Red Dirt Country Artist and Nocona, TX native, Tanner Fenoglio has been writing and performing since 2005. Two years ago the band released their first album “This Town” which doubles as the name of their most popular song. After taking time off, Fenoglio and the band released their newest album “Lucky Man” in 2018 that was inspired by his life with his wife and children.

“Most of our last album ‘Lucky Man’ was written and influenced by my wife and kids. That is really why we titled the album ‘Lucky Man’. We knew it probably wouldn’t be a single but I felt it just really captured where I am in life better than any of the others,” said, Fenoglio.

Between albums Fenoglio took time off to spend with family.

“It gave my song writing a whole new depth and relatability for a lot of people just because of how my perspective changed after my oldest was born,” Fenoglio said. “In retrospect, the time I took away from music was one of the most important things I did. I matured vocally, gained a whole new level of respect for career musicians and was able to apply some business sense to my decision making that wasn’t there before.”

Fenoglio credits a great deal of his musical inspiration to his small-town upbringing in his hometown of Nocona.

“Growing up in Nocona was great and the support from friends and family over the last couple of years from Nocona has been incredible.”

Fenoglio reminisced on his childhood there sharing that, “We spent a lot of time on backroads and a lot of nights on the river and lake like most kids growing up in a small town. I really believe there are a lot of life lessons that small rural towns teach these days that can’t be found anywhere else. It influenced me to write relatable songs and stay true to myself.”

Since he was young, Fenoglio has admired other red-dirt artists who greatly impacted his song writing, attending their concerts any time he got the chance.

“In high school when I first started playing guitar and I was die-hard Boland, Ragweed, No Justice, Randy Rodgers (all the early red-dirt guys) and I looked up to all of them,” Fenoglio said. “We would catch a show every week and went to every festival that was close. That early 2000’s red-dirt movement was really what inspired me to start writing music.”

In 2016 Fenoglio was performing in a lot of solo shows, but as he got more serious about his music the band was formed.

“I was playing a lot of acoustic shows three years ago and I had talked to enough people that I respected that told me I needed to start playing more full-band shows to take the next step,” Fenoglio said. “I was in the process of recording the EP ‘This Town’ and it just organically happened. We played a lot of covers and a lot of three to four hour sets and just kept working to get tighter. We were throwing in more and more originals as we got better and there is just an energy and adrenaline of playing original music in a band that you can’t get anywhere else.”

According to Fenoglio, the band formed naturally and members Chad Henderson (Lead Guitar, Harmonies), Cory Neu (Bass Guitar), Mark Murphy (Steel Guitar, Harmonies) and Mason Murphy (Drums, Tour Manager) have been growing together as artists since the beginning.

“It was mostly organic. I have been lucky to not have to battle a revolving door of band members,” Fenoglio said. “We are all north Texas raised dudes that just enjoy playing and making music and for the last two years we have just tried to keep improving as musicians and worked to put the best live show together that we can.”

Fenoglio named getting to open up for Mike Ryan at House of Blues in Dallas as their favorite venue, but their dream stage is in Fort Worth, Texas.

“Headlining Billy Bob’s has been a goal of mine since I started playing music,” Fenoglio said.

Fenoglio never thought his music would become this successful and he is thankful to those who have supported him and the band along the way.

“There are a handful of people that believed in me and believed that this music thing could be a career, long before I ever did. I would like to sit here and say that I always knew music was my calling but that wouldn’t be true. I owe a lot of people more than I will ever be able to repay for pushing me and getting me out of my comfort zone.”

Fenoglio is looking forward to playing the Hydro Pros Stage at Larry Joe Taylor Texas Music Festival later this month.

“I am just excited to get the opportunity to perform with the band. Playing the main stage at LJT is another big goal of ours so this will get us that much closer to reaching it,” Fenoglio said. “LJT is known for having the best of the best so it is just an honor to be invited out.”

Finally, the band is thankful for their fans and everyone who believes in their music.

“Just a huge thanks to everyone who listens and shares our music and shows up to live shows. We simply can’t do what we are doing without these two things happening,” Fenoglio said. “Can’t wait to see everyone in April!”

Give Tanner Fenoglio’s new album a listen and check him and the band out at LJT on the Hydro Pros Stage on Wednesday, April 24.