In the years since his first album, 2004's Last Call, Nashville singer-songwriter Stephen Simmons has wandered the wide landscape of American roots music, from contemplative country and finger-picked folk to rugged and ragged blues-rock.

 On his 12th album, Hunch, released October 24, 2025, he hints at the thread that ties 20 years of ideas together.

"It makes me feel better when I tap into the truth" he sings in the closing track on Hunch, "Someone Like You," a ballad brimming with Rhodes chimes and gentle longing.

Tapping into the truth doesn't only mean one thing, and the 10 tracks on Hunch show the breadth of what it means to mine what feels real, from connection and disconnection to wonder, sorrow, reflection and confusion.

"It's not therapy, but it's therapeutic," Simmons says. "People talk about when you first start writing, sometimes it's almost like clearing your throat. You're not really at the thing yet, and sometimes you write for a while before you get in some kind of flow. And then something starts coming together. And when you feel it, you know it's true — and you didn't know yet how you were gonna say it 'til it comes out. It's gratifying."

Hunch's predecessor, 2020's Family Album, explored the truth of where Simmons comes from in deep detail, with 18 songs about family and hidden history captured inside his grandmother's empty house in Woodbury, Tennessee.

Released amid the pandemic, it originated and unintentionally stayed close to home, as Simmons and so many of his contemporaries got stuck introducing and supporting new music virtually, smartphone sets streaming from living room to living room.

Hunch is the post-pandemic door flung wide open, carrying Simmons back to the road and miles away from Tennessee. He's in a Dresden sushi bar, wondering how and why love sparks. He's in a rented car in Amsterdam, tracing what takes us toward wrong turns. He's gazing at the moon.

But wherever Hunch travels, the narratives always seem to pull Simmons back home.

Mid-tempo country cut "Grandpa's Jacket" considers how we crave ties to where we came from, even while we chase adventure. The album's title track, while just as imbued with truth, comes at life decisions with a wink and a bluesy lurch. Everyone had ideas for where that kid from Woodbury might go. But, "Uncle Glen had the best plan of the bunch," Simmons sings, "strummin' on the guitar and live your life on a hunch."

"That's the only one that's a little cheeky," Simmons says. "It's tongue-in-cheek. It's a blues-rock song. Then everything else goes a completely different direction. I don't know why, it just kinda felt like a pivot."

 To render the full pivot, Simmons turned to folks who've been part of his musical story tracing almost back to when he first left Woodbury.

 Goffrey Moore (Jonatha Brooke, Maia Sharp) produced Hunch in his Madison, Tennessee, studio, and he and Simmons invited contributions from lap and pedal steel player Paul Niehaus, singer/pianist Molly Jewell, bassists Dave Jacques and Billy Mercer, and drummers Matthew Crouse and Bryan Owings.

 All accomplished players who've collaborated with country and Americana greats from John Prine to Patty Griffin, they've all played with Simmons on various songs and stages over decades.

These well- and long-established personal and musical connections allowed Moore and Simmons to experiment in comfort, letting songs go where they seemed to want to. The songwriter's initial intent was to hole up in Moore's century-old cabin to capture a stripped-down set. But as the recording progressed and friends came in, Hunch took a more dynamic and textured turn.

 "It was a different way to do it for me," Simmons says. "It kinda lent itself to, like, 'OK, well, maybe we'll go big on this one.' And then all of a sudden, it presents itself."

 Call it following intuition. Call it living on a hunch.

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Kurt Gott is a singer/songwriter, performer and an independent recording artist. He has been performing at various clubs, bars and restaurants throughout his life. Originally from Massachusetts, he now lives in South Florida and is a full-time musician. He has often been compared to such singers as Don Henley and Paul McCartney by many of his fans and friends. Kurt's music is best described as a blend of rock, country and blues. Some of his biggest musical influences are the Beatles, Eagles, Tom Petty, Crosby Stills & Nash, Allman Brothers and Kenny Chesney.

Kurt began writing songs almost immediately after picking up the guitar at age 13 and just a few years later taught himself how to play the piano. He also can play drums, bass guitar and often plays blues harmonica at his current shows. After 27 years of working long hours in a well-established career in television operations, he decided to quit and start a new career in music at the age of 50. Now at age 52, he has released one full album, two new singles and playing 4 to 5 shows a week.

Kurt is currently playing around South Florida in his acoustic duo and also performs solo acoustic shows. His latest album, "Last Call", reflects the recent changes in his life of tossing away the business clothes, saying goodbye to the corporate world and trading it all in to pursue his passion.

​Recently, one song off of "Last Call" titled "Wine From a Dixie Cup" won an award for 'Best Country Song of 2022' on Glacer FM Global Internet Radio Listener's Choice Awards. The excitement of this award has got him back in the studio with plans to release new music, in particular a new single called "I Miss the Nightlife" which has been released in May of 2023.

Now at this stage in his life, Kurt is doing what he loves to do, he's writing songs, recording new music and performing live shows weekly. He is grateful for the support he has gotten from all his fans over the years and is dedicated to bringing them great new music and giving great performances for many years to come.

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