Back in March, we introduced you to pop/country duo SixForty1 with the premiere of their infectious single “Next Kiss.” Fast forward a few months later and the guys are busy playing shows with artists like Brantley Gilbert, Michael Ray, and Walker Hayes all while working on new music.
“We’re very blessed,” band member Brooks Hoffman tells Celeb Secrets Country during the 2019 CMA Music Festival in Nashville earlier this summer. “We have an amazing band and have been able to prove to people in the industry that we can get up there and perform.”
For those of you who don’t know, Gee and Hoffman met in college. During their time at Murray State University, the guys were both nominated by their fraternities to take part in the school’s male pageant, Mr. MSU, hosted by a sorority on campus. After Brooks saw Austin sitting backstage with a guitar in hand, he introduced himself and the rest was history.
Though the two didn’t immediately work together as they were in rival fraternities. They later reconnected and began writing, booking local shows, playing to friends and building a fanbase.
Since making the move to Music City, the guys have teamed up with Hard 8 Management’s Aaron Keiser, who’s also responsible for Brantley Gilbert’s day to day management and are in the studio working on new music.
“We’re in the studio right now, pushing up another song called ‘Show You Around,'” band member Austin Gee tells Celeb Secrets Country. “We wrote it with our good friends Kyle Shlinger and Morgan Johnston about taking that special person in your hometown and showing them that side of your heart that no one really knows about. It’s a nostalgic song.”
Courtesy of Nashville Music Media
When it comes to their creative process, the guys know what they’re doing. Whether it’s alone or at co-write the guys say it’s a “team effort” at the end of the day, and they couldn’t be more thankful for the people they work with.
“It’s kind of different depending on the day and on the write. Some days we’ll have our ideas they may or may not work. Then there are other days where we get in a room and it’s lacking a little bit so you can just talk it out. And sometimes we do get the song just from talking it out,” Austin says.
Brooks continues, “There definitely are the times when we’re out. Somebody will say something and we’ll look at each other like, ‘you write that down.’ For songs like ‘Next Kiss’ and ‘Plane Crazy’ it’s always a phone call between Austin and I. It’s like, ‘dude, what about this idea? You like this, what about this melody? Is that cool?’ And we’ll send like a voice memo or a phone call. That’s when we’ll decide and take it to the next write.”
Keep up with SixForty1 by giving them a follow on Instagram at @sixforty1.
