Keepin' it Country Media & Radio » J.T. Hodges

Join Us For Our Twitter Chat with JT Hodges!

Lydia Picknell — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 15:13:56 +0000

We’re proud to announce that we’ll be hosting a Twitter Chat with Show Dog-Universal’s J.T. Hodges tomorrow night! Join us at 8 pm CST / 9 pm EST by following both us @keepinitblog and JT: @helloJTHodges and using the hashtag #jthodgesfan. J.T. will be answering fan questions and we’ll be handing out prizes to participants – autographed CD’s from J.T., and even one-of-a-kind #jthodgesfan t-shirts that are not available for purchase! It’s easy to join us and follow along:

- Follow both Keepin’ it Country and J.T. Hodges on Twiter

- Use the hashtag #jthodgesfan when sending in your questions for J.T.

- We’ll pick questions and send them to J.T.!

- To ask your question, or talk with J.T., tweet both @keepinitblog and @hellojthodges and use hashtag #jthodgesfan somewhere in your tweet. That way we can see it and pass it on.

Even if you don’t want to ask a question, feel free to join us and chat! Don’t forget to let us know who you’d love to see next.

We named J.T. as “one to watch” for 2012. He released his self-titled debut country album last month, and is about to release new single “Sleepy Little Town” to radio. Check out the Texas singer-songwriter’s last single, “Goodbyes Made You Mine,” below:

JT Hodges Taking It To The Fans Release Week

Lydia Picknell — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 20:12:28 +0000

JT Hodges will be a pretty busy guy next week with the release of his debut, self-titled album. He’ll be interacting with fans as he counts down the hours to the release of his highly anticipated album: including an interactive internet chat, a stop his hometown of Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, and visiting of the biggest shopping malls in the world at Mall of America in Minneapolis. He’ll also be previewing his album for his fans with an appearance on Sirius/XM’s The Highway’s broadcast of interviews and band performances, which kicked off on August 13th, and runs until release day on August 21st.

When JT released his debut single “Hunt You Down” last year, he quickly put faith in fans and the music industry and became one of the most engaged artists in country music through social media and constant touring. He even had his fans pick his next single, “Sleepy Little Town,” through a vote on his official Facebook fan page. The single will be released to country radio on September 10th.

“It’s only natural that JT decided to spend release week with the fans who have so actively supported him on his first two singles,” said Bill Kennedy, Show Dog-Universal Music’s VP of Sales, Marketing and New Media. “From the moment we released his first single, JT has been directly engaged with music fans through his various social sites and especially through his touring, We at the label agreed with JT that spending this important first week with the people who brought him to the dance was time well spent.”

JT will kick off his release week events with a special online 30-minute chat and performance at 7 pm CST. It’s the latest episode of “Just Talkin’,” and can be streamed on his Ustream page right here. On August 20th, JT takes it to the streets in his hometown of Dallas-Fort Worth with a special meet-and-greet at Joe T Garcia’s in Fort Worth. On release day, August 21st, he’ll be holding a special in-store performance at the Southwest Loop Best Buy in Fort Worth. On the 24th, he’ll be doing an autograph signing and performance at the Best Buy at the Mall of America.

JT’s self-titled debut CD is one of our favorites of 2012, and is available for pre-order right now on jthodges.com. Fans can order a digital copy through iTunes, or a physical copy through Amazon.

5 Reasons You Need To See JT Hodges At Boots & Hearts

Lydia Picknell — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:17:56 +0000

We named Show Dog Universal’s J.T. Hodges our “one to watch for 2012″ earlier this year… and for good reason. His debut country album hits physical and digital stores on August 21st, and he’ll be playing the Sirius/XM Front Porch Stage on Saturday night from 6:30 to 7:30. He’ll be on-stage during Sheryl Crow and right when Alabama starts, but we believe fans need to check out J.T.

Here’s our five reasons why you can’t miss J.T.’s set in Bowmanville, Ontario tomorrow night:

5. J.T’s debut self-titled album finally drops on August 21st, so fans watching his show at the festival will be able to preview his album before its even out! His record is a fantastic debut for J.T., which our very own Ian had to say: “JT Hodges does two things really, really well. His full-bodied voice gives personality and a personal touch to nearly every song. And each song has a distinctive flavour, which both his voice and the instruments help provide…JT Hodges is going to be a star. More than any new artist I’ve heard, he makes interesting, varied, full-blooded music. In the biggest show of respect I can make, I’ll be buying this album myself.”

4. J.T. was a semi-finalist for the Academy of Country Music’s New Artist of the Year award after releasing only one single! His “Hunt You Down” was so catchy that it earned him a spot in the fan-voted semi-finals. He’s one of the brightest new stars to come out of Nashville, and he’s one that Canadian country fans really need to check out – and dance along to “Hunt You Down.” See this video for a little refresher:

3. J.T. is a performer. He plays an energetic, rock and roll show that gets fans up on their feet. He’s been one of the hardest working artists over the last year, and he brings everything he has into his performances. At Boots & Hearts, fans should expect nothing less than a fun, rocking show from the Texas native.

