News
2026
OCTOBER 2 - Side B of John’s House of Ghosts releases to the public. The full story insert for each track, as well as printable artwork, are exclusively available on Bandcamp.
SEPTEMBER 26 - The Lovely Dark makes their live debut at Clevetoberfest in NYC.
SEPTEMBER 12 - LISTEN to John discuss House of Ghosts Side B on WUVT-FM, including a full album preview and live banjo performances.
SEPTEMBER 11 - Hildreth Mills returns on Friday, September 11, for a private, intimate show in Blacksburg, VA.
SEPTEMBER 4 -Side A of John’s House of Ghosts releases to the public. The full story insert for each track, as well as printable artwork, are exclusively available on Bandcamp.
AUGUST 28 - Beaker Bird Music released Event Horizon by The Lovely Dark on all platforms.
JULY 3 - Check out the newly-produced music video for ‘Midway Light’ by The Lovely Dark
JUNE 13 - John was featured on the podcast ‘Small Room, Loud Stories.’ It was a great conversation with host Rob Miles about music, songwriting, influences, production, and all the things. Listen anywhere you get your podcasts, or at this link: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-xy5cb-1aee3bc
APRIL 17 - John released the one-off single Love At The Oaks to celebrate all things Kentucky. The track is a duet with Denver-based singer Turi Aleta. Available on all platforms.
MARCH 5 - John was recently shared the stage with Woody McKenzie and Aspen Black as a featured guest in a songwriters round at the Third St Coffeehouse in Roanoke, VA.
FEBRUARY 7 - John interviewed again on WUVT-FM about the Lovely Dark LP (collab with Man Made Random) ’Strange Love: A Tribute To Depeche Mode.’ LISTEN to the archive recording as they discuss three of the tracks.
JANUARY 17 - John was interviewed on WUVT-FM about the new Lovely Dark EP, ‘Dark Stars And Mythologies.’ LISTEN to the archive recording for a track-by-track discussion.
2025
John performed a live film score to the 1920 horror classic Jeckyl and Hyde for the 2025 Spooktacular concert at Radford University on Thursday, October 30, 7:30pm, in the Davis Performance Hall. Free and open to the public. VIEW studio version.
LISTEN to the June 7 2025 WUVT-FM interview with John and engineer Steve Helm about Second Planet.
John’s EP Second Planet was released on all major platforms Friday, May 23, 2025. The recording continues the journey of 2024’s Hidden World and features his unique songwriting, vocals, and deep-tissue guitar.
John was a recent guest on the Face Your Ears music and production podcast. Click the link to learn about the show and listen.
FALL 2024
LISTEN to the September 2024 WUVT-FM interview with John and engineer Steve Helm about The Hidden World.
John Hildreth is based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and is known for his vibrant and prolific songwriting, dynamic guitar playing, unique low voice and multi-instrumental prowess. He can be seen throughout the region as a soloist as well as with Talk2Me, Hildreth-Mills, The Lovely Dark and Taco Cat. He has performed with, opened for, produced and collaborated with renowned artists including Rhiannon Giddens, Kat Mills, Man Made Random, Dot Dot Dash, Shana Tucker, Rachel Baiman, Larry Unger and Scott Perry. He has appeared at music festivals over the years including FloydFest, Appalachian Trail Days, Clevetoberfest, Summer Solstice Festival and Jonesborough Days.
As a child, John studied piano and organ at the Kleemeier School of Music in Cincinnati, OH. He began playing rock, classical and jazz guitar with instructors Mark Schulte and Martin Lockhart. John later earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music (composition and guitar) from Western Kentucky University, studying guitar with David Kelsey and Sharon Law, and composition/theory with Drs. Charles Smith and Michael Kallstrom. John earned a Master of Arts in Music (technology and education) from Radford University, studying guitar with Dr. Robert Trent, musicology with Dr. George Parish, and composition with Dr. Bruce Mahin.
His compositions and arrangements have been performed in the U.S., Canada and Europe, and he’s had master classes with Lily Afshar, Nikita Koshkin, Karel Husa, Jean Berger, Mark Applebaum, Jamey Abersold and Stanley Yates. After spending the mid-late 1990s in Nashville, TN, he was a founding member of the powerhouse dance band Dot Dot Dash (2002-2013) in southwest VA, touring and releasing two albums with them. He has produced session work and commissions for a variety of clients including Lynda.com, Horse Archer Productions, The Continental Divide Trail Coalition, CITL Films, Danah Bella Danceworks, Jones Film Group and RJB Production. His latest solo release is Second Planet.
About John
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