Much like his other projects, Will Hoge penned all of the songs on his newest album, Small Town Dreams -- but not because he doesn't value the talents of other songwriters. Rather, he says that it's the only way he knows how to make music.

"I don’t know any other way to do it," Hoge admits to The Boot. "I don’t think I’m a good enough singer, artist to really interpret other people’s songs. So it’s easier for me to tell my own story."

The humble tunesmith says that he may have remained out of the spotlight if not for the Eli Young Band, who recorded a song that Hoge included on his own album, The Wreckage.

"I was always just an artist, kind of an independent artist, and then all of a sudden they recorded "Even If It Breaks Your Heart," and then suddenly I was a country songwriter," Hoge explains. "It’s opened a lot of doors for me that I never had access to before, so I’m incredibly fortunate."

The Tennessee native wrapped up his 2015 Small Town Dreams Tour earlier in June and plans to head to the United Kingdom this fall, but he insists that his first priority will always be his wife and children.

"I’m very fortunate to have a wife who’s good at managing it all; otherwise, it would be miserable," Hoge says. "[My kids are] in school, and she’s a teacher. In the summer, they have more time to come out on the road, and we might do more next year."

For now, Hoge is content making his own music his own way and on his own terms, and he feels grateful that he has found a supportive audience with whom he can share his songs.

"Everyone talks about how closed the format is and how difficult it is, but I’ve been really fortunate," Hoge says. "Everyone within the genre has been so accepting of me artistically. I feel fortunate to get to come to this party."

Download Small Town Dreams on iTunes.

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