Nashville singer/songwriter Will Hoge is primed to release his 7th studio album, NUMBER SEVEN, on Sept. 27 on Ryko. Throughout his career, Hoge has survived and thrived through endless miles in vans and buses, landing a mainstream record deal early in his career and triumphantly overcoming a life-altering accident two years back. If, as mentioned in Rolling Stone and elsewhere, Nashville has finally landed on the national rock and roll map, Hoge has been there all along.
Now, Hoge comes forth with NUMBER SEVEN, an album that poignantly captures his penchant for lonesome blues as well as country influences that have always been present in his music. “Gone” would sound comfortably at home on contemporary country radio, while “No Man’s Land” is a twanging exposition of the gulf between men and women. At the same time, Hoge’s poetic side is represented by two thought-provoking songs. “American Dream,” a profile of a homeless man living amidst a devastated economy, gets right to the core of this tragic situation by stating “I’d give it all right back to just be looked at like a man.” A similar claim to dignity suffuses the epic “Illegal Line,” which humanizes the oft-demagogued issue of immigration.
“People complain that there’s nothing from current musicians that has any sort of weight or political commentary,” says Hoge. “And I think rock and roll is a little lesser for that at this point. So, I really wanted to go there on this album and talk about some things that aren’t necessarily being talked about by other artists right now. I’m really proud of this album. Everything I’ve been through in the last couple of years has caused me to slow down and be more thoughtful about what sort of music I’m putting out. The process of creating music has changed too. For the first time, I feel like this album really encompasses everything about me as an artist. I’m just ready for everyone to hear it!”
The album’s grand finale, and first single, “When I Get My Wings”, looks to that other musical city in Tennessee for inspiration and lets Hoge uncork on a full-throated Otis Redding-style vocal with a heavenly host of Memphis-inspired horns.
--
NUMBER SEVEN track list:
1. Fools Gonna Fly
2. Too Old To Die Young
3. Goddamn California
4. American Dream
5. Gone
6. The Illegal Line
7. Silver Chain
8. Nothing To Lose
9. No Man’s Land
10. Trying To Be A Man
11. When I Get My Wings
NUMBER SEVEN follows up Hoge’s 2009 release, THE WRECKAGE, which was hailed as “triumphant” by the BBC; “welcome and worth the wait” by USA Today and described by American Songwriter as follows: the “eleven tightly crafted songs retain the artist’s self-assured, Southern swagger.” The long-time road warrior is planning a rigorous touring schedule with upcoming headlining dates this fall. Details and ticket information will be announced in the coming weeks.
The locally produced 
AgesandAges
Great American Taxi feat. Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon
Phish kicks off their 2011 Summer Tour on Memorial Day weekend, with three consecutive nights (May 27, 28 & 29) at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, NY. Stops along the way include Cleveland, Cincinnati, Mansfield, Darien Lake and more, as well as 2-night runs in Holmdel, Columbia and Alpharetta. These shows as well as others are represented on the auction.
100% of the proceeds raised will mutually benefit the Foundations, both of which have strong ties to the band Phish. The WaterWheel Foundation was created by Phish in 1997 to oversee the band’s various charitable activities. The Mimi Fishman Foundation was established in1999 by Miriam "Mimi" Fishman (the late mother of Phish drummer Jon Fishman) and David Shulman, as a vehicle to raise funds for various charities important to Mimi.