Singled Out: Fred Hostetler's Hey Corporate Vandals

06-29-2025

Fred Hostetler recently released his new compilation album "Blues Back Pages." To celebrate we asked him to tell us about one of the tracks, and he selected "Hey Corporate Vandals". Here is the story:

"I'm gonna get me a bossman to pay me a living wage, ain't gonna work two jobs till my dying day..." Welcome to my little corner of the blues world. Hey Corporate Vandals is the opening song on my latest album release 'Blues Back Pages', a compilation of tracks I recorded over the past 10 years.

Things are difficult. It seems like everyone except the very wealthy is being squeezed and monetized at every turn; but the 'Vandals' won't pay their fair share. The song was first penned bearing these things in mind during Covid days.

It inspired me to video an hour show for the Facebook group Can't Stop the Blues which at the time sponsored live shows that enabled locked down blues artists to make a little money and get some exposure. That version of the song was living room blues with acoustic guitar and vocal...stripped down, unplugged and recorded at home.

The new bluesy version of the track adds Eric Troyer on piano and myself on guitars, bass and drum programming. The tech bros and politics in the USA have breathed a new immediacy into my plea for respect for working people including songwriters/musicians (who haven't seen a pay raise in 30 years). Take a listen to this updated compilation of songs.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more here