the university after realizing he wanted to be a career musician.
Early Band
Will released an early EP of original music with his band Spoonful in the mid 1990’s; however, the band was not picked up and eventually broke up. Some of these early songs are still hits with his loyal followers.
Solo Artist
With former The Georgia Satellites guitarist Dan Baird in tow as a guitarist, Hoge began touring the American south. He independently released his first CD, Live At The Exit/In, a live set recorded at the Nashville club. His original sound drew much attention and, through constant touring, he was able to release his first studio album, Carousel.
Hoge caught the attention of Atlantic Records music executives and he was signed to a record deal in early 2002. Atlantic then re-released Carousel to a wider market. His 2003 major label debut, Blackbird On A Lonely Wire was a cleaner sounding effort and very radio friendly; however, was poorly promoted by Atlantic. Eventually, Hoge asked for and received a release from the contract, re-obtaining the rights to Carousel.
The grass roots effort and support of his loyal fans has given Hoge the ability to tour incessantly, and self release a couple live albums (2004's Almost Alone: Live At Smith's Olde Bar and 2005's During the Before and After), a politically charged album called The America EP (which included a cover of Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A-Changin'), as well as his bluesy rock & roll sounding record The Man Who Killed Love.
Over the years, Hoge has toured with many artists, including Marc Broussard, ZZ Top, The Cat Empire, Squeeze, Jason Isbell, Lisa Loeb and Edwin McCain. Bands that have opened for him include Steel Train, The Trews, The Elms, Rose Hill Drive, Moses Mayfield, The Alternate Routes, Aslyn, Missy Higgins and Southern Bitch.
Hoge performed the opening theme from the cancelled CBS sitcom Still Standing.
On February 20, 2007, Hoge released a live album, Again Somewhere Tomorrow, from recordings made during the band's two-night stint at the Exit/In in Nashville, on September 29 and 30, 2006.
The band's fourth studio album, Draw the Curtains, was released nationwide on October 9, 2007 by Rykodisc Records. The album was initially released as a Compact Disc, with a limited edition 180-Gram Vinyl Record version slated for release in early November.
Hoge announced in a May 11, 2008 blog that both Adam Fluhrer, guitarist, and Jefferson Crowe, keyboards, will no longer be part of the band. Crowe had been a member since 2005, while Fluhrer joined the band in 2006.
Scooter Accident
Hoge was involved in a scooter accident on August 20, 2008 after leaving a studio session for his forthcoming album. His condition was upgraded to stable on August 22. [1]
He is receiving care at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. According to Police spokesperson Kris Mumford, Will was traveling north on Main Street in East Nashville at about 8 p.m. when a hgh southbound van failed to yield while turning into 712 Main St. Will’s motor scooter collided with the passenger side of the van. Police found no evidence of alcohol or drugs involved in the accident.[2]
According to a blog written by Hoge, he suffered numerous broken bones (ribs, sternum, shattered femur, knee cap, shoulder blades), lacerations to his face, arms, and torso (requiring over 100 stitches), as well as other minor injuries. He went into immediate surgery when he arrived at the hospital. Since then, Hoge has been upgraded to stable condition, and has begun intensive physical therapy. He is expected to make a full recovery, but will need a couple months of recuperation. Work on the new album, as well as tour dates through October have been postponed until he recovers. [3]
Hoge has been through a number of surgeries and extensive rehab. He will begin touring again in April 2009, starting off with a string of acoustic dates throughout the southeast.
Discography
| Title | Album Information | Track List |
| Spoonful - Tales Begin To Spin |
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| Hear and Now |
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| All Night Long: Live at The Exit/In |
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| Carousel |
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| Aware Compilation, Vol. 8 |
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| Live In The X Lounge IV |
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| Almost Alone (Live At Smith's Olde Bar) |
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| Blackbird On A Lonely Wire |
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| The America EP |
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| During The Before And After |
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| Kid Pan Alley |
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| The Man Who Killed Love |
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| Live In Charleston |
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| Again Somewhere Tomorrow |
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| Draw The Curtains |
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Current Band Members
- Sigurdur Birkis - drums
- Adam Beard - bass
Former Band Members
- Dan Baird - guitar
- Greg Everett - guitar (Spring 2005 Selected Dates)
- John W. Lancaster - keyboards
- Kirk Yoquelet - drums
- Tres Sasser - bass
- Doy Gardner - drums
- Brian Layson - guitar
- Jason (Slim) Gambill - guitar (Winter 2005/2006 tour only)
- Dean Tomasek - bass
- Adam Fluhrer - guitar
- Jefferson Crow - keyboards
- Ericka Smith - Vocals
- Trina Meade - Vocals
- Molly Thomas - Vocals/Fiddle/Percussion
- Eleanor Whitmore - Vocals/Fiddle/Mandolin