Luke Hogan - Thank You Stranger LP
Release date: September 27th 2019
Artist Information
- Label: self-released
- Genre: indie folk
- Hometown: Portland, OR
- Influences: Elliott Smith, Townes Van Zandt, Jay Bennett
- Sounds like: Vetiver, Hiss Golden Messenger, Cave Singers
Biography
Many an aspiring musician has cursed his or her day job. Not indie folk artist Luke Hogan. His career as a carpenter has helped him to build his career as a musician. For Luke, a fortuitous turn of events enabled him to finance his imaginatively textured debut record, Thank You Stranger, by bartering his skills and building the studio it would soon be recorded in.
“Carpentry is a second passion of mine,” the Portland, Oregon-based artist shares. “It has proven to be a great skill to make connections with. When I made this record, I didn’t have to worry about how much it was going to cost; I could really take my time and explore different arrangements for each song.”
Thank You Stranger is a folk album with songs that have blossomed with intriguing arrangements, and bold textural touches such as strings, synthetic atmospherics, and non-traditional percussion. Luke sums it all up thusly: “These are acoustic songs that took on a life of their own.” Thematically, the album manages to be paradoxically personal and opaque. “It takes me a bit of distance to figure out what these songs are about,” admits Luke. “That’s why I called the album ‘Thank You Stranger.’ “I’m always trying and trying to write new songs, but I’ve learned that it’s really more about just keeping the guitar in my hands as often as I can in the hopes that when a song comes along, I’m there to grab it. The best ones show up when you’re only half paying attention. I thought the record’s title would be a good place to express my gratitude.”
Pondering the release of his debut album, Luke says: “I connect with records on a very personal level. My hope for this record is that it may be there for others in the same way that some of my favorite records were there for me. To me, that would mean ‘success.’”
