Features : Glen Hofbauer brings nostalgia and happiness with new single “When We Were Cool”

Glen Hofbauer is an award-winning singer/songwriter based outside Chicago, Illinois. His latest track, “When We Were Cool” is an Americana Folk Rock song rooted in feelings of nostalgia and happiness. Glen’s music is a passion he’s had his whole life that he had to put a pause on but in the past few years he’s been into more than ever.

The idea for “When We Were Cool” came to Glen when he was tasked with performing at the 100th alumni banquet for a high school in central Illinois. This banquet was open to any and all graduates of the school meaning he would have a wide audience.

“I wanted to write a song that the crowd who had graduated in the 60s, 70s and 80s could relate to.” he said.

Glen knows that reflecting on favorable times is something everyone does, especially the older they get. This song captures that as he paints a picture of stories of being out with friends and even weaves in some slang specific to the decades which keeps the song fun and relatable. The energy level of the song is high with the guitars and drums capturing the Americana Folk Rock genre well.

“I want people to be able to reflect on the pleasant times they had in school. We all had times in school when we felt cool.” he said.

Glen’s songwriting comes from authentic experiences he’s had. While “When We Were Cool” specifically reflects on high school memories, he’s written other songs that reflect on all kinds of memories he’s made across the years. Whether they were with family or friends, they were all essential parts of his life.

“For me, the past and music are one in the same. Much of my songwriting comes from reflecting on life experiences I’ve had in multiple capacities.” he said.

The love of music has been a constant in Glen’s life. He was in a garage band in high school but as life continued, he put music on the back burner. 40 years later he has returned to it and it has reached a level he never thought it would. He officially returned in 2020 and now that he’s retired, he’s got the time to pour his heart into it.

“When I set out on this journey six years ago, I never imagined I’d be releasing my 10th album.” he said.

Loving music means loving all genres for Glen. He prides himself on this, having made music influenced by rock, soul, blues and R&B. He even did a cover of the hit “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley, giving it what he called a more “melancholy” approach. Glen is grateful for his Emmy award winning sound engineer, Carter Green, who is open to all of his musical ideas and is often pleasantly surprised by what Glen sends him.

“I just enjoy good music, regardless of what genre it may be in.” said Glen.

Glen has been named “One To Watch” by the Nashville Songwriters Association twice but he simply does music when and how he wants to. He takes it seriously but also takes his time with it. The joy of making all kinds of music at his pace is what makes him happy.

“It’s never too late to follow your passion and once you start, never give up on it.” he said. 

“When We Were Cool” by Glen Hofbauer is available on streaming services now.

You can see more of Glen’s nostalgia fueled music by keeping up with him on these platforms.

Website | Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

The Starlight PR Team thanks Glen for taking the time to speak with us.