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COLUMBUS, OHIO (Aug. 4, 2023) — Independent singer-songwriter John Ward Hocter charged onto the underground country music scene with his debut single “Damn Near Died Today”—an ode to living in the moment featuring legendary fiddler Michael Cleveland that was named a Finalist in the 2023 Great American Song Contest.
Now he’s back with the follow-up single “Ain’t Heaven Yet,” available today to stream or download on all major platforms.
The new release celebrates the dedication, devotion, and hard work necessary to nurture a truly lifelong love. Recorded at Earthwork Recording Studio in central Ohio and produced by Brandon Bankes, the track features Scott Vestal on banjo; Katie Blomarz on upright bass; Caleb Gilbreath on drums; Tai Ray on backup vocals; Bankes on pedal steel; and Michael Cleveland returning on fiddle.
“If you’re going to be together forever—eternity, that is—you have to start somewhere,” said Hocter. “This song is about sticking it out through thick and thin and carrying each other across to the other side.”
Born and raised in the foothills of the Appalachians in southern Ohio, Hocter hardened his hands on beat up guitars, cut his heels on old gravel roads, and wrote his first country song on the front porch of his family’s log cabin at age 15.
“It was a funny song to make my best friend laugh,” said Hocter. “Just two chords and one hell of a wild story.”
His own story is recorded in the many original country songs he’s written since that day, capturing the extraordinary people, places, and pace of life in rural communities and small towns across America. And while it may have taken him a few decades to record his debut in “Damn Near Died Today,” Hocter is making up for lost time, with plans to release more music later this year.
Hear the new single “Ain’t Heaven Yet” on Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music and anywhere else fine country music is found.
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