Promoting his new EP The Living Room Sessions released Oct. 12, Nashville rocker Will Hoge will be performing in Akron at Tangiers this Saturday.

Each song off The Living Room Sessions was performed in Hoge’s living room, recorded on a laptop placed on a card table, which did double duty as the artist’s keyboard stand. The album consists totally of acoustic versions of previously released tracks.

We have a single out now, Favorite Waste of Time, and the label wanted us to record an acoustic version, Hoge said. I don’t love that idea of just doing straight up acoustic versions of stuff. So we set up in our living room; we decided to put that mini-album out instead of just sticking that acoustic song on the end of another album. It was really freeing, the band was allowed to just do whatever we want.

Playing his brand of soulful roots rock and roll around the country for over 10 years, Hoge has had the opportunity to play with bands such as Sugarland and Need to Breathe. He will begin touring with the band Shinedown starting Nov. 4 in Tampa.

It’s such a cool opportunity for us, Hoge said about the chance to tour with Shinedown. The thing we’re most excited about is that there’s a whole new group of people. We come from more of an Americana roots-based music, and they don’t. At the core of it, it’s just about the music and how you move people.

Hoge has recently been featured on USA’s Pick of the Week multiple times, as well as The CBS Early Show.

Hoge’s current tour schedule includes 37 cities across the US, including Memphis, Chicago and Washington D.C.

Hoge has no problem finding influence for writing music. He can describe his influence in just four letters, Life.

We’ll come home and all get away from each other for a couple of weeks, Hoge said. After that we’ll head back into the studio. We’re partially through another album right now.

Hoge can be seen this Saturday, Oct. 16 at Tangiers at 7 p.m. Tickets must be ordered from 91.3 The Summit by phone at 330-761-3099.

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