Joe Hermes impresses as support for Lansdowne

Joe Hermes stepped on stage with his band at Gebaude9 in Cologne and introduced himself: ‘I’m Joe Hermes and I came from fuckin’ Nashville’. With that, the band launched into a set of heavy country rock that quickly set the room on fire. The audience was clearly ready for it, embracing the country energy with enthusiastic, no-holds-barred support. During the set, Joe Hermes briefly paused to talk about his move to the southern United States and the early days of building his career there, offering the crowd a glimpse into the path that led him to Nashville and launched his career. The short story added a personal touch to the performance, momentarily easing the pace before the band launched back into their high-energy country-rock sound.

Based in Nashville , originally from Heyworth, Illinois, Hermes has carved out a distinct style he calls “gunpowder country.” His sound fuses gritty rock influences—citing bands like Metallica and Lynyrd Skynyrd—with with classic country storytelling, resulting high-energy, soulful music with raw guitar work, edgy vocal textures, and lyrics that often explore the tension between angel and devil.

Before his music career, Hermes was a standout defensive lineman in high school and played college football at Quincy University and Eureka College. He later earned a Master’s degree from Illinois State University before returning to music professionally in 2019.

Key Releases:

Souls with Stones (2020) – Debut EP
Rockin’ A Country Town (2023) – Full-length album featuring “Used To Be Me,” which reached No. 46 on the MusicRow Country Breakout Chart.
Singles (2024–2026): Recent tracks include “Baptized By The South”, “Walk Away Whiskey” , “Boots on Broadway”
“That Country High” the April 2026 single which reached #1 on the UK iTunes Chart.

Accreditation: Concertteam NRW