Hultquist grew up just south of Knoxville in Alcoa, Tennessee, a small town in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. He attended Kentucky Wesleyan College, where he served as goalie for the men’s soccer team. When he headed to Nashville after graduation, the move was not spurred by a conscious decision to pursue music professionally. He wasn’t interested in joining the storied ranks of staff writers who create hits for the city’s mainstream country music machine, but he did want to develop the sounds and lyrics that had always busied his mind.

He has since released three EPs and a full length album via Carnival Music and Recording Company, his longtime home. His 2014 EP Mockingbird’s Mouth earned him widespread attention and opening slots for complementary heavy hitters including Sturgill Simpson. Produced by Frank Liddell and Eric Masse, 2018’s Southern Iron is Hultquist’s first full-length album, and a deeper, longer listen to an artist who, up until now, has primarily offered intriguing snapshots.