Jim Hoehn

As a journalist, Jim Hoehn has worked for wire services, magazines, newspapers and Web sites and has chronicled a Super Bowl, a Rose Bowl, countless rugby matches, high school events and the perils and pitfalls of fatherhood.

Small wonder, then, that his songwriting covers a diverse spectrum, too.

Adhering to his motto -- "Six strings, five fingers, three chords, no problem" -- Hoehn pumps out witty tunes tinged with sunny island themes and shady characters in dark scenarios. There is enough of a Jimmy Buffett flavor to his original music and compilations like "Thongs in the Key of Life," that Hoehn gets booked to play yacht clubs and Parrothead parties from Kenosha to Key West.

If you listen to "Playa del Pressbox" or "Deadline Penitentiary," you can also hear shades of Buckwheat Zydeco, Jerry Jeff Walker, Joe Ely, Robert Earl Keen and other influences as well.

Hoehn's latest CD, "Royalty Check Hotel," is a 10-song compilation produced by his friend John Inmon, guitarist of the legendary Lost Gonzo Band. One of the tracks, "Callin' in Gone," reflects Hoehn's love for the beach culture:

I'm dialin' the office
Put the boss man on
I'm not callin' in sick
I'm callin' in gone

Hoehn, who practices "cubicle journalism" for Journal Interactive, has opened shows for Warren Zevon, Walker, Keen, Todd Snider, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and others.

Though he'll gladly appear at events DesertFest in Las Cruces, N.M., and at Pardi Gras in New Orleans, Hoehn seems to like writing music more than performing. His treats his trips as a chance to sneak in family vacations and to expand his network of like-minded music fanatics.

Before the interview was published, Hoehn provided an update. The song "Three-Chord Barbecue" was included last week on a radio show called "Amarillo Highway," which the DJ calls a "multi-ethnic hillbilly show" in Moab, Utah.

"Nothing like fame and fortune," Hoehn said.

We caught up with Hoehn via e-mail earlier this week:

OnMilwaukee.com: Let's start with the basics -- what is the story behind the title for "Royalty Check Hotel?"

Jim Hoehn: Another journalism / writing inside joke ... sort of like "Deadline Penitentiary." Based on the cover photo, it refers to the zillions of dollars I have not and will not make as a writer, songwriter, journalist.

OMC: Here is something even more basic: how does a suburban father with a full-time job find time to write, much less record a CD like this? Do you wait until you have 10 strong songs or until you have 10 free minutes to think about getting them down on a CD?

JH: Because of being the aforementioned father -- and we have three really active, involved kids -- along with the full-time journalism gig, I don't write on a schedule. The songs kind of evolve over time, then I play them out in public during those rare occasions I get out of the house. Eventually, I had enough songs that I was comfortable with.

OMC: The "island" feel permeates a lot of your own songs and the "Thongs" compilations, which is interesting for a guy who has to wear a parka and snow boots to get the mail most days. Obviously, Buffet was a big influence, but what else is it that draws you to those themes?

JH: Actually, the last two records I think are more Americana than tropical, both in terms of writing and production. Then again, when you have John Inmon from the Lost Gonzo Band, it's not surprising to have more of an Austin sound than pseudo-Buffett. As for Buffett, I always liked the older, storytelling songs. As for the rest of the beach themes, I'm as big a fan as anyone else of an escapist lifestyle. I wouldn't mind being retired, but I want it to be on my terms, not the Human Resources department's.

OMC: Your background as a reporter comes through in the detail of your narratives. Which do you like more,
describing scenes or developing characters?
JH: A lot of the songs are based on a kernel of truth and then given some editorial license. A lot of "Humanity Night on the Redneck Riviera" was true, at least based on my observation. "Poker Night at the Purgatory Lounge" was just a weird concept that popped up. I'm obviously not a pop song tunesmith, so I tend to focus on storytelling, you know -- a basic B.S. artist.

OMC: On the opening track, "Howie Played Accordion," you make a squeezebox guy into an Yngwie Malmsteen type music god. Did you ever attempt to play that instrument? Where did that one come from? There are some tinges of polka sensibility in your melodies. Is that impossible to escape for a guy from Wisconsin?

JH: I actually bought an accordion a few years ago at an estate sale. The first thing I noticed was how heavy it was. Second, it requires a lot of synchronized motion -- buttons, keys, bellows. After about a month of driving my family nuts, I gave it away to a local keyboard player. It was another in the long line of solid musical investments.

OMC: Let's talk about gigs. You don't play live a lot, but you get most of the interesting venues of any musician in these parts. What's your philosophy about playing live?

JH: For whatever reason, what I do seems to work if I stay in my niche. Basically every Holiday Inn cover guy is a better musician and singer than I am. My first real public gig was winning a songwriting contest and playing at Summerfest. Then, Peter Jest at Shank Hall asked me and Kevin Mulvenna to open for Jerry Jeff Walker. Each gig seems to lead to a couple more (at least if I don't mess it up). Now, the trips often are the local songwriter version of a busman's holiday. If schedules allow, my wife is able to come on some trips and each of the kids usually gets one weekend road trip per year. Then we do a lot of nerdy side trips. It's much more like Clark Griswold than Jimmy Buffett.

OMC: The song "Callin' in Gone" from the new CD seems like it's crying for a music video. Is there part of you that would like to explore that venue or are you "old school" about leaving the imagery to the listener's imagination?

JH: I've had other people say it would be a pretty funny video. But, it's a budgetary and time constraint thing. Many days when I've been inching along on eastbound I-94 toward Downtown from scenic Brookfield, I can envision the opening scene. Also, the song was recorded by some friends of mine from Illinois, a really good tropical band called the Boat Drunks, and there's several videos of them on YouTube performing the song. I've sung it with them several times at their shows. It's gratifying to get the "one-finger salute" response from several hundred people.

