Will Hoge has scuffled on the edges of success for more than 10 years, whether you count his major label signing to Atlantic in 2002 as a starting point, or his mid-1990’s independent release Spoonful.
He is midwestern heartland rock and roll, with a dose of country, some Dylen-seque folk, cracking drums and loud guitars. His Small Town Dreams record, dare I proclaim, is his best record to date. It might be the best album John Mellencamp never made. It is an album will hit that fans of that Petty/Seger/Springsteen/Mellencamp/rock and roll with a slap on the back and a punch in the gut; a reminder of what they love about rock music.
But he’s got a lot of miles behind him, both literally (as a touring rocker) or metaphorically (he’s been putting out good stuff for years, with little victories and incremental successes).
With his album Small Town Dreams, Hoge recorded his Scarecrow.
Small Town Dreams is Hoge’s first collaboration with producer Marshall Altman. Hoge self-produced his last three albums, but wanted to get Altman after hearing his work on Eric Paslay’s “Friday Night” and Frankie Ballard’s “Helluva Life”.
He brought in Altman, who Hoge said was already a friend and fan. It works. It is American rock and roll. He’s crafted and dirtied-up lots of good stuff that sounds heartfelt, from-the-gut, rowdy and beautiful. Real and whiskey-smoked.
I stumbled onto Hoge one night at the Rathskeller almost ten years ago in downtown Indianapolis, on a warm July night. I enough to show up at the show. I realized that Hoge had brought ex-Georgia Satellites singer Dan Baird along to play guitar. I saw a gangly dude next to the beer tub, and thought to myself “What? Wait. Shit. That’s Dan Baird.” Turned into one of best small venue shows “I’ve seen.
The single “Middle of America” jumps out as an anthem, the slow burn of “Just Up The Road” is a pounding plea to the promise of escape, and the leadoff track “Growing Up Around Here” strikes a Seger sound in the verse with some big piano chords and a midtempo majestic ride throughout.
For nearly 20 years, Hoge hasn’t disappointed. His music has grown into full-throated rock and roll. His music has heart and ache and guitars. And a few dreams.
Will Hoge has slogged his way through years of van tours, bar shows and others having more success with his songs than his own band. 
None of Butch Walker’s seven albums have reached the Top 100 on the US charts. His most recent record, 2015’s Afraid of Ghosts, crawled to 104 with Billboard.
