Huntsville, Alabama-native John Hancock began playing the piano by ear at the age of two and was placed in formal classical lessons by his parents at age four. Over the years, his affinity for music resulted in the further development of his talents through a variety of other styles and instruments. After high school, John spent a semester studying as a double major in Piano and Vocal Performance at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. While there, he realized that, although he still had a strong passion for music, he also had other aspirations. At the start of his second semester he disenrolled from the university’s music program to take some time away from classical music. In 2003, while living in Annapolis, MD, John helped form the Celtic and folk band, Shillelagh, for which he sang lead male vocals and played rhythm guitar. The group covered mostly traditional Irish, Scottish, and English music, but also performed several of John's own originals. Around the same time, John played keyboards for the local rock cover band, Oversize Load. Both bands dissolved in mid 2005 for personal interest reasons. In 2008, John wrote, recorded, and released his debut solo album, Sinners, Saints & Satellites, which he co-produced with Angela Taylor through his own label, Avila Publishing. In early 2013, John co-produced, again, with Angela Taylor, his second album, Irish Whiskey. It was a project John had wanted to tackle for some time; all of the songs were considered traditional Celtic, most of which were Irish, and were set to his original compositional arrangements. He currently resides in southern Maryland. In regards to influences, as well as any preferred musical style, John generally chooses to explore all types, without limiting himself to any specific genre. -Esther Neal