Joe Hermes Shares 'A Honky Tonk Feelin'
(BMA) Rock country's hottest new independent act, Joe Hermes, returns with another high-octane, backwoods banger - "A Honky Tonk Feelin'," dropping today August 22nd. A barroom-bred, blue-collar country rock anthem, "A Honky Tonk Feelin'" is built for blasting from tailgates, dive bar jukeboxes, and pickup truck speakers. On the track, Hermes delivers his signature gritty vocals over driving guitar riffs and punchy, hard-hitting rhythms - the kind of sound that gets rowdy barflies on their feet, shouting every word and ignoring last call.
"'A Honky Tonk Feelin'' captures those times when an average after work night turns rowdy at your local, low key, watering hole," Hermes imparts. "I'd just get that first drink down, feeling good, and here comes my buddies walking thru the front door. Suddenly the jukebox fires up, playing all the classics and now everybody's getting a 'A Honky Tonk Feelin'' that work is definitely going to suck tomorrow and the bar is gonna win once again!"
A bona fide, battle-tested entertainer driven by his commitment to faith, family, and belief in the American Dream, Joe Hermes stands tall behind the values he lives by. A good-hearted, fun-loving former defensive lineman, the proud Illinois native packs a powerful punch with edgy vocal textures and hard-hitting musical storylines - both intimate and boldly straight-up - that explore the tension between angel and devil as his stand-out signature. His raucous sound and high-energy stage performances - self-described as "gunpowder country" - are rooted in his earliest influences: Metallica, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Aerosmith, Pantera, and Bon Jovi. Hermes weaves intense, soulful vocals with raw, honest lyrics and his "Heart of Illinois" roots sound to create a captivating listening experience.
With the encouragement and lending hand of renowned music producer Buddy Hyatt (TOTO, George Jones, Lee Greenwood, Mickey Gilley, Tracy Lawrence), Joe recorded the EP titled SOULS WITH STONES to make his official introduction in 2020. Unintimidated by the adversity and challenges of both the music industry and the COVID-19 shutdown, the breakthrough artist redirected his focus toward songwriting, working alongside Grammy-award-winning songwriter/producer/manager Dale Oliver. In 2023, Joe released his full-length CD, ROCKIN' A COUNTRY TOWN, co-produced with Oliver behind the board. The project spotlights original tunes penned alongside Oliver, Dan Couch (Kip Moore/Cody Johnson), and Big Vinny Hickerson (of the trio Trailer Choir), including "Stronger Than Whiskey" and "Used To Be Me", which landed at No. 46 on the MusicRow Country Breakout Chart. In 2024, he released the singles "Baptized By The South" (March 2024) and "Walk Away Whiskey" (June 2024) and rolled out his Double-shot Waterfall Series (spotlighting "Hey Son," "Outlaw's Gospel," "Devil's In The Details," "Black Label Country," "American Muscle" and "Outgun The Outlaw").
Reinforcing his conviction, dedication, and talents, Hermes garnered early welcome and support from country radio, country music fans, and his peers. In three short years, he's shared the stage with some of the biggest names in country music entertainment [including David Nail, Ward Davis, Craig Campbell, Kolby Cooper, Myron Elkins, and Kinsey Rose (The Voice) among others]. Establishing a foothold in the Rock 'n Roll arena, Hermes has opened for Uncle Kracker, Black Stone Cherry, Head East, Hinder, Jackyl, and Lita Ford.
Now, with "A Honky Tonk Feelin'," Joe Hermes stakes his claim in the country rock scene. As a high-octane kickoff to the dog days of summer, the track is primed for heavy rotation, fueling the momentum of this must-see artist's prolific year and setting the stage for a wave of highly anticipated releases still to come.
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