Rediscover Vincent Poag Through His Captivating New Album ‘The Unknown’

Vincent Poag’s music is a timeless reflection of a life fully lived—from sweeping melodies inspired by Broadway‘s golden age to stories rooted in blue-collar reality. Born and raised in Massapequa, Long Island, Vincent Poag has walked many paths: from working in his family’s hardware store to leading a trio in Atlanta’s underground scene and eventually building a business career before returning to songwriting later in life. Since the release of his debut album, Circling Back, he’s carved out a unique space in the Americana and singer-songwriter world, combining lyrical honesty with genre-hopping arrangements that span jazz, blues, reggae, and theatrical pop. His latest album, The Unknown, continues that journey—surprising, personal, and musically adventurous.

Spin 98: How do your personal roots and upbringing influence the stories you tell in your songs?

Vincent Poag: We don’t get to choose where we are born or who we are born to. I was lucky to grow up in an unusually loving family. My father was in the hardware business with his three brothers. Not only did they work together six days a week, but our families socialized together regularly. My mother’s best friend married my dad’s older brother, who was also his best friend. We lived on a block, five houses apart. At one time, all of my dad’s brothers and their parents lived on the same block in Massapequa, Long Island. I worked in our family hardware store from the time I was a little boy until I went to college.

This was perhaps the most important education of my life (listen to my song “Son of a Hardware Man”). I’m very close to my cousins to this day. We actually like and enjoy each other, which may be hard to believe. This unusually lucky family upbringing is at the heart of me. These influences that went into and molded me can’t help but shape what comes out of me.

Spin 98: What’s the most surprising influence on your music that listeners might not expect?

Vincent Poag: Perhaps my gravitation toward showtunes. I can see a good number of my songs being choreographed and produced as mini-Broadway musicals. If I had to do it all over, I might throw my hat in the Broadway composer ring.

Spin 98: How do you deal with the pressure of authenticity in Americana, a genre so tied to “realness”?

Vincent Poag: I don’t think about this. I’m competing with myself, similar to when I’m playing golf. I do feel a certain level of pressure and responsibility once birthing a song to make it as good as it can be. Some songs don’t make the cut. Many may be destined to remain forever in limbo and incomplete. You can only hope the music and/or message of the songs you finish resonate with listeners.

Spin 98: What’s your process for turning a simple melody or lyric into a fully realized track?

Vincent Poag: Each song is a different journey. Most of my ideas start with a phrase, which is usually the idea for a song. The phrase often ends up being the song’s title. Most of the time, I hear a melody along with the words, which becomes the springboard for the song’s development. Sometimes, a melody line will just pop into my head, or I’ll be messing around on my piano or guitar, and abracadabra, a tune is born. The lyrics are written thereafter. This is probably the format of most songwriters.

I never know how, when, or if it will be finished until it is. I’m under no pressure other than what’s self-imposed by inspiration. Once I’ve completed and recorded a new song, I’ll bring it to my team to develop the orchestration. I work with Kathy Sommer, a brilliant, selflessly gracious conductor and arranger, and Matt Anthony, a tasteful, multi-talented instrumentalist and great engineer. They are the perfectionists who make me sound professional. I have hundreds of unfinished song ideas in various stages.

Spin 98: How do you balance the rawness of Americana with the polish of modern production?

Vincent Poag: I generally believe less is more, providing it’s tasteful. The Beatles are the best example of introducing the perfect balance of just enough and not too much. Everything from every voice, harmony, or instrumental feels like it belongs. That’s something I strive for, but of course, it’s all subjective. In our creative process, lots of musical ideas are introduced only to get modified or stripped out completely. There’s a fine line between complimenting and clutter.

Spin 98: Did you experiment with any new sounds or instrumentation on The Unknown that fans might find surprising?

Vincent Poag: Sure, always! The reed organ on the song “The Unknown” was an interesting sound I discovered on my Korg chrome electric piano. This sound couldn’t be duplicated anywhere else. The marimba and calliope sounds, along with the toy piano and mellotron flutes, combined with the piano and cello, were also unusual sounds my team came up with for “The Unknown.”

Spin 98: What goals do you have for your music career over the next few years?

Vincent Poag: I think many of my songs lend themselves to the themes of various content providers like Netflix, Apple, Amazon, Hulu, HBO, etc. Songs like “America” or the soundtrack from “Billy” are examples. My song “And the Ocean Rolls” is one of my favorite undiscovered songs. But what do I know?

Discover the heart and soul of The Unknown—listen now and let Vincent Poag’s storytelling take you somewhere unexpected.