2. Big things will be coming this year from J.T. Hodges. He has been getting more and more popular as fans and critics recognize his talent – even before his debut self-titled release! This is one of those chances where fans can look back on with a “remember when…”. He’s always great at interacting with his fans on social media, both on Twitter and Facebook, as well as in-person at his shows. He’s appreciative of where he’s from and you can look back on the day you saw him just before he became a superstar.

1. J.T. has toured with some pretty big names over the last year. He’s shared the stage with Toby Keith, Brantley Gilbert, Eric Church, Ronnie Dunn and more! But, most importantly, he has the background to be a star – his mom was a MCA Nashville signed artist, and his father owned the first multi-track recording studio in Fort Worth, Texas. J.T. has the experience to put on one heck of a show. He has learned from some of the biggest names in the business and uses that experience to put on the best show for his fans.

Check out J.T. Hodges tomorrow night at Boots & Hearts Music Festival in Bowmanville, Ontario. Tickets are still on-sale at the box office on-site. For more information on the festival visit bootsandhearts.com, and to check out why we’re so excited for J.T. visit him at jthodges.com.

REVIEW: JT Hodges Debut Album

Ian Ewing — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 22:44:21 +0000

When I was asked to review JT Hodges’ self-titled debut album, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d heard his name, and I’d heard some positive reviews, but I couldn’t name a single song of his.

Now I know what to expect. And it’s a lot of good things.

The first notes of the lead song, “Rather Be Wrong Than Lonely”, are a quick drum beat and strong guitar chords that set the pace for my growing enthusiasm. I was into the song before he even began singing. Rarely does an album capture me so quickly, but by the time Hodges made it to the first chorus, I was trying to sing along to his full, sonorous voice.

The singer takes on small-town secrets in “Sleepy Little Town”. Although I’m usually not impressed by rehashes of old concepts, I really was with this one. Hodges actually puts a unique spin, both melodically and lyrically, on this old idea as he sings about how the “lights come on”, exposing three big secrets.

Around a minute into the third song, I realized I’d heard it before. With a line as memorable as “Look you up? Hell, I’m going to hunt you down”, I’m surprised I forgot at all. “Hunt You Down” was released to radio last year, but hasn’t seen nearly the airtime I think this fun cantina ditty deserves.

Three songs in, I began wondering how I didn’t know who JT Hodges was. Three songs, three hits? This guy is for real. Where have I been?

And it didn’t slow down from there. “Give It One More Night” starts to show shades of a comparison KICB’s Lydia made – he reminds her of a lighter Gary Allan. Hodges modulates his voice really well toward the end of this number, showing an easy versatility that many singers never achieve, let alone so early.

The album takes a turn with “When I Stop Crying”, a slow, sombre piano-backed ballad. The “Gary Allan-lite” moniker fits here, too, and although this isn’t my type of song, Hodges does it justice as well as any established singer I can think of. And Vince Gill (yes, that Vince Gill) guest stars.

Hodges’ next song, “Goodbyes Made You Mine”, really struck a chord with me. He contrasts himself with her first love, first kiss, that guy who crossed her off his list, all those red taillights that left her behind. “I’m not that man!/Girl, after all you’ve been through/ I knew it’d be a matter of time/ till all those goodbyes made you mine.” With the lyrics running through my head, I can’t even review it. Luckily, it’s been released to radio, so you can review it yourself. What a great song.

“Leaving Me Later” is a lot like all those songs about girls you know you can’t tie down, but try anyway. Tim McGraw’s “For a Little While” comes to mind. Although this isn’t quite at that calibre, I don’t get an urge to skip over it.

There are moments in “Right About Now” where you think Hodges is going to do something unique and interesting, but then the moment passes. It’s a good song, about the singer knowing exactly what his ex would be doing “right about now”, but I find myself disappointed that the song doesn’t push any boundaries. Instead, it fits exactly within the little lyrical and melodic box you’d expect for the subject – something Hodges has, to his credit, avoided up to this point.

But the singer-songwriter comes back with “Rhythm Of The Radio”, which steps at least to the edge of that box again. That’s mostly thanks to the instrumentals, which, happily, vary nearly song-to-song on this album.

The album closes with “Green Eyes Red Sunglasses”. This southern rock-infused number has yet another distinctive sound, and though it won’t be for every fan of pure country, I’ve always enjoyed a good genre crossover.

JT Hodges does two things really, really well. His full-bodied voice gives personality and a personal touch to nearly every song. And each song has a distinctive flavour, which both his voice and the instruments help provide.

The best songs are probably still the first three, “Rather Be Wrong Than Lonely”, “Sleepy Little Town”, and “Hunt You Down”, as well as “Goodbyes Made You Mine”.

JT Hodges is going to be a star. More than any new artist I’ve heard, he makes interesting, varied, full-blooded music. In the biggest show of respect I can make, I’ll be buying this album myself.

“JT Hodges” comes out August 21, 2012.

RATING: 8.5/10