If passion fuels purpose, then Hank Close A.K.A. “Hank (!)” is well on his way to realizing a successful music career. He’s no newcomer — far from it in fact. He’s played guitar for the past 20 years and written original music for the last 18. Indeed, he’s already established himself as an astute artist courtesy of the two earlier outfits he was associated with — the prog-rock band Absent Boundaries, with whom he performed from 2013 – 2016, and the folk-rock duo Hank & Brendan, a group that dominated his focus from 2015 – 2020. He’s also met and mingled with such notables as Sarah Shook and the Disarmers, Lydia Loveless, Dex Romweber, and Mandolin Orange, among the many.

Nevertheless, with three recent solo singles under his belt — “Stupid Teens,” “Why Go” and “Lady St.” — and an upcoming album Guilty Pleasures (Are the Best Ones) due October 15, Hank is already establishing himself as a proficient and decidedly insightful singer and songwriter capable of making music that’s both personal and prescient.

“The singles are more or less about relationships,” Hank explains. “Even though the lyrics focus on specific situations, they can reference any number of events I’ve experienced throughout my life. That’s part of the beauty of songwriting as far as I’m concerned. You can write a song describing one particular set of circumstances, but oftentimes they find connections to similar emotions and events that transpire later on. Eventually, over time, the songs find a common thread.”

Today, Ghettoblaster has the pleasure of sharing “Stupid Teens.”

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