Article by: Jolene Roderick

Released June 7, 2025

With A View Inside, North Carolina-based singer-songwriter Vogan Thompson delivers a stirring, roots-deep collection that feels equal parts Appalachian hymn, country confessional, and backroad soul. This nine-track album is not just a sonic journey through place and memory—it’s a vulnerable look inward and upward.

A native of Franklin, TN now settled in Sparta, NC, Vogan’s music carries the weight of his geography—rolling hills, quiet hollers, and small-town sanctity. His influences—ranging from Otis Redding and The Doobie Brothers to Garth Brooks and James Taylor—are woven throughout the album, but never overshadow his distinct voice. His “high and lonesome” tenor pierces cleanly through each track, while his ability to dip into warm baritone tones gives his vocals a grounded versatility that feels lived-in and honest.

The album opens with “Creek Dancin’,” a joyous, front-porch shuffle that captures the simple, fleeting magic of life’s quietest moments. But it’s track three, “No Small Stages,” where Vogan truly lays bare his philosophy: that every note played and every moment lived is seen by God. It’s a reverent reminder that our efforts are never in vain, and that no act of love, faith, or artistry is ever too small when placed before the divine. In a world obsessed with recognition and spotlight, this track re-centers the sacredness of intention.

“Painted Trees” slows the pace and paints a vivid landscape—both physical and emotional—offering a meditative look at beauty found in stillness. It’s the first sign that this album is as much about inward exploration as it is about capturing the rural world around him.

Other standouts include “Intentional Catastrophe,” a slow-burning epic that blends poetic lyricism with atmospheric instrumentation, and “Keep On Keepin’ On,” a tight and punchy anthem for anyone who’s ever had to dig deep and push through.

In “I’ll Take the Mountains,” Vogan cements his connection to the Blue Ridge, expressing love for the geography that has clearly shaped both his spirit and his sound. “Between Georgia and Tennessee” and “Up In Here” round out the album with equal parts soul-searching and swagger.

A View Inside is more than just a collection of songs—it’s a musical journal from an artist who understands the power of both place and introspection. There’s an honesty to Vogan Thompson’s work that can’t be faked, a lived-in quality to his writing and singing that pulls you in and doesn’t let go.

Whether you’re discovering Vogan for the first time or have followed his journey from Growing Country to now, this album invites you to slow down, lean in, and take a look inside—just like he did.

Recommended if you like: The Avett Brothers, Sturgill Simpson, or just honest-to-God songwriting.

📍 Now booking through 2025—catch him live if you get the chance.

🎧 Listen to the album
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