On his new single “Power of Garth,” Hoge said, “I like to write 99 percent of the songs that I put on my projects. This was co-written by two friends of mine, Matt Rogers and Terry McBride, and when the publishing company pitched it to me, I fell in love with it, since I am such a huge Garth fan. I had always wanted to write Garth a tribute, but I don’t think I can top this one.”
He continued, “If you are a Garth Brooks fan, take a listen, and I promise you will fall in love with it. This song will take you back in time to a Garth Brooks songs. Music is a vessel that transports us back in time every time we hear a song.”
Hoge revealed that “Much Too Young” is his all-time favorite Garth Brooks song. “It is still my favorite, and I still play it in my shows today. I just love that picking pattern throughout the song and then the fiddle comes in. It is such a great melody. It is timeless,” he said.
His album Dirty South went to No. 1 on the Billboard charts. “That felt great. It is still feeling good. We took so much time, and put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in it,” he said. “I couldn’t be more happy to have the ‘Power of Garth’ as the last single off that project.”
Hoge’s plans are to continue touring the country over the next few years. He listed Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson and Reba McEntire as his dream collaboration choices. “Garth would be my ultimate choice. That would be so much fun,” he said. “Reba is just so amazing.”
Digital transformation of the country music business
On the impact of technology on the country music scene, Hoge said, “Every industry changes with the times. CDs are going away, but people enjoy buying them at shows since they like us to sign them. Nobody puts them in their cars or trucks anymore. We need to evolve with streaming, which is fantastic, but I just wish that they paid a little bit better.”
On his use of technology in his music routine, he said, “It seems like I never put my phone done. It is constantly on, and I record song ideas, and what not. I am creating Voice Memos, and speaking the memo into the notes. I craft my own concept sometimes, and I love creating new sounds with some of these amp simulators.”
“Power of Garth” is available on iTunes.
To learn more about country artist Lucas Hoge and “Power of Garth,” check out his official website.
