Today we’d like to introduce you to Lucas Hoge.
Hi Lucas , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a tiny town in Nebraska with a population of about 44 people, so music and the outdoors were both a huge part of my life from the very beginning. I grew up hunting, fishing, working hard, playing music, and dreaming about things that probably seemed pretty far away from a little Nebraska town.
Eventually, those dreams brought me to Nashville. Like a lot of artists, I started from the ground up—writing songs, playing anywhere that would let me, traveling countless miles, and taking every opportunity I could to get my music heard. There were plenty of ups and downs along the way, but I’ve always believed that if you keep showing up, keep working, and stay true to who you are, eventually some doors will open.
Over the years, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to build a career that has taken me places I never could have imagined as that kid growing up in Nebraska. I’ve had a No. 1 album on the Billboard Country Album Sales chart, had songs on country radio, toured and performed around the world, and had the opportunity to step onto the stage of the Grand Ole Opry—something that will never get old for me.
At the same time, my love for hunting, fishing, conservation, travel, and the outdoors opened another door. That eventually grew into my television career and *Hoge Wild*, where I’ve been able to travel the world and share incredible outdoor adventures and the people and cultures behind them.
Probably the most meaningful evolution of that journey has been *Hoge Wild Heroes*. Through the show and the Hoge Charitable Foundation, we’re able to create outdoor experiences for veterans, wounded and paralyzed heroes, active-duty service members, and Gold Star families. We get to give these incredible people an adventure, tell their stories, and hopefully remind the rest of the country about the sacrifices they and their families have made.
Today, I feel like everything I’ve done has somehow come together. I’m still writing, recording, touring, and chasing music just as hard as ever, while also hosting television, traveling, spending time outdoors, and using those platforms to give back.
It’s been a pretty wild road from a town of 44 people in Nebraska to where I am today. I’m grateful for every mile of it, and I still feel like there’s a whole lot more of the story left to write.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road—and honestly, I don’t think I’d appreciate where I am today nearly as much if it had been.
When I moved to Nashville, I came with a dream, a guitar, and a whole lot of determination, but there was certainly no roadmap. The music business can be incredibly tough. There are a lot of “no’s,” a lot of doors that don’t open, and plenty of moments when you wonder if you’re ever going to get that break you’ve been working toward. I’ve had record deals come and go, opportunities fall apart, songs I believed in that never got the chance I thought they deserved, and plenty of times when I had to figure out how to keep moving forward.
Building a television career brought a whole different set of challenges. People see the finished episode or the incredible destination, but they don’t see everything it takes to get there—the fundraising, sponsors, production costs, travel, logistics, long days in the field, editing, networks, and all the work behind the scenes. I’ve learned a lot of that by doing it, making mistakes, adjusting, and refusing to quit.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that success rarely happens on the timeline you think it will. Sometimes the opportunity you thought you needed disappears, and something completely different comes along that ends up changing your life.
There have absolutely been moments when it would have been easier to choose a different path, but I’ve always been stubborn enough to keep going. I was raised in Nebraska with the mentality that when something needs to be done, you put your head down and do the work. That has carried me through a lot.
Looking back now, even the struggles were important. They taught me how to be resilient, how to create my own opportunities, how to appreciate the people who believed in me, and most importantly, how to use whatever success I’ve been given to help somebody else.
I’m still climbing, still learning, and still chasing big dreams. I think that’s part of what keeps it exciting.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My career has really become a combination of the things I’m most passionate about—music, television, the outdoors, storytelling, and giving back.
First and foremost, I’m a country music artist and songwriter. I’ve spent years writing, recording, touring, and building a career in Nashville. I’ve been fortunate to have a No. 1 Billboard Country Album Sales album, songs on country radio, perform around the world, and step onto the Grand Ole Opry stage. Music is where this whole journey started, and it will always be at the heart of what I do.
I’m also the host and creator of *Hoge Wild* and *Hoge Wild Heroes*. Through *Hoge Wild*, I get to travel the world hunting, fishing, experiencing different cultures, meeting incredible people, and telling the stories behind the outdoor lifestyle. I’ve always wanted the show to be about more than simply the hunt or the catch. It’s about the adventure, conservation, the people, the food, the culture, and everything that happens along the way.
*Hoge Wild Heroes* has become especially important to me. Through the show and the Hoge Charitable Foundation, we create outdoor experiences for veterans, wounded and paralyzed heroes, active-duty service members, and Gold Star families. We’re able to give them an incredible experience while also using television to tell their stories and introduce viewers to the person behind the uniform or the sacrifice.
That is probably what I’m most proud of. Awards, chart positions, television shows, and career milestones are incredible, and I’m extremely grateful for all of them, but being able to take the platform I’ve built and turn it into something that can impact someone else’s life means more to me than anything.
As far as what sets me apart, I’ve never really fit into just one box—and I’ve stopped trying to. I’m a country artist who might be onstage one night, in the mountains hunting the next week, filming a television show halfway around the world after that, and then sitting beside a veteran listening to a story that completely changes my perspective on life.
At the core of all of it, though, I’m still that small-town Nebraska kid who loves country music, the outdoors, America, and good people. I’ve tried to build a career that genuinely reflects who I am rather than becoming something I thought the industry wanted me to be.
If people hear one of my songs, watch one of my shows, or see the work we’re doing with our heroes and feel like they actually know the guy behind it, then I think I’m doing something right.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
The biggest advice I would give anyone starting out is to believe in yourself, but understand that believing in yourself also means being willing to do the work when nobody is watching.
When I first started, I think I believed there would eventually be this one big break that would change everything. What I’ve learned is that a career is usually built from hundreds of little breaks—one relationship, one song, one show, one meeting, one opportunity at a time. You have to treat every one of those opportunities like it matters, because you never know which one will lead to the next.
I’d also tell people not to be afraid of hearing “no.” I’ve heard it more times than I could ever count. You’re going to get turned down, overlooked, underestimated, and sometimes watch opportunities go to somebody else. You can either let that define you or let it motivate you. Learn from it, get better, and keep moving.
Something else I wish I understood earlier is how important it is to know the business side of your dream. Talent is important, but talent alone doesn’t build a career. Learn how your industry works. Understand contracts, marketing, relationships, finances, branding, and how to create opportunities for yourself instead of always waiting for someone else to give you one.
Most importantly, stay true to who you are. It’s easy, especially in entertainment, to look at what’s working for somebody else and think you need to become a version of them. I think longevity comes when you figure out what makes you different and lean into it.
Be a good person. Show up when you say you will. Treat everyone with respect, from the person loading equipment to the person signing the contract. Work harder than people expect you to, and don’t forget to enjoy the journey while you’re chasing the destination.
I’m still learning all of those lessons myself. I still have goals I haven’t reached and dreams I’m chasing. Maybe that’s the final piece of advice: never get so comfortable with where you are that you stop being excited about where you could go next.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lucashoge.com
- Instagram: @LucasHoge
- Facebook: @LucasHoge
- Twitter: @LucasHoge
- Youtube: @LucasHoge
- Other: https://linktr.ee/LucasHoge
