On his new bluegrass album West Virginia Rail, he said, “It consists of traditional bluegrass, country, and gospel. We recorded 12 songs on this project and seven are originals all co-written with Glen Duncan, Adam Engelhardt, and Eddie Sanders.”
“I really can’t say that I am prouder of one song over another but, ‘West Virginia Rail’ has been so good for us on the charts and it’s just a fun upbeat song,” he said, “‘I Got No Reason To Stay’ has a strong Stanley Brother feel to it and tells a great story. ‘Cry From The Cross’ is another great song that turned out so close to its original recording by Ralph Stanley and the list goes on and on, I can’t say enough wonderful things about how this project turned out.”
“This album has had four charting singles and two No. 1 hit singles (‘West Virginia Rail’ and ‘Cry From The Cross’), which is amazing especially since this is the debut album with Rural Rhythm Records,” he said.
On working with Grammy award-winning musician Glen Duncan and Sony/ATV Music producer Adam Engelhardt, he said, “I was introduced to both Glen and Adam through my former manager two years ago, and we’ve been working together ever since. It has been an honor getting to work with such esteemed songwriters and producers as them. I’m already looking forward to our next project.”
Regarding his future plans, he said, “To release new singles at the beginning of the year, eventually a new album and to just keep working and staying busy.”
On his biggest musical influences, he said, “I have a few but my number one influence is the Stanley Brothers, I fell in love with their sound, the way Carter wrote his songs, the way they performed and I’ve modeled my career after them. The other big influences I have are Bill Monroe, Roy Lee Centers, Charlie Sizemore, Hank Williams Sr., and Flatt & Scruggs.”
Regarding his alternate career choice, he said, “I’ve always wanted to be involved in sports, mainly football, as a coach, analyst or broadcaster. I also think a video game engineer or producer would be a great job too. Entertaining and preserving traditional country is ultimately what I intend to continue doing by far but who knows maybe one of those other fields will make a fun retirement project.”
His career highlights include getting to watch the singles climb the charts. “That was the biggest highlight this year and a true blessing,” he admitted. “I’ve been blessed to have so many such as recording with The Whites, performing with Little Roy Lewis, signing with Rural Rhythm Records, performing on the Opry, meeting Jesse McReynolds, performing at The Station Inn, becoming a CMA member and so many others it has been a great experience and journey getting here.”
He listed The Stanley Brothers as his dream collaboration partners. “They had a big influence on my career and it that would be amazing to perform with them,” he said.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, he shared that he is grateful for his family for their support and for getting him here to Nashville.
When asked what he wants his legacy to be, he said, “I just want to do a good job preserving the traditional style of bluegrass and country.”
To learn more about Joe Hott and his music, check out his official website.
