BIO
Ted Hoagland grew up in a small Indiana town and took up guitar at age 10. He began writing songs and fronting rock bands in high school. After moving to California for college, he played Bay Area clubs with a blues/rock band, and formed an acoustic group to play the San Francisco coffee house circuit. He moved to Santa Barbara 5 years ago, where he currently lives, to focus on song writing and developing his own musical voice. Ted released his debut CD, Left Field, in March 2001. His recent performances on radio and at the Goleta Lemon Festival have were warmly received. "Go Easy On Me" and other songs have received airplay on 91.9FM-KCSB, and "Calvary Hill" appeared on the Acoustic Rainbow Sampler, Vol.12.
While Hoagland's music has been described as "Americana," it varies stylistically from song to song, depending what the mood of the tale demands, spanning blues, country, jazz, folk and rock. It is influenced by writers such as Paul Simon, Randy Newman, Bob Dylan, and Tom Waits, while reflecting the sensibilities of a younger generation. Ranging from sweet to dirty, the guitar-based music is powered by distinctive hooks and engaging harmonic movement, backing a versatile baritone voice. Lyrically, the songs combine skillful storytelling and a wry sense of humor in the service of genuine emotion.
LEFT FIELD
Hoagland's debut release, Left Field, is an expansive gallery of songs that combine compelling melodies with insightful, playful lyrics and make it all seem easy. "I try to let each song I'm writing lead me where it wants to grow, especially if it's into unfamiliar territory," Hoagland said.
The eclectic range of the music is balanced by the thematic coherence of the lyrics. Hoagland writes as a young man disillusioned with the materialism, politics and spiritual incongruities of modern life. And, at a deeper level, most of the songs explore the transition from childhood to adulthood. The arrival of adolescent sexuality is given voice in "Boogie Man." The frustrations of the 9 to 5 rat race are aired in "Bandaid on a Bruise" and "Clearing." "God's Will" and "Calvary Hill" explore the ways that religion is misunderstood and abused. Throughout, a quiet optimism accompanies each difficulty, bearing the possibility of solution and redemption.
Hoagland's songs are also leavened by clever and varied humor, ranging from sublime to bawdy. A destitute narrator, upon hearing that God is dead, asks "is there anything for me in God's will?" The comical protagonist of "Boogie Man" tells his newest victim "I ain't no Adonis, I ain't no Romeo, but honey, I've got prowess like them other clowns don't know." Hoagland says, "Humor is a key ingredient to my songs, and the challenge is not to hide behind it. I try to make my songs more than funny."
With Left Field, Hoagland has established himself as a potent musician and writer, and a unique voice of his generation.
