Derek Hoke Announces New Album 'Electric Mountain'

East Nashville-based singer-songwriter Derek Hoke has announced that his new album Electric Mountain will be released on September 9 via 3Sirens Music Group, the first release from the Music City collective 3Sirens' label arm. Hoke has also just shared his new single "Wild and Free," a dreamy blend of acoustic guitar and synthesizers that arrives with a lively music video. Electric Mountain is now available for pre-order.

"'Wild and Free' is an acoustic song that I wanted to have build and build and build," shares Hoke. "Originally it was about 10 minutes long and we edited the end off, as it just kept going which would be too much for some people. The idea was to start small with a chorus of voices. I think of it as driving through the desert as the sun's coming up, as the idea."

Hoke's forthcoming record Electric Mountain finds the East Nashville music veteran stepping back into the light following his previous release, 2017's Bring the Flood, which in contrast was a bit darker and moodier.

Produced by longtime collaborator and childhood friend Dex Green (Elvis Costello, Allison Russell), Electric Mountain draws on influences that range from Appalachian folk music to Peter Gabriel classics to Bruce Springsteen demos, with plenty of futuristic instrumentals in between. Hoke's previous records have featured such talents as Robyn Hitchcock, Jason Isbell, Luther Dickinson, Elizabeth Cook, Aaron Lee Tasjan, and more. On Electric Mountain, he keeps the local Music City love going: Prudent listeners will recognize vocals from Thayer Serrano and fiddle from Lillie Mae.

Hoke has spent the better part of the last two-plus decades making a home for himself in East Nashville, whether he's hosting $2 Tuesday at iconic venue The Five Spot or spending a quiet night alone fiddling with Eurorack synthesizers. But his musical success has been hard-fought every step of the way.

Raised in Florence, South Carolina, Hoke taught himself to play and write music by ear, mimicking the sounds he'd heard on records and through airwaves. Despite not having a musical family or a local community of players, Hoke found new influences - including '90s staples like Ben Folds, Wilco, and Drivin N Cryin - through his job at the town record shop.

Making his own way wasn't easy, but Hoke's bumpy path to Nashville fostered an independent spirit that allows him to maintain a fresh musical perspective - and on the new 10-song album Electric Mountain, Hoke has crafted a collection of songs that put his versatility on full display.

Watch the new music video here: