Country rock is a sub-genre of popular music that has been missing since the 1980’s. Formed from the fantastic fusion of rock with country, which began with albums in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s by performers such as, Bob Dylan and The Byrds, has come back with a vengeance. And this writer could not be more thankful. Let’s face it, the 1990’s has included a list of “bad” music. The rap and heavy metal worlds have slowly been disappearing, as record companies find that ‘pop’ and ‘country rock’ are the two genres that everyone wants.
Now, Darren Hincks has been compared to “Gordon Lightfoot, Merle Haggard, with a bit of Keith Urban’s style.” I can see where this particular reviewer was coming from although, for me, when I listened to an extraordinary song titled, Sadie After Midnight, I could almost feel that spark of Bob Seger and a bit of The Eagles in there, when they took country rock to new heights with their Desperado work.
Darren Hincks is a master lyricist, ladies and gentlemen, and he doesn’t cover up his amazing talent with media ridiculousness. As one reviewer commented, “Tomorrow’s ‘next big thing’ normally arrives trumpeted with an expansive and expensive website. Then there are the publicity shots. Often there’s a styled hat…a shiny buckle and a canyon of gleaming teeth…”
With Darren Hincks, however, when you race to his website (if you’re not already there and have abandoned me completely), Darren “The Rider” Hincks provides the one thing that the music industry has been missing for a very long while…talent. Great songs. A ‘beat’ that can be felt and remembered after the lyrics are done. No hoopla…just skill. New concept, right?
Fans are lining up from the United States to the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Holland, Denmark – you name the location and they’re listening to Darren Hincks as we speak. In fact, they are going a little “crazy” over The Rider because of that country rock style that he has completely down pat.
There are songs titled, Sail Away, Southern Signs, and more that are available on The Rider’s play lists right now, and each one falls into the category of a song you’ll replay again and again. And, more importantly, the songs DON’T sound like anything else that you can simply retrieve from the World Wide Web. I know you’ve heard this before, but Darren “The Rider” Hincks seems to be a real one-of-a-kind artist!
To give you a bit of background information, it was at the young age of fourteen when Darren Hincks began creating songs – putting words to music – and performing them for one and all. He was influenced by many legends including, Merle Haggard and – funnily enough – ZZ Top. As you can see, The Rider’s musical “likes” encompassed a great deal of genres, which most likely was what gave him the ability to create a sound that is completely unique.
When Darren Hincks “rode” into Nashville to record his CD, it was simply because it was the only place where he felt he could find the right studios and the right players that would merge seamlessly with his musical vision. As fate and luck would have it, The Rider did find some truly perfect individuals who fit right in with the concept he was trying to “gift” his audience. Among these musicians were Bob Miner (acoustic guitar, mandolin); and, Denny Hemingson (lap steel guitar, pedal steel guitar) who were from Tim McGraw’s band, The Dancehall Doctors.
You know what else you will be completely taken by when you first hear Darren “The Rider” Hincks perform? The truth. Yet another new concept for the music industry. The songs that Darren Hincks creates are songs with an almost mystical quality; the lyrics are honest and memorable. When Darren Hincks talks about life, love, family, fun, and freedom, he covers them with a brutal honesty and a voice that would be absolute perfection on every radio station across the country.
Without all the hype, this is one of those perfect musicians who is absolutely comfortable with what he is giving to his fans. He knows what he’s good at, he knows what he wants to say, and he says it – simply, clearly, and in an extremely entertaining way.
On the personal side, Darren Hincks has a life as honest, calm, and peaceful as his songs and his surroundings. Which can be heard in his song titled, Keeping It Simple, which exudes the creativity, happiness, and brilliance that comes from the simple pleasures of life.
The unique texture of The Rider’s voice, and the somewhat intriguing atmosphere around this quiet, down-to-earth man, makes him an enigma of sorts. This is a true talent – a true artist – in an industry that has been known to offer more than a few “fakes.”
All I can say is that I can’t wait to explore Darren Hincks’s songs and life in more detail in the coming months, so stay tuned. In fact, I can already give you a fantastic piece of information. On August 1st a single titled, Another Beer and A Shot from his new album, Come To Me, will be available to listen to on his site. And next week, I will be able to give you a one-on-one interview with this ‘man of mystery’ that will charm each and every one of you and bring you racing to The Rider’s doorstep!
I’m telling you now, Darren “The Rider” Hincks has that “IT” factor, and is about to take America by storm!
For Booking information contact: tom@alltiedupproductions.com or phone 303.956.0569
