Grammy-nominated recording artist Will Hoge catapulted into the national spotlight with the release of his top-selling single “Strong” which is featured on his newest album Never Give In. Will Hoge, who at one point attended Western Kentucky University, will be returning to Kentucky and performing at the Mercury Ballroom on Friday, May 29 - presented by New Country Q 103.1.

Breaking into mainstream country, the critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter has penned Lady Antebellum's “Better Off Now (That You’re Gone),” and co-wrote the Platinum-selling No. 1 smash “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” recorded by the Eli Young Band. His stage shows are equal parts sweat, charisma and rock & roll revival which has landed him coveted opening slots for Dierks Bentley, John Mellencamp, Pistol Annie’s, Shinedown and ZZ Top.  However, it hasn't always been hits and highlights for Hoge.

Will Hoge has been through the wringer. Since launching his career in the late ’90s, the Nashville singer-songwriter has grinded it out on the road, touring through the dead of winter in an RV with no heat; released albums that, while critically acclaimed, didn’t result in the kind of commercial success; and even stared down an early death, surviving a wicked traffic accident in 2008, an experience that framed his poignant 2009 album The Wreckage.

Yet Will has persevered. And that defiant worldview is woven throughout his latest project, Never Give In. Will’s ninth album, Never Give In is a collection of 11 songs, ranging from Stones-y rock ’n’ roll to Kristofferson country, that reflects an artist taking stock of where he is as a father, a husband, a man. There is pride in where he’s landed and nostalgia for where he’s been, all of it brought to life by Will’s soulful voice and indefatigable spirit.

“In both my career and personal life, I’ve had a million chances to walk away or quit,” says Will, a married father of two. “But with this project, there is a sense of pride and ownership that we—the band, our families and our fans—have taken, and that mentality is about never giving in. It represents where we all are, artistically and in our lifestyles.”