If you have listened to the album Small Town Dreams by singer/songwriter Will Hoge, you may be familiar with this one; if not, you will want to check it out. A standout, “Growing Up Around Here,” was written by Hoge, Brett Beavers and Tommy Lee James and was produced by Marshall Altman, and is a classic, anthemic story about a childhood in a small town and feeling that urge to get out and experience the world. It’s the tale of not just leaving, but going back to that same small town and realizing it’s not so bad after all (perhaps a bit autobiographical as Hoge was born and raised in Franklin, a suburb outside of Nashville.) Hoge has spent many years playing small venues all across the country and even in Europe and certainly knows a thing or two about coming back home.
“Well it’s been so long / I swore I’d never come back / to this sleepy little one horse dot on the map /
but the roots run deep / in this rock red ground / and I could feel that pull, every road I went down”
Will Hoge has said he has never fit one particular “label” – his music is perhaps best described as country with a rock and roll flair. Hoge is a true storyteller of the realities of life in middle america, with raspy vocals that grab your attention and make you feel his story.
“Growing up around here in this taillight town / I spent 17 years tryin’ to find a way out /
took a whole lot of miles to know what I know now / I’m kind of proud of growing up around here”
You can follow Will Hoge on Twitter, Instagram and his website for tour dates and more information on his music. The album Small Town Dreams is available now on iTunes.