Meet Nick Hetzler of Thompsons Station

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Hetzler

Hi Nick, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a small town in Illinois called Beardstown, and music’s always been a big part of my life. My dad introduced me to his record collection when I was young, and from that moment on, I was hooked. In my teens, I started playing guitar in rock bands and learning as many songs as I could. I went to Millikin University for music because I thought I wanted to be a producer or engineer. In 2007, two weeks after graduation, I moved to Nashville and interned at Blackbird Studio, which was a pretty wild experience for a kid from the middle of nowhere. I met some great people there, but I quickly realized that the technical side of music wasn’t really what I wanted to do. Eventually, I kind of lost my passion for music altogether—I wasn’t playing much guitar and had pretty much given up on it.

In 2008, I got married to my high school sweetheart, Amanda, and then we had our son, Reid, in 2010. I shifted gears, took a few corporate jobs, and focused on my family. I still did the occasional music project with friends, but nothing serious. Living in Nashville, though, I couldn’t help but notice that my self-taught guitar skills weren’t exactly up to par, so I started taking lessons with Rob Jackson and Erik Halbig to get better at Country music and to really learn my way around the fretboard. I’m still no Brent Mason, but I improved a lot, and that rekindled my love for playing.

Then in 2017, I met a guy at my corporate job, Chad Cates, who became a close friend and fellow musician. We decided to put together a setlist of cover songs and try playing some gigs around town. That turned into a full-blown band that lasted until 2022. We ended up playing the Broadway circuit and other Nashville venues. That experience really helped me find my singing voice and gave me the push to start doing my own thing. Without that time in the band, I don’t think I’d be where I am today.

In 2020, when everything was shut down because of COVID, I started writing songs. The first one I wrote was “Whisper In The Breeze,” and it gave me the confidence to think, “Hey, maybe I can really do this.” I started working with the amazing Moe Loughran, who helped me improve my songwriting and encouraged me to play songwriter rounds and record my songs. Her belief in me was a huge confidence boost. From there, I started playing rounds, meeting other writers, and building a community of musicians that I’ve stuck with.

One of the most important people I’ve met along the way is my friend and incredibly talented songwriter/musician Lindsey Hinkle. She’s believed in me from the very beginning. The first time we met, she invited me to play at Eddie’s Attic with her just a few months later, which was a surreal experience. That show is still one of my all-time favorites. Thanks to Lindsey, I’ve connected with so many amazing people in the songwriting world—some of my best friends, actually. A big shoutout to my friends and co-writers Delphia, Brittany Brodie, Steven Charles, Deidre Thornell, and Kelli Johnson. And I can’t forget to mention my producer/engineer Brett Ryan Stewart for helping me bring my songs to life. I’m really proud to have these people in my corner, and I’m excited to see where we all go from here. It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m just getting started.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Oh man, it’s been a rough road, and it still is. Chasing music is not for the faint of heart. Trying to juggle being a husband, a dad, working a full-time job outside of music, all while writing songs, playing shows to cover recording costs, building up my social media—it’s a lot. And honestly, I don’t always get the balance right. My wife would be the first to say that. But thank God she’s so supportive; I couldn’t do this without her.

If I didn’t love writing and playing music as much as I do, it’d be easy to walk away. I’ve tried “quitting” before, but somehow, I always end up coming back to it. As cliché as it sounds, music isn’t just something I do—it’s in me. Whether or not a career ever comes out of it, I’ll be playing music until the day I die. It’s just who I am

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a Rock/Southern Rock/Outlaw Country musician, kind of a blend of everything I grew up listening to—from Led Zeppelin to Soundgarden to Chris Stapleton and everything in between. You’ll hear all those influences in the songs I write.

My first EP, Where I Come From, which comes out in 2025, is a collection of songs that are all a little different but represent my musical journey. For example, the first single from the EP, “Nothing Left to Lose,” came out earlier this year, and it’s this hard-driving, outlaw song with a strong guitar riff and big vocals. The second single, “Slow,” which drops on September 13th, is a slow, bluesy ballad with delicate vocals and sultry lyrics. I think people will get a good mix of who I am musically with these songs.

What I’m most proud of is jumping into songwriting and actually creating songs that I’m proud of. I’ve accomplished more than I ever thought I would, and sometimes it’s easy to forget that. I’m always thinking I need to do more, but when I think back to a few years ago, I hadn’t even written my first song yet. So yeah, I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and I’m just as proud of the relationships I’ve built along the way.

I think being almost 40 and having lived a life outside of music and songwriting gives me a unique perspective. I’ve got life experiences to write and sing about now that I didn’t have when I was in my twenties. I’ve experienced love for my wife of 16 years, unconditional love for my son, some tough losses, and the struggle of chasing a dream while working a full-time job. I’m just a regular guy pursuing music, and in a weird way, I think that’s what makes me stand out.

How do you define success?
To me, success isn’t about making money—it’s about doing what you love, finding happiness in it, and creating something you can truly be proud of. When you’re passionate about what you do and it leads to new friendships and connections, that’s more valuable than anything else. If I’m playing music, feeling fulfilled, building relationships, and creating something I’m proud of, that’s what real success looks like to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nickhetzlermusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickhetzlermusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Nick-Hetzler/100090033769850/?_rdr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@nickhetzlermusic?si=_1-xOmD0xdy2QrLT
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-101903848
• Other: https://linktr.ee/nickhetzlermusic?fbclid=IwY2xjawEk2xRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHf9xPisz5ymqJW4dzvt_RdbJpTpCtwDSXEJIQk09ejY6DhP6VJtyjw9tNQ_aem_V-hewu3tCqiOa28JeiaHXQ

Image Credits
R. Weber Photo
Randon Bopp Productions