Independent singer-songwriter John Ward Hocter charged onto the underground country music scene with his fast-paced 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.

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,” Hocter says with a smile. “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.

Despite those strong musical inclinations, Hocter followed Highway 23 north to Columbus and earned a degree from The Ohio State University, honing his singing and songwriting skills at house parties, open mics and small venues along the way.

After building a career as a professional writer and putting down roots with his wife and four children, the call to music was simply too strong to ignore.

“I had everything I ever wanted, but somehow there was still something missing,” Hocter says. “It all makes more sense when I have a guitar in my hands and a new song I’m working on.”

While it may have taken a few decades to release his first single, Hocter is making up for lost time — his follow up single, “Ain’t Heaven Yet,” was released in late 2023. This latest 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,” says Hocter. “This song is about sticking it out through thick and thin and carrying each other across to the other side.”

Listen to the singles “Damn Near Died Today” and “Ain’t Heaven Yet” on Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, and anywhere else fine country music is found.

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