Bluegrass-influenced country musician Spencer Hatcher has lived his songs.  

"Songwriting is about expressing myself," Hatcher said. "I might be inspired to write something based off of something that I'm going through. Sometimes, it's just an idea that came into my head."  

Hatcher usually writes the melody to match the line, but sometimes it's vice versa.  

"The inspiration is in the music or in the words," he said.  

The rural Virginia native and rising Nashville talent figures he's written up about 75 or 100 songs and is writing more each day.  

Hatcher will fly in from the South to join 29 other songwriters at the Whitefish Songwriter Festival Sept. 17-20, where he'll tell a bit of the story behind his songs.  

Some stories run deep. Others, like Hatcher's most recent hit, "Hot weather, cold beer," come from a more light-hearted place.  

Hatcher was sitting around with his younger brother and two buddies writing songs together.   

"It was June, it was really hot. And somebody said, 'Hot weather, cold beers, that's what we need.' And everyone looked around like, ‘I don't think that's a song,’" he said. 

The summertime jam was written in about two hours. Two weeks later, they were in the studio cutting it.  

"It was about the fastest turn around you'll ever see in Nashville," Hatcher said.  

Hatcher is from Broadway, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley. He was strumming a banjo in his family band by the age of 11 and joined a country band with his younger brother in 2020.  

Music has always been his passion. 

"It does that thing for me. You know, where, say I'm sad, or upset, or whatever it may be, music can cure that," he said. "The place that I'm happiest is when I'm on stage. I love being in front of an audience. I love being able to see the reaction on people's faces when you sing a song they love.  

"You can bring people together, an entire crowd that doesn't know one another."  

Growing up in a rural community, Hatcher had to pave his own path to independent success. He self-booked and played more than 150 shows a year in both 2023 and 2024, has amassed a large TikTok following and is spinning Mountain Dew commercials.  

"There was never anybody that's ever come out of my area to do what I'm getting to do now. It's a blessing," he said.  

Hatcher sees the Whitefish festival as a chance for youth and adults to ask questions about writing music, an opportunity he never had.  

In addition to a songwriter round, Hatcher will give a guest performance at Whitefish High School, alongside rising country artist Lakelin Lemmings.  

While Hatcher's coming to teach, he said he's a student in all settings.  

"I walk into every single room as a student, so I can listen to how they do things, so that I can also become a better songwriter," he said.  

For those who aren't aspiring musicians, Hatcher said the festival is still a special opportunity to learn.  

“I can’t wait to get up and sing some of my music and hopefully answer questions and bring light to the music industry," he said.  "Most people love music. It's its own language. It's a proven fact in psychology that it does something to your brain."  

The Whitefish Songwriter Festival is Sept. 17 – 20 at several Whitefish venues. Songwriters will take part in "rounds" together. Songwriting contest finalists, including several local youth, will perform, and there will be an industry panel.  

Another event, "Songwriters and the Symphony" is also on Sept. 17. This event is separate from the songwriting festival and is produced by Big Sky Troubadours.  

For tickets and more information on the Whitefish Songwriter Festival, a 501c3 nonprofit, see https://whitefishsongwriterfest.org.