Will Hoge "Trying to Be a Man"

This music biz is such a mixed up ball of confusion. Most people think things are as they always have been. Those of us entrenched on the front lines are so aware of how hard it now is to MAKE it, especially in the way that you could a couple of decades ago. Truth is, it is like grass growing through the concrete, to get awareness from the masses these days. It is hard, but not totally impossible. And that brass ring, which used to be platinum or gold...today’s ring IS made of brass, or even aluminum foil!

So when an artist is lucky enough to get a cover of one of his songs by a band that has more notoriety, let it be. I find it so funny the debate that is raging on in the YouTube comments with Will Hoge’s “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” being covered by the Eli Young Band, which we filmed backstage at The 8x10 in Baltimore a couple of years ago. Everything helps. And in the case of Mr. Hoge, anything that gets his name out there sooner is just dandy in my book. We were once again blown away by his talent, his range, and his sincerity, when he came to play for us during our Fall Music Fog Marathon in Nashville this past October. Here's the Music Fog version of ”Trying To Be A Man,” a song from Will Hoge's latest album, Number Seven.

- Jessie Scott

Riley Etheridge Jr. "Scene of the Crime"

Man oh man, it has hit like a ton of bricks. Now that the Foggers have departed Austin for their ancestral homes in the DC area, we have to take five for a moment. It was a blast, but there has to be a bit of space after entertaining so many people, in the audience, on stage at Threadgill’s WHQ, and online via Livestream. We sure hope you enjoyed it all, we sure did. The guys are going to start off-loading all the glorious moments we captured during our Spring Music Fog Marathon. It feels like a rite of passage, actually.

“Scene Of The Crime” is an easy breezy tune from Riley Etheridge Jr. As we step away from the Austin ‘scene’ that was SXSW® 2012, this is a perfect song to while away the day to. You can feel the Big Easy influence in it, which to my mind, is just what the doctor ordered. Riley lives in New York now, but you can still track the south in his music. It is a rich gumbo of rock, country, blues, soul, and folk. Just throw it into the pot and let it slow cook all day. In fact, that is not a bad idea for dinner tonight. I am getting my crock pot out right now! BTW, this song is from Riley’s album Powder Keg, though in January, he put a new EP out called Better Days.

- Jessie Scott

Music Fog Marathon Leaves Its Mark

The Music Fog Spring Marathon in Austin, Texas all seems like a dream now. I can't believe we did it - just the sheer number is pretty insane. 44 artists in four days is a whole bunch of music! And you have to know that weeks went into the planning, days into the studio set up and tear down. Denise and I have headed to our respective couches. Beans, Chris and Aaron flew home yesterday. There will be days of offloading the performances we captured, and we will be bringing it to you in due time. The Spring Music Fall Marathon postings will be rolling out later this week, however, today is a day of rest, and one of thanks, too. First off, to all 200 folks who pledged on Kickstarter; we couldn't have done this event without you. Special thanks go to our higher dollar pledgees, too: New West Records, Tikly, 36D Management, Signature Sounds, No Depression, and some dear friends and supporters, Hag & Dee, and Scott Dreher. We Foggers thank you with all our hearts.

We also want to thank all the artists who shared their music with us, and all the managers, record labels, publicists, and promoters for helping make The Music Fog Marathon happen. To the crew at Threadgill's, we loved being there! And when you spend twelve hours a day in a place, you know it has got to feel good. The wait staff took great care of us, Dave Whitney and Danny Jones and all the managers made sure we had everything we needed, which even included Music Fog parking cones for our artists to offload their gear easily. Thanks to Blake for the equipment transfer, Clay for the emergency cymbals, and Trent for the backline. And a personal thanks to Mike Meadows for the Swan branded shaker; I am bringing it with me everywhere, playing along with the music. (You might have created a monster!) Thanks to Paul Shirley for running one of our cameras, Dave Newman on the internet side, and to the whole crew for functioning in the chaos: very little sleep, nibbles at the food, and music, and then even more music!

And thanks to you for watching, whether in the audience at Threadgill's or checking out our webcast. Today is the day we collectively will catch our breath, and then onward...through The Fog!

- Jessie Scott