Features : Exclusive Interview with Glen Hofbauer

Artist Spotlight: Glen Hofbauer

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.

In this exclusive Q&A, Glen opens up about the stories behind the music, lessons learned along the way, and what keeps their passion alive.

FreshMusicWorld: Who are your biggest musical influences?

Glen Hofbauer: I was probably seven or eight when Dad bought a used mid-’60s Pontiac Bonneville. It was beautiful—an all-black, two-door hardtop—but the best thing about that car? The previous owner had installed an 8-track tape player! Man, I thought we were “uptown.”

Dad had two tapes: Johnny Cash and Ray Charles. We’d listen to those tapes everywhere we went. I’m pretty sure we literally wore them out.

Ray and Johnny were two of my earliest musical influences, and I think hearing them at such an impressionable age left a lasting mark on me.

FreshMusicWorld: What non-musical influences (books, movies, art, etc.) inspire your work?

Glen Hofbauer: Life. For me, life itself is rich with stories—love, heartbreak, growth, failure, resilience…the list is endless. I’ve always believed that some of the best stories are the ones we live.

I strive to be a storyteller first and a songwriter second. If I can take something I’ve experienced, or something I’ve witnessed in someone else’s life, and turn it into a story that connects with someone, then I’ve done what I set out to do.

FreshMusicWorld: Is there a particular song or album that has significantly influenced your career?

Glen Hofbauer: I can’t single out one song or album, because there have been so many that have influenced me over the years.

A few that immediately come to mind are Abbey Road by The Beatles, Harvest by Neil Young, What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye, Frampton Comes Alive! by Peter Frampton, Songs from the Big Chair by Tears for Fears, and 21 by Adele.

I’ll stop there—but honestly, my list could fill a page!

FreshMusicWorld: How do your personal experiences shape your music?

Glen Hofbauer: As I alluded to earlier, life’s experiences are the predominant driver behind my lyrics. Certainly, family and faith find their way into my songwriting as well.

FreshMusicWorld: Have your influences changed over the years?

Glen Hofbauer: I don’t believe my influences have changed all that much. The music and artists that moved me early on still resonate with me today.

What has changed is the amount of life I’ve lived. As the years go by, I simply have more experiences, more perspectives, and, thankfully, more stuff to write about.

FreshMusicWorld: How do you incorporate your cultural background into your music?

Glen Hofbauer: I grew up on a farm in a small, tight-knit rural community. To give you some perspective, there were only 23 students in my high school graduating class, and most of us had been true friends since kindergarten. Those deep, lifelong connections naturally influence my songwriting.

I was also fortunate to grow up just a few miles from my grandparents. Together with my parents, they instilled in me a foundation of faith, integrity, humility, and a hard work ethic. Those values are the bedrock of who I am, and consequently, they steer much of my writing.

FreshMusicWorld: What role does nature or your environment play in your songwriting?

Glen Hofbauer: Not as much as you might think. I spend much of my time at home working around the property, so that’s where I write most of my songs.

That said, inspiration doesn’t always wait until I’m sitting down with my guitar. I’ve written songs in the car, on a plane, and even while riding my lawn mower!

Sometimes you just have to grab the idea when it shows up.

FreshMusicWorld: When did you first realize you wanted to be a musician?

Glen Hofbauer: That goes back to high school, when I was part of a garage band with my friends Kevin Kingston and his brother, Roger. That’s probably when I first started thinking, “Hey, maybe I could actually do this.”

But that dream was pushed aside for more than 40 years while I pursued a career outside of music. I had a wife and a growing family to support, and I needed a steady job with positive cash flow. (Laughs.)

The music never really left me, though. I guess it was always there waiting for me.

FreshMusicWorld: What was the first song you ever wrote, and what inspired it?

Glen Hofbauer: Ha! The first song I ever wrote was when I was 15 or 16, and I can assure you—it will never see the light of day!

But more than 40 years later, my first serious attempt at songwriting was “Final Salute,” a track I released on my third album.

The inspiration came from a commercial flight I took while returning home to Kansas City, where we were living at the time. As we prepared for landing, everything seemed completely routine. The plane landed normally, but as we turned off the runway and began taxiing toward the terminal, I noticed fire trucks on both sides of the plane, shooting water cannons. The streams of water were arching well above the plane.
I remember thinking, “What the hell? Are we on fire?!”

Then the pilot made an announcement: the plane was carrying home the remains of a recently recovered World War II veteran.

A hush fell over the entire plane.

The pilot then asked everyone to remain seated once we reached the gate while the Honor Guard transferred the veteran’s casket from the aircraft.

As we all know, normally when a plane reaches the gate, everyone jumps up, grabs their bags, and heads for the exit. But that day, nobody moved. There were no conversations, no movement—just complete silence. It was an incredibly solemn experience, and one I’ll never forget.

That moment became the inspiration for “Final Salute.”

FreshMusicWorld: How did you get started in the music industry?

Glen Hofbauer: Ironically, it all started with the music video I was creating for “Final Salute.”
I was scouring the internet for photographs I could use to tell the real story of the war and capture the emotion of what I had experienced. I found quite a few historical images through the U.S. National Archives, but I also hoped to find photographs of a more recent event, like what I had witnessed.

I was surprised to discover that Honor Flights occur more often than I realized, and I found many poignant images capturing those events.

I researched the source of each photograph I wanted to use. One especially powerful image, taken by photographer Travis Heying for the Wichita Eagle, stood out. I contacted the newspaper’s photo editor, Jamie Green, who graciously gave me permission to use it as long as I provided proper credit.

I promised to send her the finished video as evidence that I honored our agreement—and I did. After watching it, she introduced me to her husband, Carter Green, a highly skilled sound engineer and musician.

That introduction changed everything. Prior to that meeting, my intent was to simply pitch my songs to publishers and other artists, but Carter convinced me that I should be the one publishing my songs. That’s when I decided to start releasing music.

Since then, Carter has been my trusted collaborator on every release—ten albums in all. Along the way, he has also become a dear friend.

So, in a roundabout way, you could say my entry into the music industry started with an 8-track player, a WWII veteran, a photograph, and a pretty remarkable introduction.

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