OMC: Tell me how you got hooked up with John Inmon and what influence he has on this CD and other collaborations.

JH: I met John several years ago when I opened for Jerry Jeff and then talked to him at length at a Texas music festival where I had a short solo slot. Then, John hooked up with another Texas songwriting friend of mine, Larry Joe Taylor. When I decided to record the songs for "Deadline Penitentiary," Larry Joe put together the studio lineup and John was the guitarist. He also ended up being the producer.

After the record came out, John was in Key West with Larry Joe at the same time I was playing. So, John and Howard Golub, the Boat Drunks' outstanding harmonica player, were kind enough to play those songs with me on the beach stage at Key West. As my wife said, "It was really good. It didn't sound like you." But, since then, I've always stayed in touch with John, seen him occasionally at gigs, etc. When this latest batch of songs was ready, he's where I turned first and he was kind enough to accept yet another challenge. In addition to being a fantastic guitar player and, in my case arranger / producer, he's one of the nicest people on the planet.

OMC: Where and when do you do most of your writing?

JH: There's no set place or time. Usually something pops into my head and I'll scribble down a line or concept on a napkin, back of a bank receipt or whatever's handy. If I'm on the road or on vacation, I usually take a notebook with me. Last January, I was lucky to take the train from Milwaukee to a festival in New Orleans. It was a nice, relaxing 19-hour ride. I somehow managed to write down the lyrics for a new song, figure out a rough progression in my head, get off the train, take a cab to Margaritaville for a radio gig and play the song live for an audience. That was the "Dancing Flamingo Queens," although since then I've changed the key and got a lot of help from John Inmon on the final version.

OMC: What's the next project? Live CD? Box set? A collection of Kinky Friedman covers?

JH: I think we can rule out covers, unless it's something really obscure. I did one live CD with Kevin Mulvenna it was fun and captured the essence of the event, but it was a great leap nowhere in terms of music. I'm contemplating another "Thongs in the Key of Life" collection, because I've stumbled across some really fine tropical and beach songs by different writers. I've started to jot down some more ideas, concepts, titles, but I've got a lot of "Royalty Check Hotel" CDs to sell before I even think about heading back to the studio. Plus, I'm kind of at the mercy of the after-school and weekend Cub Scout camp out schedule. - onmilwaukee.com

SILVER CITY - So what does a journalist do when he has a few more furlough days? Go on the road as a singer/songwriter.

That's what Milwaukee journalist Jim Hoehn is doing since his company "volunteered" him to take a 6.6 percent pay cut and a few more days off.

It helps that he has two well-received CD's to his credit and has opened for the likes of Jerry Jeff Walker, Warren Zevon, Todd Snider, Jack Ingram, Rodney Crowell, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Kinky Friedman.

Hoehn, an online guy at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, got his start as a singer/songwriter nearly by accident.

"I was just a guy that played a little bit in the living room," he said.

Then, in the early 1990s he saw a poster on the wall of a local tavern advertising a local musician singer/songwriter contest.

"And my wife said why don't you enter?" he said.

Well, he won the contest, got some studio time and stage time at Summerfest, an 11-day music festival in Milwaukee, billed as the world's largest music festival, and the rest, as they say, is history.

"The next thing you know, they are saying, "Do you want to open for Jerry Jeff Walker?' and I'm like, "Are you kidding?'" Hoehn said.

His latest CD, "Royalty Check Hotel," which came out in June, has a little Jimmy Buffet/Jerry Jeff Walker flavor, with Hoehn's own brand of humor and music.

To start with, the CD's title is a good-natured swipe at his profession, as is the title of his previous CD, "Deadline Penitentiary."

Both CDs were produced by Jerry Jeff's guitar player and feature harmony vocals from members of Walker's Lost Gonzo band. And "Deadline Penitentiary" features the piano player from "Asleep at the Wheel," who is a two-time Grammy nominee.

The songs are all written by Hoehn, who considers himself a writer above all else.

Currently the Web producer for the Journal Sentinel in Milwaukee, Hoehn's been a reporter since 1983 and covered everything from city council meetings to a presidential campaign to a plane crash to the Green Bay Packers to rugby in Hong Kong. He had a column in a parenting publication for 11 years and authored a book, "The Father's Guide to Birth, Babies, and Loud Children." He even owed a business selling computerized sports scores to the Associated Press

"But my main love is writing," he said, "I'm a singer/songwriter but it's all just writing to me. Everywhere I go I bring a notepad and a camera."

You could say the furloughs in the journalism industry have had a hint of silver lining for Hoehn.

"I travel about once a month," he said. "I'm in Key West in November, New Orleans in January, St. Louis in April, Nevada in May, and in between I try to cram more stuff in my kids. The furloughs have given me some time to do that."

When he travels he tries to combine a little pleasure with business and see some sights.

"I'm really lucky to have a hobby that allows to me do that," he said.

He had a private party booked in Las Cruces and since he always wanted to see the Gila Cliff Dwellings, he decided to parlay that into a trip to Silver City and found an opening to play at Javalina's.

"I'm looking forward to it," he said. "I like coffee shops. I like historic downtowns."

Hoehn will play at 7 p.m. at Javalina's, at the corner of Bullard and Broadway.

After that he heads back to Milwaukee to work in what's left of the journalism industry.

"I tell my kids, 'Don't you dare be a journalist. Pay attention in math class or science.' But you know what, whatever they do I hope they love whatever it is."

Christine Steele can be reached at csteele@scsun-news.com; (575) 538-5893 ext. 5802.

http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_13520784 - Silver City Sun-News