Rising Stars: Meet Jansen Hogan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jansen Hogan.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started “The Wildlfe” in 2016 when Jack and I were in college in Indiana, and Carson was still in high school in the suburbs of Chicago. 

In the beginning, we would go to class Monday through Thursday, Carson would drive down on Thursday after class, and we would tour Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In 2019-2020, the three of us moved to Nashville and it truly has been the best thing for our growth as songwriters, producers, and artists. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think most success comes with its fair share of adversity along the way, and we have faced a few tough moments. With any job, insecurities and comparison can easily come into play, and I think there was a period where we felt like “If it hasn’t happened for us yet, is it ever going to happen?” One thing that helped us through that was that we knew we were getting better and better with each project. 

That was reflected in really great support from the fan base that we are so grateful to have. We often still feel like the same “baby” band from 2016, but we are proud of how far we’ve taken this as a fully independent band. We know that our music means a lot to people in a way that I don’t think any artist is always prepared for. We couldn’t do it without the support that we receive every day. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a songwriter at heart, and I think that it is something that will always be my first love, but I also think I have grown a love for art directing/creative directing/storytelling. I think I have always had a strong vision for what I wanted our band to be, and I have a lot of fun with the visual aspects of branding and marketing. 

In my opinion, that stuff is equally important, and it can sometimes be forgotten about. I would love to work with other artists when it comes to content and art direction. I think I have really good ideas that don’t always make sense for The Wldlfe, but could be great for someone else. 

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I’ll probably forget every single person who has helped along the way, but honestly, we’ve had great parents who have supported our dreams and never questioned why we would do this. We all feel incredibly lucky to have that. Jon Class, who was a hidden member of our band early on. 

He produced all the songs with us until Carson took on that role and he’s a huge part of our growth as a band. Elijah VanDine is a great photographer who has always dropped everything to come help us when we needed it. Up until this year, it’s been an internal operation for the most part – just the three of us writing, producing, booking, and doing our taxes. 

It’s something we’re proud of for sure, but we have a team around us now on the management (Dasha Johnson) and booking (Maxx Lesnick) front that we are so incredibly happy to have and thankful for. They’ve encouraged us in ways that we needed and kept us busy in the best ways. 

Contact Info:

• Website: thewldlfe.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/the_wldlfe
• Facebook: facebook.com/thewldlfemsc
• Twitter: twitter.com/the_wldlfe
• Youtube: youtube.com/thewldlfe

Image Credits
Elijah VanDine and Gina Di Maio