LUCAS HOGE
FREE CONCERT AT SUMMER BLAST
SATURDAY, JUNE 8TH AT 9PM
Lucas Hoge Official Bio:
Some people are just born communicators and Lucas Hoge has that gift. Fans know this because Hoge’s last album Dirty South ascended to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Country Album Sales chart during its debut week. Whether he’s performing for troops overseas, sharing his love for the great outdoors with fellow sportsmen at a Bass Pro/Cabela’s gathering or writing another song for a hit TV show, Hoge has that rare ability to find common ground with just about anyone and draw them into his world. Hoge’s creative universe has long revolved around music, and his latest offering DIRTY SOUTH, showcases a songwriter of considerable depth and a singer with an enviable skill for interpreting a lyric. “I try to either find songs or write songs that I think are going to stand the test of time and really connect with the listener,” Hoge says. “I want every album to be an audio novel that people can listen to from top to bottom that takes them on a journey. I want songs that you can sink your teeth into and actually carry with you.”
Whether he’s delivering a breezy summer anthem like “Flip Flops,” the poignant ballad “Who’s Gonna Be There,” which he penned for a hometown friend who died much too young, or his single “Dirty South” with its swampy Southern groove, Hoge engages listeners with his warm, evocative vocals and emotional authenticity. Throughout his last album, he has a knack for bringing the best out in a lyric and does just that with the playful “Boom Boom.” “It’s a fun twist on a love song,” Hoge says. “Boom Boom” shot to #1 on the CMT 12 Pack it’s second week on air and held the number one position for an unprecedented seven weeks.
Hoge’s journey began in Hubbell, Nebraska, a small town of only 44 people, graduated in a high school class of seven (7). Like many entertainers, he first honed his musical skills in church. “My family was pretty much the whole choir at our church,” Hoge remembers with a smile. “My mom and dad had a worship band. Our preacher saw me playing a little drum set at church and literally took me down to the band room at school and said, ‘This kid really has something. You might want to help him along,’ so I started playing drums and played drums all through high school.” High school consisted of 86 kids – kindergarten thru high school, so everyone played sports, “I would put on my football jersey, I was the kicker and during half time, run up to the band, play drums then run back to the field for the second half”.
Hoge’s childhood penchant for writing poetry evolved into writing songs and he studied the work of his favorite craftsmen. “I loved the artist/writers. I loved hearing them sing all their own songs,” he says of people like Garth Brooks, Paul Overstreet, Kenny Chesney and others who penned their own hits.
Hoge earned a degree in architecture and business then returned home to start his own construction company, but the music bug wouldn’t leave him alone. Always an over achiever with an abundance of energy and an impressive work ethic, Hoge ran his construction company and fronted three bands at the same time. The devoted Christian launched a worship band called Extreme Devotion that became a favorite at local college campuses and churches. He was also the leader of a Southern rock band called Southern Cross. Today Lucas posts #SundaySessions on his Facebook page, a hymn or faith based song each Sunday and those videos receive 200,000 views to over 1 million each week!
“I also started a straight up country band called Borderline with some friends,” he says, “so I had three bands going because I just had to be playing wherever I could possibly play. When I decided to go to Nashville, I didn’t want to have that ‘What if?’ factor in the back of my head my whole life. So with the help of my hometown, I put on a farewell concert and my mom’s friends made quilts and baked goods to sell and my town raised 2500.00 to send me to Nashville with”.
Once he moved to Nashville, Hoge’s willingness to work hard combined with his songwriting prowess proved to be a winning combination. Warner Bros. featured his song “If I Only Could” on the hit TV show “Smallville.” Soon after, he began racking up numerous TV, film and commercial credits. He scored a 13-episode series for HBO, wrote a jingle for Lipton Tea and appeared with Faith Hill in the TV campaign for Sunday Night Football. He wrote the title song and starred in the Animal Planet TV show “Last Chance Highway,” a reality show focused on rescuing dogs and transporting them to their forever homes. He also penned the theme song “Give a Damn” for the GAC TV show “Tom’s Wild Life.” Most recently, Hoge partnered with GSM Outdoors on their Walkers, Stealth Cam and Bullseye Cam products. He also is now an Ambassador for Pelican.
Although appreciative of the chance to place his songs in numerous TV shows, recording his own albums and touring continued to be Hoge’s primary focus. He made his Ryman Auditorium debut in 2011 opening for the legendary George Jones, and he’s shared the stage with Rascal Flatts, Rodney Atkins, Craig Morgan, Hank Williams Jr. and others. Hoge is also part of the Armed Forces Entertainment: Wrangler National Patriot Tour in which he has spent the last 10 years traveling overseas to perform over Memorial Day. “Ten years ago, I had never seen the ocean, now I have traveled over every ocean several times and for the best reason, to play my music and say Thank you to our troops.”
“I love performing live and I like telling stories,” he says. “I want people to feel like they are sitting in my living room watching us play and that they are a part of the show. I want the audience to feel like I’m talking straight to them. My audience is from 8 to 80 and everyone in between.”
Hoge’s drive to connect with people permeates everything he does. He’s a tireless humanitarian who loves animals and supports the military. He combines both as the official spokesperson for Guardian Angels for a Soldiers Pet, a group that fosters animals for soldiers deployed overseas. An avid outdoorsman, he’s the newest brand ambassador for Bass Pro/ Cabela’s, the world’s foremost outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear. The Congressional Sportmen’s Foundation named Lucas their first Ambassador, as an enthusiastic wine aficionado, Hoge also has a partnership with Gamble Family Vineyards. “I am a genuine fan of the Gamble wines and having grown up on a farm myself, I have a personal admiration for the family traditions upheld by the Gamble Family Vineyards,” he says.
One of his favorite endeavors includes his favorite airlines, where he partnered with Southwest Airlines as their first music Ambassador, this is the first time Southwest has officially partnered with an artist and Hoge’s says he’s excited to be working with such a great company.
Music remains his first love and primary passion. Teaming with noted writer/producer Matt McClure, Hoge’s last project took Lucas to his first TOP 30, “Power of Garth” reached (#29) on Billboard Indicator Chart.
His new music is the culmination of years of hard work, writing incessantly and performing for crowds all over the world. “I feel I’ve been hoeing my row for a long time and I’ve stayed true to exactly who I am,” he says. “I’m just going to be a nice guy and put good out there and hopefully get good back because that’s how mom and dad taught me. I’m going to cling to my roots and keep my head about myself. I just want to be the best me I can be.” Hoge was the very best he could be on the Ryman stage when he was asked to make his Grand Ole Opry debut on November 10th, 2017 and Hoge has returned to perform on the Opry several times in 2018.
Hoge just released new music in April, with his highest debut on the Billboard chart at #65 . You can now hear, That’ll Be The Day on country radio and stream it everywhere and his song Bad People on all streaming platforms.
With a #1 album, a TOP 30 single, brand new music, restless creative spirit, abundance of Midwestern charm and a work ethic that won’t let him slow down, it looks like the best is yet to come.