NICK HEXUM INTERVIEW

Forget the in-ear monitors and complex stage setups. For this solo run, Hexum is embracing a tradition that predates modern rock and roll. “It’s just a very different production than the normal 311 with the loud amps and close mics and in-ears and all that,” Hexum explains. “This is basically super old-timey, where we’re all crowded around one microphone like ‘O Brother Where Art Thou.’ It’s very different!”

A New Phase of Curiosity

While Hexum’s career has been defined by the massive success of 311, his personal playlist has taken a turn toward the roots. He cites artists like Wilco and Sierra Farrell as current inspirations, alongside classics like Willie Nelson. This project is the result of what he describes as a “really strong Americana phase.”

“I found myself listening to Wilco and Sierra Farrell and different music,” says Hexum. “That’s where my curiosity led me—was to be influenced by artists like that, plus the classics. Back in the time of Buddy Holly, Elvis, and Chuck Berry, it was just cool music, and it hadn’t really split into genres. Going back to those influences has just piqued my curiosity.”

Bluegrass Reworks and Brutal Honesty

Fans heading to the Grog Shop can expect a diverse setlist that bridges Hexum’s past and present. The show will feature songs from his new album, Phases of Hope and Hollow (a collection of three EPs released last year), alongside carefully chosen covers and reworked 311 classics.

“There are some 311 songs reworked in there to be more of a bluegrass arrangement, and it goes super brutal honesty,” Hexum shares. “I really went towards those things that maybe I would’ve hidden away before, but I know that to have really profound art, you need to go into the dark caves.”

A Soundtrack to Childhood

For those looking for an introduction to this solo era, Hexum points to the song “1978.” Written with his sister, the track is a nostalgic look back at a pre-technology childhood filled with forts and Slip ‘N Slides. The music video even features actual Super 8 home movies filmed by his father.

Another standout is “Careless,” which Hexum describes as a “rip in a bluegrass song” that deals with the heavy themes of personal accountability and “coming to terms with other people needing to tell you to get your shit together.”

Life on the Road

Joining Hexum on this journey is the band Water Tower, led by Kenny Feinstein. The group serves as both the opening act and Hexum’s backing band. After receiving mandolin and banjo lessons from Feinstein, the collaboration blossomed into new songs like “Low Lonely Existence” and “Cosmic Connection.”

The tour itself is a DIY affair. Hexum and the band are traveling in an RV with no crew, handling their own gear and even the occasional tire blowout. “I refuse to believe we’re cursed,” Hexum laughs. “It’s a very intimate situation where I’ll be out at the merch booth after the show, meeting people, a lot of storytelling, and it’s very up close and personal.”

The Cleveland Connection

Being in the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the conversation naturally turned to 311’s potential induction. Hexum jokingly put the ball in Cleveland’s court: “As soon as you talk to them and have them… you’ve got to pull some strings, work your magic, work the angles, and get us our nomination. I will be taking you out for a fancy dinner once you do.”

Whether or not that dinner happens soon, the Grog Shop show promises a rare, stripped-down look at one of rock’s most enduring figures. Don’t miss the chance to see Nick Hexum up close on March 31.